Finally the ducks have their new home!!!! The construction was easy, ok, easy for Bruce. If it were up to me I’m sure it’d be a little crooked and it might not float. Bruce first built a nice sturdy house. It has a removable roof so we can clean inside every once in a while. Then he built a deck to put the house on. We had to figure out a way to make it float. We like cheap and easy so we used insulation sheets. This worked out great we used 3 sheets but we think 4 would be better so we’ll probably be adding another. I like the way it turned out, the only problem now is the ducks. These are runner duck not what I’d call a very brave breed. They just look at the floating house as an evil monster that might jump up and grab them. Now it’s my turn to train the stupid ducks to like the house. I’ve started by putting the house on shore so they can walk near it, now my next phase has been to feed them on the deck of the house. So far its been baby steps, baby steps. Eventually we’ll secure the house out in the middle of the pond using a pipe that we’ll hammer into the bottom of the pond and some type of flange. We’re still figuring out that part. Our ponds level changes with the rain due to its location and a bad rain can raise the level 3 to 4 feet just from run off, so we have to compensate for that. Hopefully the ducks will use the house as a safe area. They can’t fly so staying on the water is the only way they can protect themselves. I hope they get a little smarter with age.
Ohh and which of these things are not like the others?
Lost on Dragonfly Farm 
John said,
May 6, 2008 at 12:17 am
Nice I dea I might have to copy it Thanks.
michelle said,
October 14, 2008 at 10:06 am
would like demisions on house, ones I built tip over
Melanie said,
May 29, 2009 at 12:42 pm
thanks for the idea, my sister lives on a lake , ask me to try to find a floating duck house online, this looks perfect.have a great day.
rod fleming said,
July 4, 2009 at 8:24 am
thanks for the photos, its a real help. i have 4 mallardsthat i just moved to the pond. i took the pin from the house to the pond and am locking them up every night until get a floating house built. Thanks for the info
Adrian Fox said,
July 4, 2009 at 2:51 pm
At last, what looks like a simple and practical design. Thanks for posting it with the helpful photos. We have a ‘Barbarie’ (Muscovy) and some ‘mulard’ (hybrid) ducks and two dogs which love to chase ducks and kill them! So something we can put in the middle of our large pond is ideal. I particularly liked the idea of the polystyrene sheets as the buoyancy as I’d been planning something using old plastic containers which was proving difficult to fix to the boards.
Tim said,
October 12, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I just completed a floating house using your basic design that I modified some. It turned out very nice. Thanks for the basic design idea. I also have a pond that the water level varies as much as three feet. I used one line secured to the front of the deck that was attached to an anchor point on shore. Then I hooked an anchor to the rear of the house that is attached to the two corners of the deck. I provided enough slack in the lines to compensate for the water level changes while still keeping the house a safe distance from the bank.
Gary said,
March 9, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Just as your other responders said, it’s a simple and practical solution to give our feathered friends a place to stay. I have a small group of wild ducks that visit my pond, however they never stay very long because of my cats scare them off and there’s no where for them to go except to stay in the pond or leave and go to a more secluded place.
So thanks for the good job and photos. I’ll be using your idea and hopefully they’ll stay around a little longer.
Tom said,
April 19, 2010 at 7:51 pm
I like your design, I am trying to incorporate brooding the ducklings in the house and then moving it to the pond at the proper time. Wish me luck. My theory is that by imprinting the ducks with the security of the house at an early age they will use it in adulthood.
