SiLOSSiLOS

Duck shelters that keep the mud under control

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nest box

1The lean-to that ducks actually use

A three-sided shelter, open to the south, floor of packed gravel topped with straw. Ducks don't perch and barely nest, so you're building a roof over a bed, not a cabin. Mine cost less than the chicken coop and gets used more, mostly as a rain shelter for loitering.

2Put the water downhill from everything

This is the whole trick, and I learned it after the mud learned me. Place the pool, tub, or kiddie pond at the low corner of the run, far from the shelter door. Water spills, life drains away, the bedding stays dry. Grade the ground before you place anything.

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3Gravel and straw, in that order

Bare dirt plus ducks equals a swamp by October. Lay a few inches of pea gravel or wood chips where the water splash lands, then straw in the sleeping area. When the straw goes sour, it goes to the compost and fresh goes down. Two minutes of work, weekly, forever.

4The old bathtub pond

Half-buried stock tank or bathtub, cinder block steps so ducks can climb out, drain plug at the bottom for the weekly dump. No filter, no pump, no pretending. Ducks foul water faster than you'd believe, so the drain is the feature. Pull the plug, refill, done.

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5Nest boxes on the floor, thank you

Chickens want a box up on the wall. Ducks want a dark corner at floor level, ideally one they have to shove past you to reach. A milk crate on its side with straw works. They'll still lay an egg in the grass sometimes, just to keep you humble.

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