A Mink can attack a Goose...Never think they are safe...
Adding a duck! (Or Goose?)
- Thread starter Coturnix Quail
- Start date
Sara Ranch
Songster
- Jun 7, 2017
- 916
- 971
- 183
1. I use sand in my duck house. It's not an issue with them.
2. My ducks free range in the garden, in the yards, and in the pastures. They do fine. Always come back. They are my BEST foragers. Yes, even better than my chickens.
3. My ducks love the occasional treat. When they were little, they loved fresh fruit, like blueberries and grapes and lettuce. Now that they are older, I can pick fresh lettuce from the garden and give it to them as a "treat" and they love it. I've cooked eggs for them. Gave them chili mac once. Gave them tuna (extra protein) - they didn't care for it. When I throw out things like home made pickles to the group, ducks are right there eating whatever it is. My ducks eat the same things the chickens do, plus whatever they forage. I don't have leftovers or table scraps, per se, to give to my animals, but I do find people food, like applesauce. My ducks LOVE fresh fruit and fresh veggies. (Ducks even share feeding bowls with the chickens that I put fermented feed into.)
4. The ducks are vulnerable to ground and to air predators too. I have a lot of them here. Thankful, the animals work as a team. The ducks have learned that when the dogs bark, they need to be on alert. If the rooster crows - look around. The ducks quack/honk - pay attention. I haven't lost any ducks to predators. I hope I never do.
5. I love the Pekins because they are loud, big, and heavy. Less likely to be airlifted out of here. The Pekins will let me know if they are super hungry or if there is a problem I need to be aware of. I can hear them through closed doors/windows. The Khaki Campbells (boys) will call at the top of their lungs if there is an emergency I need to tend to. I rarely hear them. And when I do the occasional roll call during the day, I call out "Duckies!" and the boys (Campbells) will usually answer me. The girls (Pekins), not so much.
What else do you want to know?
2. My ducks free range in the garden, in the yards, and in the pastures. They do fine. Always come back. They are my BEST foragers. Yes, even better than my chickens.
3. My ducks love the occasional treat. When they were little, they loved fresh fruit, like blueberries and grapes and lettuce. Now that they are older, I can pick fresh lettuce from the garden and give it to them as a "treat" and they love it. I've cooked eggs for them. Gave them chili mac once. Gave them tuna (extra protein) - they didn't care for it. When I throw out things like home made pickles to the group, ducks are right there eating whatever it is. My ducks eat the same things the chickens do, plus whatever they forage. I don't have leftovers or table scraps, per se, to give to my animals, but I do find people food, like applesauce. My ducks LOVE fresh fruit and fresh veggies. (Ducks even share feeding bowls with the chickens that I put fermented feed into.)
4. The ducks are vulnerable to ground and to air predators too. I have a lot of them here. Thankful, the animals work as a team. The ducks have learned that when the dogs bark, they need to be on alert. If the rooster crows - look around. The ducks quack/honk - pay attention. I haven't lost any ducks to predators. I hope I never do.
5. I love the Pekins because they are loud, big, and heavy. Less likely to be airlifted out of here. The Pekins will let me know if they are super hungry or if there is a problem I need to be aware of. I can hear them through closed doors/windows. The Khaki Campbells (boys) will call at the top of their lungs if there is an emergency I need to tend to. I rarely hear them. And when I do the occasional roll call during the day, I call out "Duckies!" and the boys (Campbells) will usually answer me. The girls (Pekins), not so much.
What else do you want to know?
- Thread starter
- #33
- Jul 3, 2016
- 673
- 301
- 201
Thanks! 1, does duck poop smell ALOT? 2, can ducks live without a swimming area? 3, do ducks eat alot? 4, I know it depends on breed, but just how loud can a duck be? 4, what was your first experience with ducks like? 5, what treats do they like? 6, do ducks like affection? That's it for right now, thanks for answering! 
Sara Ranch
Songster
- Jun 7, 2017
- 916
- 971
- 183
1, does duck poop smell ALOT?
Well, when I got the first two ducks and put them in a large plastic tote with shavings on the bottom, yeah, their poopies smelled badly.
When I was able to move them into the sunroom, which they shared with the chickens, pine shavings on the floor, it wasn't so bad. When I moved them into the duck house, no smells. I use sand in the duck house. Easy to clean up the mess.
2, can ducks live without a swimming area?
Um, yes? When my duckies were tiny babies, I put a small plastic container in the big plastic container they were in. Those little guys loved to step into the water and stay. So I added a second container, they would rotate between the two containers.
