Best Mucky Duck Tips?

[chickenannie]

I don't know much about ducks, but the farm where I work has Indian runners, Sebastopols and geese and they are the happiest animals on the farm in winter -- out swimming and sliding around in the creek and snow. They don't seem to mind the cold at all.

Also, I have cambodian neighbors down the street who have chickens and ducks living in a very cool-looking pen which is full of vegetables and vines growing all over it. I think the birds eat the squash as they ripen, and the vines shade the pens in summertime. The ducks *live* on the creek next to their house, but come back in every evening to get fed in their pen.

 

[nightshade]

I can't wait til they start taking orders for ducks at the feed store I promise the son two khakis hens this spring. He got three last year they all turned out to be drakes so dad made him sell them. No eggs no home here. lol But I have a big caygua male named Elmer, hubby knows not to even try it. I want to breed them this year. Besides he is my pal

 

[swampducks]

We had a warm spell a couple weeks ago and a bit of the creek that drains from the pond thawed and the ducks were so happy!!! Now that it's frozen again I'll see webbed footprints in the snow leading down and onto the stream, from one end to the other checking for "leaks". Once in a while I've broken a hole but it's too thick to do that easily now.

Mine don't seem to mind the cold till the temps drop below 15f degrees. Then they'll be huddled just inside the garage door sitting in the straw and looking outside. Below 10f and I'll find them at the far end of the garage hiding between the straw bales and the water heater.

 

[Dodgegal79]

I'm right on the pacific coast so it doens't get to cold here in the winter, very wet thou. I made them a shelter to get out of the rain but they didn't want to use it. They usually like to sleep under vehicles that are in the yard. They do well in the snow too, as long as its not too cold. When they were little I would pen them at night in a small pen with a roof and a heat lamp, they take forever to get their feather. They learn to go in at night, they they get to teenage stage and rebel adn then its hard to get them in. The runners, khakis, and calls sleep together under the trees in the back yard and the muscovys sleep along the house and under my hubbies van.

 

[birdnutz]

Mine love sprinklers and hoses,anything to do with water is their fortay(sp) We built them a concrete pond thats covered with a green house. They all go in at night except the geese. We use a tank heater to keep it from freezing. They'll keep it open except in extreme temps. Just expect them to make a mud hole underneath the sprinkler head or any where else that water will pool.

 

[bantymum]

I loved my ducks, though we are on water restrictions here and i had to rehome them.
MUd , Mud, Mud is all I can say!!!
Wherever i emptied the baby pool out each day was slopped in, sucked up and not one blade of grass has grown there since. Im sure it will grow again but those ducks sure know how to kill grass!!!
They loved the sprinker to a point, they would stand in it and flap their wings then run away and come back again.
When the sun dried the mud up, it stank like a pit toilet, absolutely horrible, blowflies were in fly heaven and and the ducks would try to eat the flies.
If the wind blew in our direction on a hot windy night or day we would have a lovely aroma coming through the back door and so would the neighbours. they didnt complain as they are beautiful old ladies who come from farms in their younger years and have seen it all before!!
All I can say is enjoy them and get some gumboots!!!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

when mine hatch they are going to love our corner fencing. when its pouring hard the corner area floods up. its gets to be about a 10'x5' puddle