My Place: a CAT, Mahindra, and Ducks

[bindian]

Here's a photo of Fritz last month. A solid 25 pounds. He's helping me bolt my water gate to cedar posts.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Here's a photo of Brady and me in my boat, "Don't Sink", going to the island to hunt for duck eggs. I had two ducks hatch last month and hopefully have more hatch this month.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I am building duck nests. I am tired of the hens sitting on nests only to have high water or predators get their eggs. They are made by using 10 foot of 36 inch wire, making a 12-15 inch loop in the wire and securing, then adding hay and a plastic or rubber mat about 2x3 feet. The plastic will give a little rain proofing to it. Then roll the rest of the wire and secure the ends of the wire. By mistake, I made the first one 4 foot long. Maybe I can get two hens to nest in it?
Anyway, you install them 3 foot above water level. I am going to put one in about 5 feet of water and the other just off the end of the island. The island one will be 3 feet long and I will finish it later today.

The 1 inch square posts have little triangles added to prevent the nest from acting like a weathervane. I was afraid, after making the 4 foot nest, the wind might blow the whole thing around.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Buppies]

Your garage is a thousand times neater than mine. My organizational skills are sorely lacking. Very beautiful place you have

 

[EddieWalker]

I keep looking at the picture and trying to figure out how the ducks will use it as a nest. Please post pics of it in place.

My ducks lay eggs everywhere, but the only place the seem to sit on them for any time is along the shoreline of the pond. So far, I'm at 100% failure in three years of having any hatch. Thought for sure last year with so many sitting, but then all of a sudden, they just wonder off and leave the eggs. I'm also having issues with Oscar eating the eggs close to his house. We are going to fence off a nesting area to keep him out of there. That's one of my must do projects before spring.

Do you have any snakes eating your eggs? We found them in the chickens nesting boxes four times last year. And a couple others that where hanging out around the coop.

 

[bindian]

Your garage is a thousand times neater than mine. My organizational skills are sorely lacking. Very beautiful place you have

Thanks. I deleted the photos of the shop bench area. All the benches are a fully loaded mess. But it isn't a garage, it's a barn as it has sliding doors, not rollup doors.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Here you go Eddie. We put out two posts today, but I only put up one nest. It was hard enough to put the 3 footer up with two guys in the boat helping holding it steady. The nest is a little wobbly on 1.25" square post. I am gonna use bigger post pipe on the next nest. Right now I have the 4 foot long nest in the barn cutting it down to 3
feet.

We have snake problems and hopefully they won't be able to go up the 3 feet of steel post. Uncovered nests get picked over by the hawks. When the pond has been down for dirt work, the coons swim to the island. Only about 5 feet of water to swim through
The post with the welded triangles for weathervane winds is about 6 inches above the water with a quick pin holding the nesting post in place. I put holes every 6 inches in the nesting post to lower or raise according to water level. You can see the quick pin in the third photo
after enlarging the photo.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Buppies]

Thanks. I deleted the photos of the shop bench area. All the benches are a fully loaded mess. But it isn't a garage, it's a barn as it has sliding doors, not rollup doors.View attachment 535824
hugs, Branid

I remember now the color of the sliding door is nice looking. We built duck boxes when we lived on a lake no ducks just black birds

 

[bindian]

Your garage is a thousand times neater than mine. My organizational skills are sorely lacking. Very beautiful place you have

Buppies,
Here are two photos of the work bench area. Really congested and only I know where everything is.
hugs, Brandi

 

[two_bit_score]

Buppies,
Here are two photos of the work bench area. Really congested and only I know where everything is. View attachment 535842View attachment 535841
hugs, Brandi

Nice looking vise!