Room for keeping chickens and ducks. How to build a poultry house for ducks with your own hands: choose from what it is better to build a poultry house, stages of construction. Making a homemade nest

Indo-ducks are also known to poultry farmers as musky ducks and in recent times gaining popularity among poultry farmers. This is primarily due to the unpretentiousness of these birds. However, when breeding them, care must be taken that each female has a comfortable enough nest so that she can safely carry and incubate eggs.

Otherwise, the Indian woman can find herself appropriate place outside the poultry house, which may result in danger to the bird and its offspring. Even if the duck finds a safe place on its own, it will not be convenient for the poultry farmer to look after it.

To avoid these worries and inconveniences, you need to find a suitable nest for the bird, or make it yourself. How to do this and what requirements the desired nest must meet is written below.

The breeding process of musky ducks in our latitudes begins around the end of February. At this time, there should be a drake in the house, which can fertilize all the ducks. Birds will start laying eggs around the beginning of April. Consequently, for more than a month they will look for a suitable place for themselves. At this time, you should carefully monitor their behavior.

Duck with ducklings in the nest

Indian women can choose their own shelter. It can be a box, a basket, an empty barrel, or some other container. In this case, it may be enough to simply transfer the object chosen by the bird to the house. If your wards do not show preferences for existing "nests", you will have to make them yourself.

Nest requirements

Nests indoutok first of all must meet the same requirements as for all poultry. These include:

• The nest must be dry and well ventilated;
• The place should be quiet and calm so that the bird does not experience anxiety;
• There should be enough in the nest deep litter from straw or sawdust so that the duck can dig a recess in it and lay it down. You should not lay out the floor with hay, as in the dark it retains moisture;
• A certain thermal insulation must be provided, the absence of drafts and sudden changes in temperature.

Muscovy duck nests have additional requirements. They are connected with the fact that these birds tend to incubate eggs in solitude and tranquility. Therefore, it is better not to put nests close to each other. The duck also needs privacy for another reason: if other ducklings get to it during incubation, then it may mistakenly start taking care of them.

Bird nests

In this case, the bird may abandon its nest, which will lead to the death of the offspring. Therefore, it is good if the nest has a threshold. It will also keep the eggs from rolling out of the clutch. There must be a source of water nearby. The distance should be such that the duck can drink and bathe without going too far from its nest. You should also keep in mind that ducks prefer dimly lit places to lay their eggs.

materials

In principle, the nest for an indochka can be made of any material, especially if the bird itself shows interest in it. Suitable tin containers or barrels, carton boxes, wicker baskets. But if there is a need to make a nest with your own hands, then building materials made of wood, such as croaker, boards or plywood, are best suited. If there are not enough boards, then the roof and walls can be made from other materials.

The main requirements are imposed on the floor of the nest. It should provide sufficient thermal insulation and not be too rigid. The second requirement is related to the fact that ducks may try to bury the eggs in the litter and break them. It should be remembered that the tree will quickly deteriorate from bird droppings. Therefore, it is better to put an additional insulating layer of linoleum on top.

Nest made of wooden planks

Nest dimensions

The ideal design of the nest for indouts with all sizes is shown in the drawing. However, in each case, the dimensions may differ. So if you need to provide a large number of birds with a place for incubating eggs, then it makes no sense to calculate their sizes to the nearest millimeter.

Depending on the size of the duck itself, the length of the nest can vary from 40 to 50 cm, the width - from 30 to 40 cm, and the height should be 25-30 cm. The dimensions of the entrance should first of all allow the bird to freely enter and exit. The entrance or other opening should allow easy and quick change of bedding.

It is best to make separate nests for each individual, but if there are too many ducks, then several nests can be made at once in one building. In this case, the dimensions are summed up. It is necessary to make strong partitions between them so that the birds see each other less often and do not conflict. Otherwise, they may inadvertently break their eggs.

Nest design

How to place the manufactured nests?

When the nests for the indoo are ready, place them in the house according to the requirements described above. The main requirements should be considered silence and the greatest possible privacy. Do not put them all in one corner of the house. It's best to place them in different rooms such as barns or barns for other pets.