When I moved them to the sunroom, I put a larger plastic container in there. As they grew, so did the container, until they had my largest roasting pan in there. They LOVED to "bathe" in the water!
When Walmart finally got their summer pool inventory, I bought the duckies a 5' hard plastic pool. They loved it!
I thought as they aged and as the weather got really COLD, the duckies would age out of the water pool thing. So far, nope. They even break a thin layer of ice to get into the pool when temps are below/at freezing.
When the ice was too thick for them to break, they used the water dish to wade in. I have one duck that insists on clean feet at all times!
I have heard/read that many ducks don't care for water pools as they age. Some breeds don't care at all. (People were sharing their personal experiences & that of others they knew.)
My ducks prefer one source of water for drinking and a second source of water for grooming.
Sooo.....I would suggest that you can provide something for them to get their feet wet. Walmart does offer smaller pools.
3, do ducks eat alot?
Lol - define a lot!
Our neighbor described baby ducks as "PIGS!" It seemed like they were always hungry! Now that they are in the duck house and free range, I don't think they eat a lot. They forage, even in freezing weather. I find that when the duckies get up in the morning, they are STARVING! And they like to eat right before bed. Overall, I would say the duckies eat about 1 cup each of fermented feed per day. If I don't let the duckies out soon enough in the morning, they will eat their own eggs, shell and all. Again, in the mornings, they are starving! With the cold weather, I put out fermented feed three times a day. Between the duckies and the chickens, the bowls are clean pretty quickly.
If you leave dry food out all the time, you will go through a lot more food than if you put out fermented feed.
4, I know it depends on breed, but just how loud can a duck be?
When they are babies, they are very quiet. Pekins may be the loudest breed. Campbells are pretty quiet. My ducks usually talk when they want me to know something. Or when we are just talking. Yes, I talk to all of my animals. And yes, they sometimes appear to be having a conversation with me.
4, what was your first experience with ducks like?
I loved it! I originally bought ducks for the dining room table. For eating. I fell in love with them almost immediately! To me, the ducks have very distinct personalities. They laugh, they play, they think, and they are fun to have around.
Yeah, the whole stinky poo was icky in the beginning, but that lessoned as I got better at managing their spaces. When I first got the duckies, they were in a plastic container (no lid) that was divided in half with chicks on the other side. Once they were moved to the sunroom, much easier to clean their space.
My ducks were trainable too. I trained them to walk from the sunroom, through the living room, to the outside, to their clubhouse, and back. When they moved into the duck house, I had to train them to go to the duck house before sunset.
As adorable and cuddly looking as my duckies are, they don't like to be picked up.
5, what treats do they like?
My duckies scarf down fresh fruit, fresh veggies, scrambled eggs, applesauce, oats, rice, chili mac, and pickles. Ok, not so much the pickles, but they did eat them up when thrown from the deck to the ground. Oh and they loved picking and eating fresh tomatoes and peppers. Yes, they picked their own and ate them. I have a garden area that the animals have access to. They help themselves. Oh, and bananas. Lol - they inhale banana pieces. I only offered it once. They can and do eat meat.
6, do ducks like affection?
From a distance! My ducks don't like to be picked up and cuddled. They never did. But they respond to eye contact, smiles, greetings, "I love you", and their names.
My duckies like to play games too. Not fetch or anything like that. They do silly things and we goof off together.
What else?
Well, when I got the first two ducks and put them in a large plastic tote with shavings on the bottom, yeah, their poopies smelled badly.
When I was able to move them into the sunroom, which they shared with the chickens, pine shavings on the floor, it wasn't so bad. When I moved them into the duck house, no smells. I use sand in the duck house. Easy to clean up the mess. 2, can ducks live without a swimming area?
Um, yes? When my duckies were tiny babies, I put a small plastic container in the big plastic container they were in. Those little guys loved to step into the water and stay. So I added a second container, they would rotate between the two containers.
When I moved them to the sunroom, I put a larger plastic container in there. As they grew, so did the container, until they had my largest roasting pan in there. They LOVED to "bathe" in the water!
When Walmart finally got their summer pool inventory, I bought the duckies a 5' hard plastic pool. They loved it!
I thought as they aged and as the weather got really COLD, the duckies would age out of the water pool thing. So far, nope. They even break a thin layer of ice to get into the pool when temps are below/at freezing.
When the ice was too thick for them to break, they used the water dish to wade in. I have one duck that insists on clean feet at all times!
I have heard/read that many ducks don't care for water pools as they age. Some breeds don't care at all. (People were sharing their personal experiences & that of others they knew.)
