First time duck owner

I will post pics s bit later today.

A friend gave me 3 ducks. I see no drake feathers so i assume all are female. I have a baby pool and drain and fill daily.

I bought a wild bird crumble but am wondering if they will eat my layer pellets my chickens eat? I herd them into the chicken coop at night. They make a mess of the floor but are safe. They stay in a 16'x16' run during the day with their pool.

The friend is trying to give me mother goose and a drake. The drake I want but the goose seems too large to be happy in a small baby pool and 4 ducks will be crowding that pool let alone a goose also. Should I add the goose?

If I try to free range these ducks will they just leave me for the nice full gorgeous pond the neighbors have just about 100 yards to the north?

Picture posting woes. I thought it didn't put and apparently posted the same pic many times. Sorry.

I think the two white are pekin but what is the third? The one on the water.

I want to add space in the run if I can't free range them. Do theses breeds fly? So much easier to add some space if they won't fly over a 4-4.5 ft fence.

Also if they stick around and won't leave me for the awesome pond next door, will they Be utter destruction free ranging like my chickens are doing right now? My chickens have destroyed landscaping around my house, have many dust bathing areas next to my foundation screwing up the drainage around the house so water can get under the slab, pooping on my cement patio and porch.

Hi, there, I'll try to answer some of your questions. Welcome!

At this point, I think your ducks will either be quacking loudly, or mumbling. The loud quackers are females. Mumblers are males. That will happen even before a drake feather shows up.

Great that you have a kiddie pool for them!

(A little note - this is pretty much a G-rated site, you might want to review your comments there. There is an edit button.)


I feed my flock poultry layer feed, they do quite well on it. I also have Mazuri breeder as an addition to their basic feed. And I give them some treats, and greens, the occasional meal worms, they forage for worms and grubs, and like squash beetles.

How do you and the goose get along? Is the goose used to ducks? @Miss Lydia may be able to advise you better - she has chickens, ducks and geese.

I'll look at the photo more closely and see what I can see.

Looks like you have two Pekins and a Swedish Pekin mix. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Those breeds don't really fly. And if they're in a secure coop at night, that's pretty good. My Runners are much smaller, so I have them in a pen that's fenced across the top, due to hawks - even foxes around here will hop over a fence like mine (a meter high). I have another penned area with a net over the top - they go in there when I am out in the yard.

There are a couple of books I like - Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, and The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook. But BYC is also a terrific resource, and it's interactive!

Great! Thanks so much for the info!

The one Swedish/pekin mix (thanks for identifing her) is so pretty. The friend wants to give me a male white/buff and she is interested in taking any white/buff ducklings. So that will be exciting!

She is definitely giving me the goose. The goose hung out with the ducks, a few of which I already have, so she is used to ducks. She didn't bother me when I went over to feed her poultry a few months ago.

I have chicken layer pellets. Can the ducks and goose eat that too or should I switch to a layer crumble?

I want to cheaply expand the run but only for day time use. any ideas? I'm wondering about 2x4 welded wire...since you said they won't fly. I will put in a 2nd baby pool to accommodate an extra duck and a goose. Maybe someday a small pond.

How large would a pond need to be to accommodate 4 ducks and one goose without having to consider draining and cleaning?

I apologize for it taking a while. Sometimes if I don't have a quick answer ready, I'll wait, then other things happen….

Okay, as far as I know, chicken layer pellets are fine for ducks and geese. Perhaps @Miss Lydia can confirm for the geese.

The pond question has me thinking hard. So the quick answer is, I don't know. The next answer is, it depends. Because if you just have a stagnant pond, that's going to be problematic sooner or later. If you have something spring fed with an overflow, less of a problem. Might you consider a livestock trough with a 4 inch drain? On the positive side, that enriched water is fabulous for gardens. Just fabulous! So if you could direct it to a garden, even a mulch pile - you'd have the best fertilizer ever (not scientific, I know).

A goose raised with ducks will do fine and can be happy in a kiddy pool it's when other geese are introduced problems can come up but if they have all been together then they should remain close knit and the goose is probably already grieving it's lost some of it's family. Please post pics of the goose and drake and more of your 3 you have they are very pretty. welded wire will work fine for extra protection and space during the day as long as they are locked up at night not sure how they will all get along with your chickens though. Geese are very protective of what is theirs so you might want to divide your coop so one half is chickens the other water fowl. Then again if they are use to chickens it may work out fine that is something you'll just have to deal with as you bring them home. My flock all eats the same feed.

I have a question. My female Rouen is so loud and I've found its when I'm out of her sight and when she's out of food. Is this and expression of her "love" for me? I can't sit with her all day but it's the only time she's quiet. This also just started since we came back from vacation and had our friend looking after them for 9 days. She gave me a piece of her mind when we returned and hasn't shut up since. Starts as SOON as she hears my feet hit the floor in the morning until she sees my face...I have my morning coffee with them and they just sit at my feet quietly but when I go back inside she starts up again. I even leave our back door open all day so she can hear and see me if she wants but unless I'm outside sitting she's won't stop. Only really curious. Our neighbors don't seem to mind and say they can't hear her but I don't know how they can't...shes LOUD. Makes it also a little difficult as I work from home and on conference calls they can hear her. Most laugh and find it amusing but not good when it's an important call. Haha...