Shelly Gardner said,
August 14, 2010 at 7:40 am
My kids and I have been looking for a floating duck house. This looks just fantastic. What a neat and good looking design. We have tried lots of things ( non which work very well or look very good) Does it still float? I know it had to take quite a lot of time. Could you give me your dimensions and building supply list?
suzette said,
September 14, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Hello we live in east tx we used your duck house. The ducks are 7 months old to get the ducks out there I feed them everyday on the house.Now I have three nest and eggs in the house. Thank you for the idea. Worked great
patty said,
October 18, 2010 at 1:15 pm
I love your duck house. thank you for showing it and telling how you made it. we have been trying to figure out a floating house that is easy and inexpensive to make. what were the dimensions that you used if you dont mind my asking.is it still floating? Did the insulation sheets hold up with time? thanks again for your time and knowledge. patty
gthood said,
December 19, 2010 at 12:20 pm
looks good i’v been trying to think of how to do this thanks a lot
Liz said,
April 26, 2011 at 12:47 pm
great looking house. Would like to get the dimensions if possible
Thanks
Marjorie Smith said,
April 27, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Thanks so much for your design and posting! I have just spent hours looking for a similar project. Our stream is only about 8feet across at the point where I want the house the house to float for protection. We have ten mallards and now two ducklings. more later
John said,
May 15, 2011 at 9:56 am
Nice design…I am looking to building a floating duck house in the near future. If possible, will you please send me the dimensions and building supply list? Thanks
Guy said,
May 22, 2011 at 12:36 am
Great house and story. I built a similar duck house using treated 1×4’s for the deck that is 45×45. I used 1 sheet of 2″ insulation foam cut in 4 parts and glued to make 2 , 221/2″ sections that are 4″ thick. I made a 34″ square house with 2 openings that are 10″x12″, sided with vinyl, and used a tin roof. I used a U-bolt in the center of the floor and tied a poly rope to a large concrete block for an anchor. I used a swivel and a D- ring to connect and anchor the house. My problem is we have 2 Peking ducks that aren’t interested in their new home. I really would appreciate any behavior mod suggestions. They seem disoriented having their freedom.
Kim said,
June 17, 2011 at 12:13 am
I would try feeding them on the house and in it before you take it to the pond so they will be used to it. I am so excited to find this idea. We have 3 Pekin ducks that are about 8 weeks old. We will soon send them to the pond at our house. We have fox that I am worried about killing them. I have them in a 10 x 10 dog pen now so I will introduce them to the house before I move them.
Kim said,
July 10, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Would there ever be a problem with snakes getting into the duck houses? There are a lot of water snakes and I didn’t know if they are harmful to ducks or not.
Mark said,
August 12, 2011 at 7:41 am
Yes, snakes will go after the eggs. The fox will go after the ducks. A racoon will go after the ducklings and eggs. If your house is in the middle of the pond, the fox can’t get them unless they are on land. Racoons and snakes can swim…
Caren Arrell said,
May 22, 2011 at 11:54 am
Hi,
Do you leave the foam exposed in the water or do you sandwich it with something?
Thanks!
Guy said,
May 22, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Mine is exposed about 1/2″ and about 1″ of the house platform is submerged.
Kim said,
July 10, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Would one of those hard plastic dog houses work for the house. It would be light weight and easy to clean out. You could screw it to the bottom of the dock. What do you think good and bad?
Mark said,
August 11, 2011 at 10:30 pm
When can the ducklings be let out to the pond around the clock?
Mark said,
August 11, 2011 at 10:31 pm
At what age do leave your ducklings out at the pond?
George Meade said,
September 16, 2011 at 1:01 pm
hi i am building a duck house for my A-level project. Would it be possible to have a chat on the phone sometime about this issue. Thanks George
horse jumps said,
January 5, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Great post. Keep me updated with your content.
Bob Phalen - Loxahatchee, Fl said,
April 1, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Great Idea. I have 2 femail wood ducks that have desided that they like my pond. I’m going to try and copy your design. Thanks and the ducks will thank you later. Bob P.
Donna said,
April 26, 2012 at 10:49 pm
This is brilliant! Looks much easier and even nicer then anything else I have seen. Any helpful hints? I don’t want it to flip on the poor little guys. I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into but feel in love with them the first time they followed me all around the house while I tried to clean out their pen. Thanks
Simon Turner said,
April 30, 2012 at 8:22 am
That looks great. I’ve just designed and have nearly finished building a floating plant island with detachable duck house. I’m anchoring the lot to the bottom of my (lined) pond using sash window weights and am currently scratching my head trying to design some sort of rope and pulley system to allow me to pull the duck house in to the side for cleaning. I’m finding it quite hard to work out how to do it without ending up with two ropes stretched across to either side of the pond. As pond is gin clear I’d rather not have any ropes showing (or at least as little rope as is possible).
