10 Baby Wood Ducks (1st thought they were Mallards)

[wilwingswaterfowl]

Thank you for sharing this video!! I *LOVE* your setup! <duck pool envy> How do you keep the water from getting rank and nasty? My 4 have a small kiddie pool (in non-freezing weather), and by the end of the day, the water is unfit (and half of the water has been splashed out of the pool). I'd love to give my 4 more swimming space (and deeper), but it's a lot of water to dump every day. I tried a larger pool last summer, looked at different types of filters, etc., but didn't go much further than that. The cheap plastic pool liner ripped, so I trashed that pool/idea. (I once had a small ornamental pond at my previous home w/pump, filter, plants, etc., and I remembered also that I added chemicals to keep it from getting nasty. Another reason why I didn't go down that road w/my ducks.)

What are you feeding? My ducks cohabitate w/my 10 chickens, so I have heritage/organic layer feed, all-flock, and quality scratch grains available for the ducks. They seem to be doing well. I also provide green stuff -- I grow fodder, give them lettuces/greens, plus stuff I grow in the garden, etc. In the summer, I get duckweed from a nearby pond.

Mine have been w/me for 1 1/2 years, so I guess I'm doing something right, but I'm always anxious to make it better.

Right now everything is frozen so they can't drag mud into the pool so it stays cleaner. I used kiddie pools up to last year and drained them every few days. This one I have been draining at 5 days in winter. I use all flock and layer crumbles. This year I also started using Mazuri waterfowl feed it's expensive ( $45 50lb bag ) but I like how it floats and they love it. You would probably use 1 or 2 bags a year. The Hoodeds get sea duck food, catfish food at night and the Mazuri waterfowl food when everyone is together. If you look at some of my older videos you can see the kiddie pool setups and how the new one is built. I will still have a kiddie pool in the summer for a second water source. Go to 3.51 and you can see how the food floats.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Can you show an adult picture of them!!!

Here's a picture I took last summer or so. 3 hens and a drake.

 

[Cecisflock]

Starter mash is a great suggestion. Thanks! They are eating the finely smashed hard boiled egg and mealy worm, and I'm happy to see them finally eat.

What about that getting into water for swim (this time they just got their feet wet, splashed, and drank)?

what are you asking? they seem to enjoy the water just fine.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

what are you asking? they seem to enjoy the water just fine.

Oh gosh, that post is from July or August 2019. Yes, they love the water and come flying (sometimes literally) of the coop area and land directly into the water. In fact, there are days when I think they are rarely out of the water. I also have a lot of raised roost areas in the outside yard where they can get away from the annoying chickens and preen. The outside yard is protected from the many hawks that live in my area.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Right now everything is frozen so they can't drag mud into the pool so it stays cleaner. I used kiddie pools up to last year and drained them every few days. This one I have been draining at 5 days in winter. I use all flock and layer crumbles. This year I also started using Mazuri waterfowl feed it's expensive ( $45 50lb bag ) but I like how it floats and they love it. You would probably use 1 or 2 bags a year. The Hoodeds get sea duck food, catfish food at night and the Mazuri waterfowl food when everyone is together. If you look at some of my older videos you can see the kiddie pool setups and how the new one is built. I will still have a kiddie pool in the summer for a second water source. Go to 3.51 and you can see how the food floats.

No moss growing under these feet. I went to Mazuri web site, created an account, and ordered a 12 lb. bag of the waterfowl feed. Yes, I immediately noticed that the food floated on top of the water. THANK YOU!

I'll have to revisit the pond/deep pool idea. I live on an island, and we are on well-water. It's not an unlimited supply, so that's always looming overhead when I think about giving these guys an awesome Olympic-size swimming pool. If I do go w/something that needs a pump and filter, it would need to be pretty heavy-duty considering the amount of mud, poop, and food that gets dumped into the water every day. LOL! And that's why I keep going back to the "small kiddie pool but fresh water daily" scenario. <sigh>

Thanks again for the Mazuri info! I really appreciate it!

 

[Cecisflock]

Oh gosh, that post is from July or August 2019. Yes, they love the water and come flying (sometimes literally) of the coop area and land directly into the water. In fact, there are days when I think they are rarely out of the water. I also have a lot of raised roost areas in the outside yard where they can get away from the annoying chickens and preen. The outside yard is protected from the many hawks that live in my area.

awww thats so cute! mine try to sleep in the water too!

 

[MGG]

Here are my two wood duck hens. ❤

 

[MGG]

Rescue, and they didn't want to leave. I can leave the door wide open, and they won't go out.

I have had them out, but last time, a red tailed hawk tried to attack. We're all happier this way.

That's great that you rescued them! ❤
I'm so glad the hawk didn't get them. Hawk attacks are scary!

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Here are my two wood duck hens. ❤View attachment 2551929

They're beautiful! How old are they? Are they friendly with you?

 

[MGG]

They're beautiful! How old are they? Are they friendly with you?

Thanks! They're almost a year old, they'll be a year old next month.
Violet is. Velvet is not as tame.
Violet is a "special needs" duck though, so I've babied her a lot. I think that's made her tamer.

Velvet just likes her space. I'm hoping she warms up to me more though.