Ducks are pretty good at flying wild environment can be placed on tree branches. But it is better to install the nests on the floor or at a small height from it, against the wall. It is better to turn them with a side or back wall towards the entrance so that the birds do not see the owner when entering the room. It is necessary to maintain a certain distance to the feeder and drinker so that there is no turmoil near the nest. Darkness is also very important. It does not have to be absolute, but the absence of bright light must be ensured.

Duck with ducklings in the duck house

Further duck care

After the Muscovy duck has looked after its nest, it begins to rush. She will begin to incubate eggs when there are about two dozen of them. At this time, it is necessary to regularly change the litter, but do not disturb the duck and do not take the eggs from the clutch. If the bird notices your manipulations, it may stop rushing for a while or leave the nest altogether. Incubation of eggs will take about 35 days.

At this time, eggs of other indoutas or even birds of a different breed can be laid in the masonry. During this period, it is especially important to provide the duck with food and water so that it does not have to leave the clutch for a long time. If everything goes well, then in a little over a month the ducklings will hatch, and it will be necessary to take care of them. But this is a topic for a separate article.

By the way, for all types poultry- chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys - any premises in which the necessary standards are observed are suitable. This is not only protection against dampness, temperature changes and drafts, but also proper lighting, ventilation, compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards and much more. If you don't know how to build a duck house, check out the text below.

Rules for keeping ducks

Ducks are rather unpretentious poultry that can live anywhere, but it is still preferable to keep them in specialized premises - ducklings.

Keeping ducks in mud and constant dampness is contraindicated, otherwise the bird's feather and down quality will deteriorate. In addition, the more ducks in the room, the more competition - the birds may experience discomfort and, as a result, lose weight.

Before you start building a duck house with your own hands, decide on right place. Ideally, this should be on the south side of the site, slightly elevated than the rest of the site. This area should be dry - in no case should it be flooded with groundwater - ducks love water, but do not like swamps.

By the way, since the construction of the duckling will take a certain amount of time, therefore, while the ducklings are still small, you can make a temporary portable fence for them.

Temporary duckling

It is important for little ducklings to be outdoors: graze on fresh grass and take sunbaths. At the same time, babies must be isolated from the outside world, where real danger lies in wait for them from all sides. Most often, finding a "shepherd" is quite problematic, so you can build a temporary duck house, its photo can be seen below.

A temporary waterfowl pen can be made from reinforcing mesh. Moreover, if the ducklings are too small, then the corral should also be covered from above. For older birds, the top can be left open. Inside the pen, you will definitely need to put some kind of container with water, for example, a galvanized trough or basin.

The advantage of a temporary duck house is that it is mobile - as soon as the birds eat all the grass in the place where they had a "camp", the duck house can be moved to a new place. Thus, the locations can be changed as much as you like - the main thing is that the birds will be safe, just like the garden will be completely safe while you are building a capital duckling, of course.

Capital duck house

Most often, a capital duck house is built in the country, or on a personal plot. For its construction use the most diverse construction material. Naturally, the most durable duck will be made of brick or wood.

For any building, when building a poultry house, there are several separate stages of work: first you need to fill the foundation and organize the floor, then build the walls and arrange the roof.

Foundation

1. The foundation in the duck house is dug shallow - on the bayonet of a shovel.
2. Before pouring the floor, along the perimeter of the future duckling, it is necessary to pour a mixture in a 1: 1 ratio of gravel and crushed stone.
3. On top of the stones, you need to pour a mixture of liquid concrete, into which a sharp piercing-cutting "stuffing" is added. It can be small nails and various pieces of iron, broken glass or needles. Thanks to this warning, you will protect your duckling from the invasion of rodents, which will look for a new home in the fall.
4. As soon as the concrete with the "stuffing" dries, the floor will need to be poured with a decent layer of bitumen - such a floor will last a long time and be very warm, besides, it can be easily cleaned.

Walls

1. As a cost savings, the walls of the duck house can be built from wooden boards.
2. The boards are arranged two end-to-end and one overlapped so that there is no heat loss.
3. Sawdust can be used as insulation for the duck house.
4. Inside the walls are plastered.
5. All cracks can be blown out from the outside with construction foam, and from the inside with tow.