Bill Brown said,
May 6, 2012 at 10:07 am
Thanks for your duckhouse ideas our daughter though we needed a new project and now we have 6 ? Ducks . They are 10 weekts old and need protection from the locals. And may have to share with the turtles .
Cindy said,
May 21, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I live next to an area that is likely protected wetlands. The water is only two to three feet deep in various channels but is about a foot deep every where else. Mallards nest here every year and hawks eat the young. Two days ago I was sitting on the water in a little boat. A Mallard mom who is familiar with me, brought eleven ducklings to the boat. As I watched, two red tail hawks swooped down and took off with two of the ducklings. By evening, when I next checked on them, the number was down to seven. This morning, there were only two left. Between snapping turtles and hawks, how can ducklings ever reach adulthood? Any ideas?
Steve Monty said,
November 17, 2012 at 12:24 pm
I was just reading all the replys to your duck house and I must say, there seems to be quite a desire for floating duck houses. The ironic thing is, before I even got to your website, I had just finished building a duck house for a customer of mine. I normally build bird houses, but not your typical bird house. The customer sends me photos of their homes or businesses, and I duplicate the structure all the way down to the lights on the porch. The cost runs anywhere from $250 to $550 per house. If you saw the detail I put into them, you would understand the price. So along came a request for a floating duck house. I was a little hesitant at first, having never built one, but thought I’d give it a try. The photos that she sent to me were of a brick two story home that I would assume cost in the $500,000 range, and I’m supposed to turn this into a floating duck house! Well, after many hours, I finally finished it. As far as floatation goes, I too used they styrofoam 2″ board and cut it so it was four layers thick under the platform. The house is extremely heavy because I use real shingles and 3/4 inch wood. As I said, the whole house is brick with large white pillars in the front. I’m taking it to an indoor pool this week to weed out the balance and floatation issues, and once it’s complete, I’ll send you some pictures. Thanks for all your information. These things are a blast to build!
nancy severson said,
May 11, 2013 at 3:31 pm
Every summer we have wild ducks that nest and start out with up to 30 babies swimming with them. Most of them disappear by the end of the summer. They are back this spring was thinking that it was foxes and coyotes getting them. Will coyotes swim to the floating duck house?
What Is In Provillus For Women said,
July 8, 2013 at 4:34 am
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after
I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again.
Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!
Little Old Ladies' Shop said,
March 3, 2014 at 7:09 pm
I’m new to raising ducks too, but I’ve built things that were meant to float forever… and didn’t!
So, you might want to learn from my mistake! Wood will float just fine… for a while. Over time, it absorbs more and more water, until it is waterlogged!
So even though the duck house floats just fine right now… the loss of boiance of the wood over time… and the weight gain of your ducks, or the number of ducks might change things! 😉
So I would suggest that you also buy some metal barrels, have the lids welded on, then build your next duck house using those!
You could also have a link welded onto each barrel to hook up lines. One could be cemented into the bottom of the pond, and the other could be hooked up to the land so that you could pull it in to clean it or get to a sick duck etc.
The steps up to the duck house should have a smaller metal container to keep it level with the water!
I am designing one right now! I will let you know how it works out if you like.
Eric said,
March 29, 2014 at 12:43 pm
I’m thinking about building a floating duck house for my pond, which is about 400′ in circumference. During the non-winter months the water is probably the best way to keep predators out. However, the pond freezes over for most of winter — and I know the red foxes walk on the ice.
So, how do you keep the predators out of the floating house in winter?
thereidss said,
March 29, 2014 at 2:19 pm
There’s no good way to stop a hungry predator. I have 2 dobermans that keep an eye on things during the day . At night if they growl and bark i set them free and hope for the best.
Lauren Farmer Pasket said,
May 15, 2014 at 4:32 pm
I would like a floating duck house for my pond can anyone build one for me?
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