5 gallon buckets and ducks?

[nao57]

I've been wondering if 5 gallon buckets are detrimental to ducks being productive and happy on eggs? Do you guys have any thoughts on this?

I'd been using 5 gallon buckets for their water. And it was working for awhile. But last year they stopped producing eggs very early in the year. I have tried almost everything else on troubleshooting why they wouldn't make eggs. The other things didn't pain out.

I wondered if the 5 gallon buckets are harder for hens to reach and might cause them extra stress? I'd thought things were fine but I'm just trying to consider any possible thing.

Does it make a difference if their watering tray is wide rather than tall? etc? And what do you suggest or think?

Thank you.

 

[picklestheduck]

You have buckets for water sources? Do you place them in a hole or is it set on the ground? A five gallon bucket is definitely really tall for ducks to reach. I use rubber pans for my ducks. They work great!

 

[Isadora]

What kind of ducks do you have? The only birds that I have that would be able to drink out of a 5 gallon bucket are my geese.
I use a black rubber pail for drinking and also have cement mixing trays for my ducks to drink out of and bathe them. They're much lower to the ground than a 5 gallon bucket.