Roof

1. Any roof is suitable for a duckling: shed, flat, with a ridge.
2. If you are planning an attic space above the duck house, then there is no urgent need to insulate the roof, if the roof is even, then insulation is necessary - roofing felt or roofing felt.

Recreational yard

Ducks cannot sit indoors all the time, they need a recreational yard - this is a fenced area in the open, like a small aviary, which is connected to the duck duck by a passage. The recreation yard must be fenced with a fence at least 1.5 meters high. There must be a canopy from the sun.

Duckling device

Walls, floor and roof - that's not all. The most important thing begins with the improvement of the duck house, because the more seriously you approach this issue, the more likely it is to increase the productivity of poultry. Remember that everything in the duck house should be comfortable, durable and reliable.

Lighting

As lighting in the duck house, it will be enough to use a light bulb of low power, since light is not particularly important for ducks. But in winter, the light bulb should burn for two to three hours - in order to extend the daylight hours for birds.

Airing

There should be no drafts in the duck house, so the ventilation system should be located as high as possible from the floor. Make sure that the windows open freely both from the inside and outside, so as not to disturb the bird once again.

Heating

1. During cold winters, the duck house must be heated - using electricity or using a stove.
2. If you decide to heat the duck house with electricity, you need to mount five 50 W blue light bulbs into the wall.
3. If you have decided to heat the duck house with a stove, then you can use either a “potbelly stove” or a small heater.
4. The oven must be fenced off from birds with heat-resistant materials.
5. It is necessary to heat the room where the ducks are kept every other day.

Floor

1. On top of the floor, it will be necessary to lay a special natural bedding for ducks made of peat, straw, sawdust and ash.
2. The litter is changed as it gets dirty.
3. Remember that pests quickly start in a dirty bedding that spoil the feather and down.

feeder

1. Deep feeders are suitable for feeding ducks - for example, in the form of a long trough.
2. It is best if the feeders are made of metal - it is very convenient to give wet food in them, like a grain mixer.
3. Since ducks walk on the floor and do not know how to jump high, the place for the feeders must be considered exclusively on the floor.
4. If you give dry food to birds - for example, mineral supplements in the form of chalk and shells, then for this you need to put wooden troughs.
5. The feeder can be placed close to the wall, or at a short distance from it - it all depends on how many birds should approach the feeder at the same time.
6. Ducks do not eat very neatly - they like to “scatter” food around, so you should not put a lot of food in the feeders - it’s enough to fill the troughs by 1/3.

drinker

1. Ducks are waterfowl, so they must have constant access to water, since one individual can drink 600 ml of water per day.
2. A duck drinker should be roomy and, most importantly, comfortable for ducks.
3. In the duck house, drinkers should be on the floor.
4. Drinkers can be made from any material.
5. To keep the water clean as long as possible, and so that the ducks do not try to "swim", it is better to place the drinkers on a small hill - 15-20 centimeters from the floor.

nests

If you have got ducks of meat breeds that rush seasonally, then you should not pay special attention to the nests - you simply will not need them. In the event that you have ducks with constant egg production, then you need to build comfortable nests for birds.

1. Nests help control the process of laying eggs.
2. Nests are placed along the walls, on the opposite side of the feeders.
3. Nests should be half as many as ducks. For example, if you have 10 ducks, then there should be 5-6 nests.
4. Wooden boxes or wicker baskets can be used as nests.
5. The size of the nest should be within 60-70 centimeters, and the height should not exceed 25 centimeters, while the threshold should be made even lower - no more than 10 centimeters, so that the ducks can freely enter and exit.
6. Sawdust or straw can be used as bedding in the nests.
7. The litter should be changed as often as possible - the eggs will remain clean.

Water procedures

1. If a waterfowl does not have free access to a natural reservoir, then special containers with water should be placed in the recreational yard. These mini-pools must be deep enough for the ducks to swim.
2. As a container, you can use a galvanized trough - just dig it into the ground.
3. As a reservoir, you can use a ditch - it is dug right in the recreational yard one and a half meters long and 50 centimeters wide. Water must be added as often as possible - as the liquid dries.
4. If the ducks stay in the winter, then it is contraindicated for them to swim in the cold season - this can lead to the fact that the ducks will freeze and catch a cold.