My ducks prefer one source of water for drinking and a second source of water for grooming.
Sooo.....I would suggest that you can provide something for them to get their feet wet. Walmart does offer smaller pools.
3, do ducks eat alot?
Lol - define a lot!
Our neighbor described baby ducks as "PIGS!" It seemed like they were always hungry! Now that they are in the duck house and free range, I don't think they eat a lot. They forage, even in freezing weather. I find that when the duckies get up in the morning, they are STARVING! And they like to eat right before bed. Overall, I would say the duckies eat about 1 cup each of fermented feed per day. If I don't let the duckies out soon enough in the morning, they will eat their own eggs, shell and all. Again, in the mornings, they are starving! With the cold weather, I put out fermented feed three times a day. Between the duckies and the chickens, the bowls are clean pretty quickly.If you leave dry food out all the time, you will go through a lot more food than if you put out fermented feed.
4, I know it depends on breed, but just how loud can a duck be?
When they are babies, they are very quiet. Pekins may be the loudest breed. Campbells are pretty quiet. My ducks usually talk when they want me to know something. Or when we are just talking. Yes, I talk to all of my animals. And yes, they sometimes appear to be having a conversation with me.
4, what was your first experience with ducks like?
I loved it! I originally bought ducks for the dining room table. For eating. I fell in love with them almost immediately! To me, the ducks have very distinct personalities. They laugh, they play, they think, and they are fun to have around.
Yeah, the whole stinky poo was icky in the beginning, but that lessoned as I got better at managing their spaces. When I first got the duckies, they were in a plastic container (no lid) that was divided in half with chicks on the other side. Once they were moved to the sunroom, much easier to clean their space.
My ducks were trainable too. I trained them to walk from the sunroom, through the living room, to the outside, to their clubhouse, and back. When they moved into the duck house, I had to train them to go to the duck house before sunset.
As adorable and cuddly looking as my duckies are, they don't like to be picked up.
5, what treats do they like?
My duckies scarf down fresh fruit, fresh veggies, scrambled eggs, applesauce, oats, rice, chili mac, and pickles. Ok, not so much the pickles, but they did eat them up when thrown from the deck to the ground. Oh and they loved picking and eating fresh tomatoes and peppers. Yes, they picked their own and ate them. I have a garden area that the animals have access to. They help themselves. Oh, and bananas. Lol - they inhale banana pieces. I only offered it once. They can and do eat meat.
6, do ducks like affection?
From a distance! My ducks don't like to be picked up and cuddled. They never did. But they respond to eye contact, smiles, greetings, "I love you", and their names.
My duckies like to play games too. Not fetch or anything like that. They do silly things and we goof off together.
What else?
....Ducks 101 your needing...Ducks are messy and the Hens are loud depending on personality..
They need water deep enough to wash nares regularly and their eyes...They need water at all times if food is provided or they choke..Bath water to oil up in and keep feathers in top shape...Balanced Duck nutrition to remain healthy..Secure pen away from predators that provides shelter from wind and out door elements...Ducks are feathered Puppies and play along all day...
- Thread starter
- #36
- Jul 3, 2016
- 673
- 301
- 201
I love how your answers are so descriptive and they always answer my questions, so thank you! 1, do they murder grass like chickens? 2, how long have you been keeping ducks? 3, whats the deal with cold, are they alright with it? 4, if I only get two, what are the chances they'll be friendly? 5, how do your neighbors react to your ducks? Mine don't really like loud animals, so I gotta keep them quiet or get quiet breeds. 6, do ducks run fast? 7, what are some common diseases I should know about? 8, how big are their eggs on average? 9, how do their eggs taste? 10, do they wreck gardens?
Wow ....
.... Now I'm feeling pressured..
Were you talking to me...
You have lots of questions with many replies depending on what your set up and expectations are?...
.... Now I'm feeling pressured..Were you talking to me...
You have lots of questions with many replies depending on what your set up and expectations are?...
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #38
- Jul 3, 2016
- 673
- 301
- 201
Wow ....
Were you talking to me...
You have lots of questions with many replies depending on what your set up and expectations are?...
I'm pretty much talking to everyone on this thread.
Yup, I wanna make sure I'm really ready and into ducks before I actually do it.
Duckworth
Songster
I recommend hanging out in the Ducks forum and reading a lot of the posts. Most of your questions have been answered in one or more threads there within the last week or two. I think it's easier to get a feel for what it is really like keeping ducks when you follow the everyday conversations of duck keepers.
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