Floating island for muscovy ducks
- Thread starter TreeDaddy
- Start date
The Fishman
5 year old buck +
How big do you want it? Do you want an island for them to rest and nest on or just something for them to rest on out of the water? If just something for them to get out of the water, they make floating animals that would serve this purpose. A park in Phoenix installed some alligators and hippos for the birds. Amazon sells small ones for less than $100.
The Fishman
5 year old buck +
A lot of fishermen around my area fish for tripletail in coastal waters by building fish aggregating devices (FADs) because the tripletail love floating structure. I saw this FAD washed up last year on an island. It is simply a 24x30" bread tray with foam. The tray sits upside down in the water with the foam underneath and something to secure the foam to the tray. In this case, the fisherman used old shrimp netting. You could buy or acquire a couple bread trays and tie them together for what I would think would be a large enough platform to support two ducks and a nest. If there are too many land-based predators, this would be a low cost way to see if the ducks would use it to nest. The ducks would definitely use it to rest. The trick is going to be finding the right foam thickness to float the platform at the correct height out of the water.
MadMadHoosier
5 year old buck +
I built a floating platform with a hutch and feeder for domestic ducks about 12-years ago. Basically made a 4'x8'x5/4" treated lumber flat deck and put a 4'x8'x2" piece of insulation foam under it. It worked great until a cold winter where the pond fully froze and the coyotes or other predators got to the ducks :-(
That thing is still floating and grown into the weeds on the edge of the pond dam. I leave it there for fish shade/structure, but will pull it out with the tractor some day.
If I ever decide to duplicate the effort, I'm going to install a bubbler or something that will keep a portion of the pond ice free in the winter.
That thing is still floating and grown into the weeds on the edge of the pond dam. I leave it there for fish shade/structure, but will pull it out with the tractor some day.
If I ever decide to duplicate the effort, I'm going to install a bubbler or something that will keep a portion of the pond ice free in the winter.
Yep, cottonmouths would be a concern. But consider this; there's feral muscovy populations in Fl and elsewhere in the south. The muscovy is a survivalist when it comes to predators (though not always). Part of the equation would be whether they can fly and prefer to perch or not. My black muscovy have never perched in a tree (though some do) and rarely get above 8 feet elevation. If they fly and perch, advantage nest box. I think this Amazon Forest duck would really take to any wooden cavity; meaning a wooden nesting box, see TreeDaddy post above. If they don't, an island may be the answer. My blk muskies love our 7' x 9' island. But then our biggest concern is the snapping turtle which I keep mostly shot out, we've no cottonmouth or copperhead. I plan to, in Aug 2025, to renovate the pond, push down the island, and replace with a 4' x 6' floating island. They poop everywhere but an occasional topping of straw should keep it somewhat sanitary. I'm planning on using 4" lite Charlette pvc to frame it. An easy access and exit is needed. Maybe reinforced half inch hardware cloth ramping down a few inches below the surface.
My ducks take to small water snakes like a dog to a squirrel. I've seen a colorful '?plaster of paris muscovy figurine' holding a snake, yet other than that I can't speak to the duck's survival in cottonmouth habitat. Hopefully, someone will share their experience with muscovy and cottonmouths.
My ducks take to small water snakes like a dog to a squirrel. I've seen a colorful '?plaster of paris muscovy figurine' holding a snake, yet other than that I can't speak to the duck's survival in cottonmouth habitat. Hopefully, someone will share their experience with muscovy and cottonmouths.
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My occasional banded water snakes love the island as well and your moccasins will get active at dark. I think the muscovy would love a floating island and use it during the day but avoid nesting on it at nite. I'm assuming the ducks can mingle with the snake with the only concern being eggs or young ducklings getting eaten.
For a free-range situation, as opposed to putting 'em in a coop at nite, I was hoping you had experience with your elevated mini coop pictured a few posts up. I think they'd like it as a big nesting box. Maybe place it close to shore so it could be accessed from the bank for cleaning, yet predators couldn't climb up. Here's 1 of my muscovy hens checking out the comparably tiny Wood Duck nesting box located on the pond's edge:
I took an Amazon chicken pen, put down straw, stacked a few straw bales on the north and northwest sides, and added the top half of a 7 cu.ft. doghouse. Contrary to what many say, they snuggle with each other in frigid weather taking up only half of the doghouse. Mine lay eggs there but occasionally use the other half of doghouse on island. I'll beef up the pen this June and add individual nesting boxes.. I'll likely try a large nesting box placed 3 ft above the water this winter. I threw in the feeder with auto door as a bonus. I've not had 'coon problems with it and only occasionally mice.
For a free-range situation, as opposed to putting 'em in a coop at nite, I was hoping you had experience with your elevated mini coop pictured a few posts up. I think they'd like it as a big nesting box. Maybe place it close to shore so it could be accessed from the bank for cleaning, yet predators couldn't climb up. Here's 1 of my muscovy hens checking out the comparably tiny Wood Duck nesting box located on the pond's edge:
I took an Amazon chicken pen, put down straw, stacked a few straw bales on the north and northwest sides, and added the top half of a 7 cu.ft. doghouse. Contrary to what many say, they snuggle with each other in frigid weather taking up only half of the doghouse. Mine lay eggs there but occasionally use the other half of doghouse on island. I'll beef up the pen this June and add individual nesting boxes.. I'll likely try a large nesting box placed 3 ft above the water this winter. I threw in the feeder with auto door as a bonus. I've not had 'coon problems with it and only occasionally mice.
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