Ash baths

1. "Ash baths" are a mixture of sand and wood ash, ducks love to wallow in such a mixture.
2. The ash mixture is best poured into boxes specially made for this purpose.
3. The size of the box for the ash mixture: height - 20 centimeters, length - 1.5 meters.
4. The box with the ash mixture can be installed both in the recreational yard and in the covered room of the duck house.
5. The ash mixture is changed at least once a month.
6. When changing the mixture, do not forget to disinfect the box with a special solution.

In order for ducks to rush in nests, you need to try to equip them properly. In addition to the fact that duck nests should be comfortable and properly built, they should be located in certain places. You should also spend time on accustoming feathered pets to rush in nests. But, let's talk about everything in more detail.

You can look at photos of well-built nests for ducks an infinite number of times, but still not be able to reproduce this design. And the thing is that a properly made nest must meet certain requirements.

Few people know that the nest should be built in such a way that it has a roof. In this case, the laying hen believes that she is not in any danger. And if you put the nest in a secluded corner of the barn, then you get a secluded place at all.

The presence of a nut is another nuance that must be taken into account. In nests with a flat bottom, there is a high probability that a laid egg will roll out of them. Accordingly, it may be damaged, and subsequently the duck will not perceive such a nest as a safe place.

Where to put the nest

Before you start making a duck nest with your own hands, you need to decide on its location. This will ultimately help you choose optimal dimensions. Do not place nests in places where moisture constantly accumulates. Birds do not like to rush near the passage, so you should pay attention to places that are farthest from doors and passages.

Where ducks rush, the light should be dimmed even during the day. If a large number of windows in the house do not allow you to find such a place, then some of them should be shaded. Birds are reluctant to rush where it is constantly noisy.

When considering where to put nests for ducks, you need to understand how many there will be at all. The math here is easy. For every duck in the house that lays eggs, a nest should be placed. If there are not enough nests, the birds will start looking for another place. As a result, the poultry breeder will begin to find duck eggs in the garden and under bushes, and it is a very difficult task to teach a duck to rush in the poultry house, which has begun to lay eggs on the side.

Since it is systematically necessary to change the litter in the nest and collect eggs, there must be an easy passage to it. It is necessary to choose a place, the approach to which will be free and, at the same time, it should be secluded.

A duck will only lay eggs where it considers itself protected.

We make a nest with our own hands

Before you start making duck nests with your own hands, you should consider what building materials will be used. The most affordable and cheapest building material suitable for nests today is wood. Any sheets of plywood that are in almost every yard, fiberboard and chipboard, etc. will suit us.

The next step is to imagine what the design will look like. And to take into account all the details, it is better to draw a diagram. Since ducks of each breed grow to different sizes, the dimensions of an adult female should be taken into account when building nests. Experts say that the width of the nest should be 50 cm, depth - 40 cm, height - 40 cm, but these are only recommendations. In each individual case, it is necessary to proceed from the characteristics of the duck breed and the availability of free space in the house.

In addition to plywood or any other alternative material, you will need:

• 6 wooden slats, the length of which is 40 cm:
• 2 wooden slats, the length of which is 50 cm;
• self-tapping screws;
• saw;
• tape measure and pencil.

The dimensions of the wooden slats are indicated on the basis that the dimensions of the nest will correspond to those described above.

Nest building

By and large, the nest has the shape of an ordinary box. First of all, the sides of the box are made, having the shape of a square with a side of 40 cm.

In order for the duck to readily rush in the nest, you need to make a convenient hole through which the bird will enter it. To do this, a square with a side of 17 cm is cut out in one of the side walls. Usually, any duck can easily pass into such a hole. If the poultry farmer keeps any extremely large breed, then the hole can be increased by several centimeters. So that the eggs do not roll out of the nest, leave a threshold 9 cm high.

