Moving to a New House, a Duck is Missing 

I love that you and your wife are just casually hanging in the duck house, lol. That coyote had some balls coming in the afternoon. Must have been desperate for food.

I agree that you should get a livestock guardian dog. We were having a lot of predator issues when we first started our farm this spring. We have ducks, chickens, guinea fowl and a turkey at the moment. After trying various fencing/housing options and having the predators figure out how to break/bypass them, we ended up getting a puppy. Even with him still being very young, technically too young to really be counted on to do his job solo, just having a dog outside around the house and birds almost 24/7 seems to have solved our predator problems entirely. Knock on wood, we haven't had a predator loss since we got him. We went with an anatolian shepherd. Make sure you get an LGD breed that was born on a farm to working parents. Comparing our LGD pup to the other 'guard dog' house pup we have, you can really tell the anatolian grew up for the first 10 weeks with experienced outdoor dog parents, and around livestock. He hunts rodents, barks at even aerial predators, and is on patrol all night. He's been well worth his purchase price and feed bill.

Coyotes will get your cats too. Really need some TRAINED dogs.

You might have to keep a sharp eye out. Whatever took your white duck might come back if it thinks that they are an easy catch.

you *miiiight* want to weather-proof the wood of the buildings...

It’s Time Morgan. Time for a farm dog. Talk to Jess, she should be able to help with what a good duck and geese dog would be. Good luck! (We love our Aussie, good protector, smart and needs a purpose)

You haven't trimmed out the roof edges. The exposed wood will rot up under the tin panels in 2-3 yrs

If you plant a few trees around the duck pond it will shade it from evaporation and make a cool hangout for the ducks.

Sorry about Delilah -- the duck/ramp fiasco had me in stitches though.

The new duck house looks great! You can tell you really put a lot of time into thinking about making it the most functional it could be.

I've had one of my worst days at work today, and i felt really depressed. I'm so thankful for this upload. Except for the loss of lil Delilah, it brought a smile to my frowny face

For your New Duck house have a gutter to collect the rain water from the roof into a tank, that acts like one of those giant dog bowls that have a globe of water at the top. Ducks can drink from it

Love the ducks that appear to finally be going into the house but then escape through the hog panel at last minute.

Have you considered using a guard lama? Crazy idea I know but There’s a farmer over in Danville I know that’s been using them to great effect for some time against coyotes. Then again who could say no to a dog hahaha

Thank you so much for the great idea of Duckhouse, I just got 4 ducks of my own, we name them Journey, Foriegner, Estaphanya, and Sophina. We love them dearly. We now raised them in my bathroom, morning time take them out for walk along with my dogs. Duckies pooped sooo much run thru puppy pads 150 pads weekly. 🤑🤑🤑 I found your ideas of Duckies house was stable and easy to follow. I'm so sorry for your loss of Delilah. We understand how your guys feel.

Looking good! One thing I strongly suggest is running the vinyl flooring about 12" up all the walls. My ducks like to decorate the the lower walls with quack scat and it's a pain to scrape

That new Duckhouse needs a name... Call it "Delilah", in honour of the missing duck.

Oh when I saw that you were making a ramp on the duck house, I knew it was going to be a funny video the first time you'd try to get them to go to bed. I find that it takes a good 3 to 5 days for my ducks to get use to any kind of change. They will get it, but it will definitely take more time to get them in at night. Why not just install a roosting bar in the duck house? No need to make a whole other coop for a few chickens. I'm sorry to hear about Delilah puddle duck 😥. We are fortunate enough to not have too many daytime predators here. A dog would be a great help on your farm!

The young coyotes of the pack are now big enough to start practicing their hunting skills and pekin ducks are easy quarry. I know you don't want to kill coyotes. I hope you can get a good guard dog soon.

The 2020 duck house will have wifi.

