7 Ducks who dislike water, is this RIGHT???

[Mommysongbird]

We have 10 ducks altogether. Seven are in a large tote tub, 1 is in with some bantam chicks (all about the same age) and 2 much younger ones are in with 1 bantam chick (about same age).

So the 7 that are in the large box are 2 pekin and 5 mallard and apparently they are all NOT the same age, but we did get them all at the same time (even the 1 that is with chicks, a mallard too is bigger than the rest of the mallards). These ducks will "cry" and throw a fit when they get wet from spilled water in their box. So is this normal? The duck that is with the bantams stays very clean because she does not make such a mess and doesn't get wet.

Is it that they dislike the water or something else? When we take them out of the big tote and put them in a smaller one, they all settle down and start cleaning themselves. When I get their box cleaned out and pine shavings replaced I put them back in and they are fine for a little while but then they start the whole process over again of getting everything wet.

Do they have to have water and food throughout the night? Can I just take their water and food (I know no food unless there is water) out overnight and then give it to them in the AM??

 

[Silkies~Polishes]

I don't know about ducks, but I use water bottles for all my chickens, babies and adults, inside or outside. To minimize mess and so you don't have to keep cleaning the cage, use the water bottles. Much cleaner and they catch on pretty fast how to use them, usually within the day.
About them disliking water, I have no idea. I'm getting ancona duck eggs in the mail soon so I haven't had ducks before.

 

[Mommysongbird]

The water bottle idea is a good one. Our adult chickens use water bottles. Not sure how I would attach a water bottle to their tote boxes though. I have plenty, think I will toy around with that idea today. Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/426909/non-spill-duckling-waterer/10 a link to a duckling made waterer, ducks are very messy when it comes to water, after all thats their job to dabble and make sure their bedding is as wet as it can get. lol they need to be able to dunk their lil heads into water to keep their eyes and nares cleaned out,. so any kind of chickens waterer after week 2 won't work. Maybe the lil duckling is getting wet and then cool from getting wet? other than that I can't imagine why it would cry. Have you put them into the tub with a little warm water so they can begin to wash and preen? Never leave ducklings un supervised while in any kind of water, they can drown. I wouldn't take their food and water out of their brooder till about 4 weeks old. Their little bodies are growing so fast they need the nurishment.

 

[pekinsRus]

DUCKS NEED WATER BECAUSE THEY DONOT MAKE SALAVIA!! DUCKS ARE MESSY BUT IT IS WORTH IT!

 

[Mommysongbird]

I will figure out something.

But why do they get so agitated when they get wet???

 

[Amiga]

Well, you don't know how they started out, at least I gather that you have not had them from the time they were hatched, so something could have happened to traumatize them. Duck are interesting critters, not as simple as I used to think.

In any case, getting the water management handled will be a great help to you all. Also, if they are around three weeks old or so, that's when many of them become very very nervous, especially around people. It's a phase they go through, and patience and time with them helps them get through it.

They still need water and food 24/7, so see if some of the ideas posted in the archives help you out.

 

[Mommysongbird]

We got them from Tractor Supply as 2 or 3 day old hatchlings. They could have been about a week old, I really don't know. This is them 2 days after we got them. So how old do they look? We got them on March 1.



They are about 5 weeks now, give or take a few days for some of them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We got them from Tractor Supply as 2 or 3 day old hatchlings. They could have been about a week old, I really don't know. This is them 2 days after we got them. So how old do they look? We got them on March 1.



They are about 5 weeks now, give or take a few days for some of them.

How adorable, they look like they may have been 2-3 days old in the beginning.

 

[Mommysongbird]

How adorable, they look like they may have been 2-3 days old in the beginning.

Okay that is what I thought. And I just remembered that one of the girls at TS told me that ALL of their first ducks (the ones we got ours from) had "gone swimming the first day there at TS" and several drowned.

So maybe that is an issue for them.

I am making a waterer for them. It's not very tall, so I hope it works. It is a salad container that I bought salad in. I cut two squares in the top. Hopefully it will work till we find something taller.