At the next stage, you need to cut out two opposite walls of the structure, the width of which is 50 and the height is 40 cm. These parts must be solid, without manholes, windows and other holes. It is possible, in the absence of a single piece of plywood of this size, to make side walls from several parts. Then they make a roof 40 wide and 50 cm long.

It remains to make a frame for which wooden slats are needed, and fix all previously made parts on it. The bottom in a homemade nest can be omitted if the poultry house has well-equipped floors. But it is better to attach the bottom to the box, after laying it with a piece of linoleum or any other material that does not allow moisture to pass through. In such a nest it will be easier to maintain cleanliness.

Nest arrangement

It should be comfortable in the nest, otherwise the duck will not sit there, so the bottom of the do-it-yourself structure is covered with straw. The bedding layer should be thick enough. This requirement is due to several factors. First of all, it is worth noting that the softer it is in the nest, the faster it will be possible to plant a hen there.

The second argument in favor of thick litter is that it will help minimize the chance of egg damage. Many ducks try to bury their eggs in the straw. If the litter is thin, then in fact the eggs are under it. And in contact with wooden structural elements, the shell may lose its color.

Important nuances

Making a nest at home is easy. But sometimes it is almost impossible to force a duck to sit there. If it becomes obvious that the bird does not want to go into a brand new box, but with pleasure sits in an old basket made of vines, then it is worth laying straw there and putting it in the house. Making a duck fall in love with this or that box is almost impossible, and you shouldn’t waste time on it, so before you start building a box with your own hands, you should take a closer look at the behavior of birds and their favorite boxes and boxes.

Choosing a place is also sometimes better to entrust feathered pets. Not always those places in the house that seem safe for humans look the same for birds. If, contrary to all the statements of experts, the duck prefers to rush near the entrance, it is better to put a box made at home there.

Many poultry farmers make the mistake of placing all the nests close to each other. This is undoubtedly convenient for the person who will collect the eggs. But the birds living in the neighborhood are reluctant to rush. Each nest should be in a secluded place, and it should be positioned so that the side with the hole is turned not towards the entrance, but towards the wall. The duck should not be distracted by anything. And in general, you should look into the barn only if necessary.

You should not collect eggs when all the ducks are in the barn. They regard such actions as theft, which encourages them to start hiding eggs. Accordingly, they begin to rush anywhere, but not in the place designated for this. If there are a lot of birds, then you need to collect eggs daily, but at the same time, while the birds are walking in the corral. If there are few laying hens, then it is enough to collect eggs once every 2 days.

If the duck begins to pluck the fluff and pave the nest with it, then it is preparing to hatch the ducklings.

We teach the duck to rush in the nest

Sometimes the birds at first glance at the box understand why they put it in the house. Sometimes the birds have to explain where to carry the eggs. This process is simple, but laborious. In winter, the bird does not rush. But to equip the house with nests should be in the fall. During the winter, each duck will choose a house that she likes, and with the onset of spring, she will begin to rush there.

You should also leave a hint for the duck in the form of an egg. They used to leave a real egg, but over time it deteriorates and needs to be replaced with a new one. It is much better to use a model made of plaster, wood or chalk for this purpose. Such an egg can be made independently at home.

Some poultry houses shut down a duck that does not want to lay in its proper place in the poultry house for a while. This method quite often gives the desired result.

Conclusion

Currently, there are many photo and video tutorials on the Internet. However, the nest for any bird is a simple design that even a woman can make at home, and for this it is not necessary to watch colorful videos. But to make a duck rush in a box is a more difficult task.

All you need to do is make sure that the nest is comfortable, put a fake duck egg there, made in full size and draw the attention of pets to the new equipment in the house. Often these actions are enough for the birds to begin to rush only in the places designated for this process.

Domestic ducks fall into three categories:

• meat;
• meat and egg;
• egg.

For keeping ducks at home are recommended meat breeds. They give a lot of healthy and tasty meat, and at the same time they do not often rush. Duck eggs are a separate issue. They are not used in cooking, because of the specific taste. But since the ducks are laying, something needs to be done with the eggs. Breeders usually allow them to increase the number of individuals. This allows you to get several times more meat.