I raised ducks when I was a girl. I had a 13 duckling hatch in 1968 that was put out in a pen during the day. About 2 hours after putting them out, a red tailed hawk flew down and grabbed 3 of them. I had to answer for the loss of those ducklings. After that I put a hardware cloth frame over the top of the pen. I like a couple of the ideas in your duck house. I too am designing an ultimate duck house and attached pens for day use. I plan to have a central house with 6 attached pens that I can use in rotation. There'll be one human door and 6 duck doors. Fun! Flight of the Valkyries! Yes.... they're charming and fun to keep. I was raised on duck eggs. When I went to school I was told other people ate chicken eggs, which I thought very odd! Good luck in future with the new house.

Oh I'm really sorry for your white duck. Indeed, a medium to big guard dog would do wonders. So they keep predators away but with out the need to hurt them. At least the new coop is nice, plenty of space for the ducks to enjoy, and safer than the last one! You may not be an expert, but it still came out nicely designed!

So sad about Delilah! I've heard that goats are a great defense against coyotes! You & your family are always in my prayers! Thank you for your wonderful videos!

Much agree with LGD advice, although our breed of choice is Great Pyrenees. Had some bad experiences with Anatolians in the neighborhood. Do your homework on breeds, but we have definitely been pleased with the change in loss to predation. Plus a great, loving friend. And I agree about working parents, but don't try to go cheap, as, like in so many other things, you get what you pay for. Goof luck!

My thumbs up is for Alison. What a patient and awesome lady. Shalom.

Allison is just the best. A real trooper 🤗

I’m so sorry about Delilah. Don’t give up. You’re doing the right thing at the right time. Keep moving forward in honor of Delilah and the electrical fence in the day time won’t hurt. God bless you.

Sweet stuff, great teamwork. Thank you for sharing. Keep on keeping on!

Outstanding editing. Take 14 came up pretty quick. ;) Might be a good idea to paint on some of that anti slip on the ramp like found on deck floors. And sorry for your loss. That really sucks. Also agree on the dog. Getting a Border Collie pup with little training will round them up and protect.

Awe I love you guys! Hard workers, lots of perseverance, and entertaining! I'm not a farmer, steader, or want to be (pushing 70😜) but I do feel like I'm right there with y'all. I pray for you... God bless our farmers!

Sweet duck house. Do forget ventilate for the winter time. Ducks give off lots of moisture.

good job on the Duckhouse....you're not as bad of a carpenter than you let on. just a suggestion though, on the back end of your roof, nail up a 2x4 to the end of your joists flush with the roof to protect from the wind getting under the roof and it will help support the whole thing....you will have to trim the joists down so they are even though.

I really love the duck house! Will steal the idea when building ours. And definitely get a guard dog. They are the best deterrent to predators.

A Pyrenees would be a wonderful addition to your place. A good livestock dog is raised with livestock. They’re wonderful animals. I hope you’ve found one since this video. Love your duck house.

So sorry you lost Delilah Puddle Duck. That's really very sad. Love your new duck house and your ducks seem to love it too...(LOL) They will get used to the new routine and enjoy running up and down the ramp soon. Many blessings from NE Missouri!

A sad challenging day. The new duck house is good. Those stair non-slip gritty stick ons might help the birds from slipping on the ramp. I agree about the dog, Morgan. You can't build a business on losses. God Bless

So sorry about Delilah puddle duck :( That new duck house looks amazing though!

Morgan, couldn't you get one contiguous section of rolled linoleum from HD or Lowes? Looks li,e you sectioned pieces and have seams. I bought the linoleum off the roll at 12' wide and bought enough to avoid seams, I think you will be surprised how much water moves through the seam and eventually Wil curl up and allow the water/moisture to effect the plywood. Lastly, overhangs would have saved you agrivation when the snow starts to accumulate. Oh, and as much as I see your roof metal not running out past the edge of your roof plywood, I have to admit my coop had the same problem because I asked someone helping me to "rip" a sheet of roofing material and he cross cut it in error! Sorry, retired shop teacher here and it's just fun to watch you build!

Sorry for the loss 😩 I'd love to let mine free range, but only have 4 & can't afford to lose any. Mine have a 50×50 garden with 6' deer fencing & a poultry net dome to keep the eagles out. I have 4 foot raised beds that they run between bug hunting. Your ducks have an awesome life on that big farm!

