Access to pool at night?

[imzadi]

Hi there

As they say, Chickens are the gateway livestock! Just got three ducks (2 ducks and a drake)...Campbell Khakis. For the rest of this week, they are confined to a chicken tractor...so they know where home is.

Starting on Sat, however, we are going to let them free range and use the tractor as their beddy bye sleepy place; locking them in at night. We are going to have a kiddie pool and several kittly liter pans as their pools/drinking water (plus, chicken waterers all over the place too...for "clean" water).

Anyway, The INTENTION for Sat and beyond is to remove the "pools" from the tractor completely. It is a totaly PAIN to lift the track to remove/clean the "pools" every day...Then, I got thinking, do duckies need access to that pool at night too? I hope not but...gotta do what ya gotta do.

Thanks.

 

[Obiwan Kentucky]

From what I've read, and my own experience backing it up, ducks do not need "play" water at night. In his book, Holderread says that they can raised fine without any play water, unless they are a heavyweight breed, in which case it really helps in the process of getting fertile eggs.

Also in his book, he says that ducks don't even need drinking water at night, under certain conditions- 1, that they don't have access to food when they don't have access to water, and 2, that you stay consistent (no water every night, cause skipping around causes stress, and messes with health and egg production)

In your case, you have drinking water anyway, if I read that right, so don't give a second thought to taking away their playwater at night.

 

[Going Quackers]

A pool? no, if they have food yes they need drinking water. I am a strong believer in pools or some sort of water container for ducks to bathe in however, it's like a chicken having a dust bath, your feather quality isn't as good and they use it just like chickens to reduce parasites.

Water is the biggest thing with "waterfowl" that is probably the #1 complaint(the wet, the mud, the work load etc) from people who have only had chickens lol But you get used to it, mind you i started in ducks and primarily still keep them

 

[imzadi]

he he he...yes, they will have drinking water and food in their night time tractor...and a kiddie pool and other such containers around the yard for during the day. Just hoping that I could get rid of the play "pools" that I have INSIDE the tractor once they start to free range. It's a REAL pain to lift the tractor, remove the pans (heavy with nasty, brown, goopy water sloshing all over me)...clean the pans...lift the tractor, put back the pans, FILL the pans...once the pans and the pool are outside...no prob. DUMP and refill...ta da!

 

[Going Quackers]

he he he...yes, they will have drinking water and food in their night time tractor...and a kiddie pool and other such containers around the yard for during the day. Just hoping that I could get rid of the play "pools" that I have INSIDE the tractor once they start to free range. It's a REAL pain to lift the tractor, remove the pans (heavy with nasty, brown, goopy water sloshing all over me)...clean the pans...lift the tractor, put back the pans, FILL the pans...once the pans and the pool are outside...no prob. DUMP and refill...ta da!

I would imagine! my pools are located in the fenced are surrounding their barn, they all free range.. i practically dump them daily now with all the mud.