• Beijing- very profitable, as it eats everything - from offal to algae without losing the taste of meat. Drakes weigh up to 4 kg, females - up to 3.5 kg. Resistant to most bird diseases, do not get sick with frost.
• black white breasted is a hybrid bred specifically for cool regions. The drake weighs 4 or more kilograms, and the female - 3.5 kg. They differ in fatty and tender meat.
• Moscow white impressive in size. The male reaches 5 kg, and the female - 4.5 kg. They have delicious meat.

What should be the room?

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• The place is selected not swampy, without water. This bird loves to swim, but lives on land.
• The area of ​​the room is selected according to the number of birds and additional equipment. Feeders and drinkers, nests will take at least 2 square meters. m. premises. And for 1 sq. m. you can accommodate no more than 3 individuals.
• In extreme cases, the walls are left bare, but over time it is recommended to insulate them with plywood or foam.
• The floor must be covered with bedding. The latter should absorb moisture well. It can be peat, sawdust or straw. It is most advantageous to use peat bedding. It absorbs moisture 2 times better than sawdust or straw, and is also able to absorb the ammonia smell from the decay of duck excrement. The litter is changed in winter 2 or 3 times a month, and in summer 1-2 times.
• Heat is not as important as for other poultry, but cold can affect meat growth. In winter, the house should be at least -5 degrees Celsius. It is easier to measure with a thermometer hung indoors. You can heat the duck house with a potbelly stove, batteries, a heater. The main thing is to isolate the heat source from the bird. Additional heating is provided by bedding, which is poured in a thick layer of 30 cm in winter.
• Lighting is necessary. Any lamp will do, the main thing is that it does not shine brightly.
• Ventilation must be done in any way possible. But it is important to ensure that there are no drafts.

How to arrange nests?

Birds do not need perches, but nests are another matter. If keeping ducks at home involves regular slaughter, you can not make nests, but if you need to get high-quality eggs from a bird or that they hatch them, it is recommended to make nests.

The number of nests can be made small, as a rule, two ducks can get along on one. Sizes convenient for a bird: 60-70 - width, 25 - height, 10 - threshold height. You can make nests from any material at hand: a wooden box, an old barrel made of wood or metal, plastic containers, pallets, baskets, and so on.

Inside the nest is filled with bedding, which needs to be changed from time to time. Nests should be placed at a short distance so that the “neighbors” cannot pinch each other. They are usually placed in a row against the side wall or in the corner of the room so that they are hard to see. Birds do not like to be seen while incubating their eggs. Feeders and drinkers are located nearby so that the females do not go far from the nests.

What should be walking ducks?

Walking is not done by all breeders, but it is highly recommended, especially if there is a river, lake or any other body of water nearby. Birds will be able to swim, pluck the cassock and grass. This is not only beneficial for their body, but also beneficial for the breeder, because they will receive half of the daily ration on the paddock.

It is recommended to make a spacious aviary, when keeping ducks at home, possibly with basins filled with water (ideally with a pond). From the hot sun in summer, it is recommended to provide a canopy or the presence of a permanent shadow from the fence, poultry house, trees.

What to feed ducks?

Feeders and drinkers can be made independently or purchased ready-made. They are made from different material(plastic, metal, wood). Clean - regularly. If the drinker is large, it is difficult to wash it well. Therefore, for prevention, once every 2 weeks you need to douse it with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Different breeds of ducks can eat high-quality or just pasture. But no matter what features they have in terms of favorite delicacies, they all need to eat a certain amount of ordinary food per day.

• From cereals, barley, legumes, millet, oats, corn are recommended. This is the basis of the diet and its main component.
• Greens (clover, alfalfa, elodea, ryast) - necessary for the formation of immunity.
• Vegetables - pumpkin, zucchini, cabbage, carrots, boiled potatoes, are grated. Recommended as the main source of vitamins.

In addition, if possible, cake, meal, bone flour, milk.

You need to feed the birds 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening, if there is a paddock. If they are locked in the house, feeding increases up to 4 times throughout the day. In winter, when there is little greenery, they are fed only 2 times: in the morning with a mash, and in the evening with grain.