Sorry about your duck Delilah😢Down here in Houston, close to the center of the city we have big coyote trouble. Small dogs and cats are not safe in their own back yards. They use the green spaces of the bayous and the storm drains. Moving around from neighborhood to neighborhood shopping for what ever prey they can get. Love your channel 🙏🏼❤️🇺🇸

You'll need to cover up that foam. In my experience, chickens and ducks will nibble at it

The duck house looks great! I wouldn't mind living in there!!👍🥰😁

Our coyotes are smart around this homestead. They always come on lunch duty ... during the day when most people are at work. They also prefer hunting close to the house during a rain. I think they know most domestic animals that would be an issue... like my dogs... are usually put inside when it is raining. Also... that old duck house could make a nice pig or sheep shelter for next season. Just another source of meat for the homestead.

Lol, "we're not playing this game!"

You can keep a llama out with the ducks. Llamas are great at fending off canines. Lots of folks use them to protect their sheep similarly.

"more impressive duck house" love that quote at 4:38, don't know why but made me laugh...thanks

A dog is on my list also. The house looks fantastic! They'll get used to it soon. Hope we get to meet at HOA!

You guys are sooooo wonderful! Duck house envy😁😁😁! Please keep up the awesome videos!

So sad...you know what helped me, livestock guardian dogs, literal saving grace!!! Especially since your trail cam picked up coyotes!

When we built our 'Quack Shack' we put leftover pieces of roofing shingles on the ramp. Makes it so much easier for their wet feet to get up the ramp with a little traction. And they don't slide down it in the morning.

The new duck house are epic. On no!! Poor Delilah puddle duck. Free ranging is so tough with predators. A good LGD pair trained to water fowl may be a good investment however they would need a good fence or they will patrol far away.

I missed this one! I am 14 months late! A lot of changes in the past year. Awww, poor Delilah, RIP sweet-girl.

Really sorry that you lost a duck :( The new duck house is wonderful, good job! Have to share a story with you. I was putting my chickens to bed a little early and was herding them into their coop and normally I have my own sound that I use, but in my head I was saying "All chickens go to bed" HAHAHA I giggled for awhile.

I'm sorry about Delilah. But really enjoyed the corralling of the ducks into the new home!

I think you did a fantastic job on the duck house. You should be proud of yourself.

Don't be so hard on yourself, I am not a contractor, but I think you did a wonderful job with the duck house, in concept/design and construction.

on your next ramp use narrower cross pieces, about an inch. and place them closer together, about 5 inches between them. this will make it easier for the ducks to walk up it. on this ramp, you could add a narrow cross between each one to make it better. i love watching your ducks and geese since i am not able to live on a farm anymore

Great job on duck house and well thought out. Adding another strip in between the others to duck ramp will help keep them from sliding down the ramp...especially when it's wet.

Good job on the duck house, I'm so sorry about the loss of your duck. I think electric fencing and a good guard dog may do the trick. Can't wait to see the new chicken house. Boy your turning into a real farmer. Have a great week

The quality of your videos and picture quality is excellent 👍

So sorry for your loss. Your videos show that no matter how well intentioned you are, and how hard you try...farm life is beautiful and wonderful, but very hard. First 10 years in our home we never even had to keep chickens penned at night. With all of the new construction in our area, I guess the predators are being forced closer to us. We have had every predator imaginable both day and night. It's so disheartening. On a lighter note, the ramp scenes were absolutely hilarious. I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing with you. It really is never a dull moment with animals. Beautiful house you made them. They are lucky ducks!

You are breaking up iced over water pans and we here in North West Ga. are finally getting temps that stay in the low 80's and high 70's regularly!

It's funny to see them trying to drink ice

You did great on the duck house. I'm sure they'll like it once they get used to it. On the foam, any of it exposed to sunlight will disintegrate unless it's painted to protect it. You can also cut off any excess easily. I'm sorry about Delilah.

