Can ducks go overnight without access to water?

I was reading Storey's Guide and I think it says they can go 8 hours or so without food/water. That's what I plan on doing (I'm new to ducks). However, something I realized...if I'm putting them up at dusk, during some times of the year that's before 5:00 pm. So depending on where you live, yours could be going 12-16 hours without water.

What I'm doing is getting them an Amish dog kennel. The enclosed box area is smaller than I would have liked (just over 3 square feet per bird) however it's insulated and this smooth material that can be hosed off and most importantly, it has a door out to an attached fenced run with a composite floor and a roof. So I'm going to keep water (but not food) out there so I don't have to rush out at the crack of dawn and they're not going 14 hours without water even with me out there early in the morning.

My ducks seem to prefer to be outside anyway and from what I've read on here, that's the norm. I figure I will consider the entire size, including the run because they will have access to the outside at night and will probably want to spend time out there unless it's frigid in which case they probably won't mind being close to each other.

My solution is to have a night pen where their water is. The floor is soil under hardware cloth under sand under sawdust. Drains very well. Due to chilly nighttime temperatures, I close them into their house at night (they are a small breed and I want to be sure they are full grown before exposing them to more chill - I know, I overprotect them. oh, well).

But once (IF?) nights get warm, their house door will be open to the night pen, which is covered on all sides with half inch hardware cloth and surrounded by two bands of electric fence.

These days I put them into the pen with the house door open from late afternoon or dusk till dark, then they move into the house and I close the house door and remove the food from the pen. So that is from about 8:30 or 9 p.m., so that is roughly 10 hours or a little less. Nighttime temps have been in the 40s or 50s F.

In the morning (I make them wait till 6 or 6:30 a.m.) I let them out into their yard, with food and water for a while. I stay with them anywhere from half an hour to a couple of hours while I do yard work, then back they go into the pen (with food and water) and house where they can be locked in while I am away.

I did not remove water and food at night (no food without water) until they were about six weeks old.

I started removing the feed and water when I lock my little slobs in at night.

6 hours of gagging while cleaning the straw out of their garage after the winter was the deciding factor.

We have been doing this for 2 months and they are fat and fine.

Quote:
About how long do they stay in at night?


Thanks for all the help, everyone!!!

I close them up about 8 pm and let them out about 9 or 9:30 am.

I have been keeping mine in a house with no food or water from 10-12 hours a night for a couple of months now. THey do great and the house stays nice and dry. My 4 week old runners still require food and water at night but once they feather out they will join the pekins in the duckhouse at night(to the chagrin of the pekins who are getting to spend their days in the day pen with the runner ducklings who are agile enough to avoid the pekins attempts to bite them.

My crew turned a year old last month and they have been going without food and water during the night for about 6 months. They go to bed as dusk and they are let out between 6 am and 9 am or so, outside lighting dependent. They do fine and their sleeping area stays far less messy. They do not mind it, they have plenty of food and water available for over 12 hours of the day. They are healthy and happy.

terrielacy said:

I started removing the feed and water when I lock my little slobs in at night.


6 hours of gagging while cleaning the straw out of their garage after the winter was the deciding factor.


We have been doing this for 2 months and they are fat and fine.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much! Great info. I have 4 babies and they are making a huge mess! It seems they actually would be better off without all that mess I find each morning!!!!

Hi,

That's one of those things that happen, as for babies they need to have food and water on hand, but then the older ducks will tend to eat it or mess it at times lol......so you will need to have a mess for a while but once the ducklings are older then they can go without food over night and water, however in the summer months I tend to have a water container, it is one that attaches to the wall of the hut for overnight as it does get hot where I am from and I worry that they may need it, it works well, generally speaking though once my ducklings have reached the age of about 16-20 weeks they can safely and happily be with out food and water, it maybe younger, but I wait until then. Mine free range and put themselves back at night and within their enclosure they have 3 large boxes in fact they were ride on mower boxes! In each box it is lined with a tarp and then bedding such as hay, I refresh daily by just picking out some of the mess, refresh more so on a weekly basis and every couple of months pull the tarp out and hose down and wash....My ducklings tend to stay with mum in their box (as they all do) so this is where I leave some water and food if needed I find the others don't go where the mum and babies are to begin with, then as they get older they all share each box. I also put a couple of bales of hay in front of each box as my ducks tend to burrow and like the closed in feeling/ privacy, and this is great, as my ducks always tend to lay in the boxes and I don't have an issue with eggs just being dropped any where and nests in the paddocks!. Within the hut the guineas also stay, but I have a perch for them and they tend to perch, sometimes they go into the large boxes and share the warmth with the drake etc lol it is a funny sight as one of my female guineas is in love with one of my drakes and they nest together each and every night and if she does decide to perch for the night the drake lays under her whilst she is perching! I have a large enclosure so I am lucky to have the space to put three large boxes for them to nest and sleep in, then they have space and as they put themselves to bed and then I just go out and lock the main doors, they wait excitably in the mornings to get out for food and fresh water. I have Grandpa feeders and all my flock chickens, guineas and ducks use them and they are fantastic, keep rodents at bay and other wild birds cant operate them as they are to light and I save heaps of money and feed. They are water proof and although the babies cant operate them, it doesn't take long becuase as they grow they learn real quick as they have watched the others go to get their feed from them. So I do have to leave feed for the babies when I have them, but it is never for long periods as they grow soooooooo fast...

Take care

I have 2 Rouens. They will be 2 months old on June 6th. So the hatch date says. I wonder. Anyways off subject. Sorry. Always wanted a duck and finally have them. When I got them I had no idea where they were going to live, eat ect. Bought all the stuff for them when I bought them but again I was clueless. I'm seriously over protected and while I have Huge join (pond) dogs, after. Grey and many animal, I had anything to be caged. Since they have been at the house I have changed their living places let's just say a lot. This is the final ( for now) any thoughts would be greatly appreciated on wrong or ok. Btw.... pool / pond will change AFAIN...... This is a for NOW situation since everything I have created made the biggest one (kirby) mean and in 2 days plucked the feathers from under the wing of the smaller duck (kale); at first fine.... then He kirby decided no more sharing water. While w/ this situation Kale is now bigger. Kirby is still mean to Kale when it comes ONLY to swimming but they have a choic3. While crazy enough they will swim together but when kirby gets pms lol (guy form) Kale just goes to the other one. I took out the water & food this morning cause of mess in 2 day old box and put outside the sleeping place. And excuse the mud water. It has rained for 3 days straight and haven't been able to clean it. OCD.... driving me insane. They sleep in my enclosed porcd. So all is over kill I guess just cause they poo EVERYWHERE. THANKS and sorry so long.