Ducks & water quality

[blondiebee181]

Ducks are extremely cold hardy...mine still try to sleep outside even when the temps dip below 0F...here's a pic of mine...



...eating snow...silly duckies...

Do make sure to give them a spot that is covered and protected from the wind so that they can get out of the elements, but ducks are fattier than chickens and they're pretty resilient!

 

[blenderbender]

Thanks..... I guess they should be okay as they have a large insulated doghouse to crawl into should they want to be more cozy. They were in it for a night or two when I first put them outside at about 6 weeks old. After that I noticed they were just huddled up against it outside every morning since then.

 

[blondiebee181]

Yeah, they'll do that...ducks don't "put themselves to bed" like chickens do. They don't roost and they don't sleep through the night...they take lots of short sleeps. During the warmer months, I usually let mine sleep wherever they want and don't bother to put them up. When it gets colder, I usually lock them up in their doghouse for the night so they stay warm and dry. Be aware that when they start laying eggs, you may have to hunt around a bit...ducks, like chickens do still prefer to lay in a cool, dark and safe place but there have been many days I have found eggs in the dirt pits where the chickens bathe, or next to the water bowl out in the open, or even IN the chicken nests...I find that when I lock them in their house they lay there almost 100% instead of the 85% when I let them sleep wherever during the summer....lolol.

 

[blenderbender]

Thanks blondiebee..... good points! I'm not certain what I have yet. At this point I'm guessing a female and a male based on the differences in their voices. At what age would she start laying typically? Thanks for all your insights.

Gary

 

[blondiebee181]

3 months at the earliest they may start to lay (or one will if you indeed have a male and female) could be later too...you will definitely notice a difference in their voices if you have one of each...females quack loud and boisterously like hunting duck calls...males have more of a whispery, raspy quack....and drakes will develop tail curls around the 3 months too. If you are still unsure what the different quacks sound like, youtube it...that's what I did, lol. Make sure if you do have a female that starts to lay, she has a soft, dry, protected spot in the dog house...I know that fake eggs encouraged my chickens so maybe it'll work with ducks too? Worth a shot.

 

[withat]

Ducks are pretty much made of a doona.

 

[blenderbender]

Ducks are pretty much made of a doona.

I had to google 'doona'...... never came across that word before. You must be from down under?

 

[blondiebee181]

I just had to Google it too, lol