Both those holes in your new duck house are large enough for a bear to enter the house. You need smaller holes for protection. of predators as well as the winter winds. Two holes in the building will allow the winds to blow through the building when you open the door. I would put in a bird door that is half again the size of the ducks. As for the water hole. Finish the floor and place a water heater tray there and plumb it outside or perhaps an old shower bottom. Remember preditors like to hide under things like duck houses and those huge holes would just be a come-on-in invitation. I lost an entire flock of chickens because a desperate medium-sized cat managed to squeeze itself through a 9 by 12-inch hole during a blizzard.

I agree with the previous comment, you should look into a llama, they are never tempted to eat your stock.

We love your duck house and your channel is fantastic, Morgan you have done a great job with your duck house ,but your geese are in trackers and are you getting some more Gosling for you to fatten up and sell them....we think you a awesome job with your farm...yes I would get a dog from Wolverhampton England you take care 👍😃👍

I suggest that you widen the ramp. Your slope is great, half as steep as mine... but with how agile ducks are your ramp is like a balance beam. I would suggest 3 to 4' wide because you want them to be comfortable using it. Despite my ramp being much steeper, my ducks go in-and-out throughout the day of their own accord. Maybe even 5' wide because You plan to have geese use it

I've noticed you have had some problems with predators, and your suggestion with guard dogs is a good idea. My family owns ducks and after we got a great pyrenees and would leave her outside with the ducks preditors became much less of an issue. We don't live in a colder climate but they have thick coats and have no problem with severe cold.

Just had a thought. Maybe something that provides a bit of grip might make the ramp easier for the ducks and geese. We have a good waterproof product called tredgrip down here in New Zealand that you can paint on. Something similar (sorry, I have no idea what's available in Vermont) would make the ramp much less slippery.

Sorry about the loss. That's the pits. The others will get use to the new home quickly. Change is a always tough for livestock.

Beautiful duck house .. love it... great job.

We are aiming to get 3 alpaca guards next year - too stressful with the vixen and her husband wandering around (let alone feeding cubs!) - even with electric fencing I'm worrying all the time. We have no outbuildings, but hoping the local council will approve a new barn - that'll be for the chickens and the ducks can have the current chicken enclosure - especially if avian flu comes back across from Europe. I lost one chicken to the fox - although she was moulting and came back, but she died from one wound the following morning. That was during the daytime too. If they are hungry they will come back. I made my husband urinate around the big hedgerow banks which apparently seemed to work as there was no sign of fox spoor - but since the rain (and boy have we had a lot) the fox(es) have come back. Wish they'd eat the wild rabbits though! Great structure - well done. Almost feel you should have camped out first - looks warm and cosy enough for the winter!

Love the quack house, it looks amazing. I am sure they will be pros in no time.

Great video! I’m not ready for winter at all. It was nice meeting you at the Homesteaders Conference.

I’m sorry about feLila. We have all gone through this. Feathers in the woods is a certain sign. We’ve had a coyote pick up a beautiful bird 15 feet from where my husband was working on the car. We do not free range anymore. I think the electric fence is a wonderful idea.And your new dog house is going to be great. Don’t feel too bad Delilah had many good days. You did great

Sorry about your Duck... But as other Homesteaders have said,"It's part of Homesteading." Loved watching you get the Ducks in their new place. Lol!!! Thanks for sharing.

Love the new duck house . We made ours very similar . We have a ramp also and we had to make railings for them to get inside, because a few fell off and they got spooked but now they love their new home :)

Sorry for your loss! Thank you for your great videos!

Morgan, I don't know how you feel about firearms but you're going to have to get one to keep the figures from your flocks. The problem will only get worse as Winter gardens the country up north. A good firearms dealer will fix you up with the right weapon. The new duck house looks good. Love your videos. There are 2 you tubers I never miss each day. I never miss Lumnah Acres and I never miss Gold Shaw Farms.