Indo-ducks or Muscovy ducks are quiet and picky birds. That is why many breeders choose this particular productive breed. Are there any features in their content and how to equip a room for Indoutok - we suggest talking about this!

Quite a lot has already been said about the unpretentiousness of Indoutok. However, for their comfort, some minimal modest conditions are also needed, and, of course, it is necessary for birds to create them. Be sure to remember that the Indian is from warm South America, and therefore does not always tolerate severe frosts well. Despite the fact that ducks are waterfowl, preferring to spend most of their time on the run and near water bodies, they need a warm room. Otherwise, even undemanding Indians can get sick and even die.

Floor and walls

Considering that Indoutok must be protected from hypothermia, a warm floor is one of the main conditions. The warmest and most environmentally friendly material for the floor is wood. However, this raw material is also perishable, especially given the dampness that duck droppings will produce. However, you should not completely abandon the wooden floor. You can raise the floor from the ground by 10-15 cm, cover it with boards, and put, say, old linoleum on top. It will protect the tree from unnecessary moisture.

The floor can also be made of concrete. But in this case it will be cold enough and you will need a solid layer of bedding so that the paws of your Indoutok do not get cold. The walls must also be insulated. For this, any organic material is used: sawdust can be poured into the wall, mineral wool or polystyrene can be used. However, cotton wool or polystyrene must be hidden in the space between the walls, so the walls are lined with clapboard or chipboard from the inside.

If your poultry house is brick, then it is advisable to insulate the walls from the outside with foam plastic and paint from the inside. If the winter in your area is frosty, the room with the Indochki will need additional heating.

nests

If you plan to breed Muscovy ducks, then, of course, one cannot do without nests in this case. Nests for Indoutok are placed on the floor away from aisles or overly lit places. Remember that Indian birds are meek and shy and require solitude and peace during incubation or laying eggs. And also darkness, so if your house is heavily lit, artificially create shadow zones in it and place the nests there. This should be done around the end of winter, it is from this period that the breeding season starts for Muscovy ducks.

There are no strict requirements for what nests should be. Anything can be adapted for these purposes: old boxes, boxes, baskets, flasks, old dog kennels. You can put together a nest of their slats or tesa, it is desirable that it has a threshold to hold the masonry and a roof, so the bird will be calmer. Inside, the structure should be carefully lined with straw, and the duck will report down itself. The number of nests should correspond to the number of birds, so there will be no disputes and fights between females.

Drinkers and feeders

Of course, no poultry house is complete without drinkers and feeders. There is nothing special in the designs for drinking and feeding Indoutok.

You can use wooden long feeders - troughs installed along the walls of the house or walking area, or make feeders from plastic bottles. Drinking bowls can be very diverse: purchased or made independently.

For example, consider an autodrinker from plastic bottle or banks. Of course, a simple basin of water will also work. However, remembering ducks' addiction to water, do not count on the fact that the water in it will remain clean for at least half a day. In this case, nipple drinkers are a way out of the situation, the water in them is always clean. Useful video for everyone, or just planning it, next!

We make a nest of Indo-outka

Making nests for Indo-outs with your own hands is simpler and now you will see for yourself.

Tools and materials

We suggest paying attention to the construction of wood, for sure, slats or tes can be found in everyone's household.

So get ready:

• wooden slats or just any pieces of wood and bars in the amount of 4 pieces;
• nails or screws;
• measuring tape, hammer and saw;
• straw for filling.

Step-by-step instruction

1. First of all, let's decide on the size. Optimum dimensions of the nest for Indoutka: 400 x 500 x 250 mm.
2. Sort the slats and cut them according to the indicated dimensions. Any softwood, chipboard or OSB can be used.
3. Knock down the slats or wood between each other, using the bars as supports.
4. Make a threshold and leave enough space for the hole so that the bird can easily enter the nest, but so that not much light gets there.
5. Place the nest in a dark corner, cover the bottom with plenty of bedding. And on top, put either a piece of chipboard or a piece of slate so that the nest has a roof. The main thing is that it is stable and does not fall on the bird.