Are ducks okay without overnight water?!

[Going Quackers]

Given our overnight temps unless i run hydro most here do not have water(so no food either)overnight, in the warmer months i try too but it still can be a struggle for the more clumsy sized birds they tend to tip it.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Given our overnight temps unless i run hydro most here do not have water(so no food either)overnight, in the warmer months i try too but it still can be a struggle for the more clumsy sized birds they tend to tip it.

I had a hanging 5 gallon waterer that my ducks could not tip over and now they have a semi-self cleaning, automatically refilling waterer that is mounted to one side-wall of their run. Basically a 4" PVC pipe, cut open with a float valve on one end and a drainage pipe on the other. I also run a heating cable through the water and along the garden hose which connects to the outside spout (also heated).

 

[DucksOhio]

My ducks are inside their barn these days from 4:00pm to 7:30am. I do have food and water overnight, that’s they’re big meal of the day. I use 2 large plastic pans to put under their water:
https://www.amazon.com/New-Pig-Driv...105674150301&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_1

I also use a birdbath heater to keep their water from freezing:
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovat...7e1-44eb-ad06-aebbef559a37&tag=pawtracksdt-20

They still make a tremendous mess, as ducks are ducks, but these additions make it more tolerable.

 

[AzDuck]

Taking food and water out of the duck house was one of the best things ive done. On rainy and snowy days i set the food bowl just inside the door until bedtime.

It has helped SO much with all the nasty wet bedding. I can actually save my straw now for quite awhile.

 

[AzDuck]

I put my ducks to bed from 530pm - 730am. They don't have food or water during that time. When I let them out in the morning they wander about their aviary looking for any worms that have come up in the night before casually making their way over to their water buckets I'm filling. If they were desperate for water I feel like they would be jumping in their pool immediately.

I consulted my avian veterinarian about water at night and she told me my ducks don't need it as long as they have access to water all day. She did point out that dry bedding is very important.

This works for me and my ducks.

I’m so glad to hear that from a vet too. Thank you. I just worry a lot about them, but it’s been so nice to have dry bedding.

 

[AzDuck]

My ducks always had water and food available over night, i had divided the duck-house into two bedrooms and one living/dining-room and i have observed them drinking and eating during the night. Usually the Living/Dining-room was a mess in the morning, but the bedrooms were fine.
Now i have added a small, secure run to the duck-house and keep the water and food there, now the duck-house is even better.
I can frequently see ducks walking outside the house, grabbing a bite and drinking, then walking back into the house to continue to sleep.
Whenever they had no water over night, like when the waterer froze to a solid block of ice, they were really p!ssed in the morning and ran straight to the outside waterer to drink, then came to the patio and pooped everywhere.
Luckily i have installed a self cleaning, semi automatic waterer in the duck-run now, so no more angry ducks in the morning

LOL! Maybe this is something we can try and build this coming summer. I’m sure mine would enjoy it as well.

 

[SolarDuck]

So many people seem to have problems with waterers in the coop. I only have 3 muscovy girls but I just use a small dog auto-waterer it only fills up very shallow so they can't really splash it around very much but its plenty for them to get a little night drink.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

So many people seem to have problems with waterers in the coop. I only have 3 muscovy girls but I just use a small dog auto-waterer it only fills up very shallow so they can't really splash it around very much but its plenty for them to get a little night drink.

Not sure, if Muscovy ducks have the same relation to water as the Mallard breeds have. My ducks only need a dripping pipe or hose to turn a football field into the mud-flats…