Your quack house is constructed much better than the half of the houses in poor countries. Cool videos, thanks ✌😁

You should stain the house to make it last longer. Or paint it I suppose but I think a natural stain, like black walnut for example, would be the best for longevity of the wood and is a healthier alternative

You have made such progress in 3 years. Truly an inspiration.

Constable Toby reporting for duty!

Yes! you must get a toby!! I'm glad this hasnt happened again since hes been on the farm.

The duck house looks great!

Greeting from Africa Kenya I admire your great efforts

That new duck house looks amazing! Just a warning though when housing ducks and geese together, the ganders and the drake may fight, this is from my own personal experience with my African geese and my Muscovey Ducks. The males fight during the mating season, but they have since calmed down due as it isn't mating season anymore.

The new house looked grand!

Mine took a just under a week to get use to their ramp. Now they take themselves to bed. Sorry for the loss of your duck. I’ve had 3 guinea foul taken and partially eaten yesterday I think by an owl. Duck house looks so good. Well done Morgan they will love it.

Get yourself a Great Pyreneese. It's a cold hearty dog, and a large breed. I've watched other farmers online that have a couple of these herding dogs, and they no longer have problems with coyotes.

BEAUTIFUL poultry house. I love your duck hut! Excellent job!

Hi Morgan, love your vids. My ducks and my goose give me hours of joy too.

Love with you both in video. Love from Australia

It is tough to lose a duck like that. We lost one of our chickens in the exact same way. We used to let our chickens and ducks free range all day. Then one afternoon I was in the front yard with the kids and we heard a commotion in the back yard. Doing a quick headcount I was missing our Barred Rock chicken Oreo. I found a pile of feathers on the back lawn and a trail into the woods. I followed the trail of feathers till they stopped. I also found tracks in the mud too but our predator seemed to be a Fisher cat. I too felt as if it was my fault for getting to comfortable with letting them free range. They only free range now with supervision. Thanks for the video and the new duck house looks great.

wow your wife is a ball buster bro..... The expanding foam is a fker man, you did alright.. I did it around the bulkhead of my van with similar results... You just tell it where roughly you want foam.. and foam says OK EVERYWHERE!!

Those predators are always watching you from a distance, waiting for your to make a mistake. They believe themselves to be unnoticed. If you take a thermal scope you should be able to find them, then a guard dog would be pretty helpful too. Finally you can get a trip plate cage. I used it to catch the raccoons that were attacking the ducks one by one until i had none left. They weren't attracted to the cage when i used steak. Only when i used chicken was when I finally caught one.

Ice? Wow the heat just got pushed out here. Love the new house. In a week it will be old hat for the duck. Hope you do get a dog it would make a good addition to the farm. The cats might not think so.

Just FYI about chickens. When laying...they will invariably all use the same box. Or 2. You can have 5, 6 or even a dozen nice clean nesting boxes and they will use the same 1 or 2. All of them. I've even seen my hens line up waiting for their turn at the one box. Just like standing in line at the bank or the grocery store. I'd stand in the kitchen eating a sandwich (cuz they tend to lay in the middle of the day, not in the morning like people think) while looking out the back door and watch them line up. One would lay (announced by her cackling), and she'd strut out and the next one in line would go in to the box. Sometimes there would be 2 hens in a box. If one got broody, I had a 30" x 30" by 18" high (rabbit) cage tucked in a corner with a nesting box in it that I would transfer her and the number of eggs for her to hatch into and leave her be. Worked every time. I had an old shell of a trailer sitting on a concrete slab that my fowl would spend the night in to protect them form predators (usually a dog from the junk yard/recycle plant a 1/2 mile away) but one time a bobcat came in during the middle of the day and nabbed a goose. Even with the dogs, it still got him. I figured the wild cat needed dinner more than me so I just wrote that as a one off.

Thanks for the great videos!. Not ducks, but maybe someday you'll branch out. A friend of mine raises "Self loading Hogs". He built a ramp and platform. He regularly feeds the hogs at the top. Going up a ramp becomes normal for them. Come truck time they load right in. Anyone who has loaded hogs into a truck will appreciate the concept.