California - Northern

[zooweemama]

They're discussing how much longer they think they can get Amy Beth to feed them before she insists on their providing breakfast! hehehehe

haha Yeah I wish! LOL

 

[PGRanch]

Is there a main Cayuga thread in the duck section? I'm getting 3 cayuga on Saturday and I'd like to do a bit of reading. Anyone here keep ducks? I honestly haven't had ducks for years and I've always kept them the same as I keep my chickens. Should I do anything different than the other birds? I am going to put in a pool for them, with rocks in it so the chickens don't drown.

 

[zooweemama]

Is there a main Cayuga thread in the duck section? I'm getting 3 cayuga on Saturday and I'd like to do a bit of reading. Anyone here keep ducks? I honestly haven't had ducks for years and I've always kept them the same as I keep my chickens. Should I do anything different than the other birds? I am going to put in a pool for them, with rocks in it so the chickens don't drown.

Ducks are what I started with. Happy to answer any questions. I have 14 - 11 females and 3 males. Breeds are in my siggy. Congrats! I love my ducks!!

 

[PGRanch]

Ducks are what I started with. Happy to answer any questions. I have 14 - 11 females and 3 males. Breeds are in my siggy. Congrats! I love my ducks!!

Thanks! I need a pick me up after that massacre of my sweet birds I figured what could be better than pretty ducklings.

So tell me how you keep them?

 

[zooweemama]

Is there a main Cayuga thread in the duck section? I'm getting 3 cayuga on Saturday and I'd like to do a bit of reading. Anyone here keep ducks? I honestly haven't had ducks for years and I've always kept them the same as I keep my chickens. Should I do anything different than the other birds? I am going to put in a pool for them, with rocks in it so the chickens don't drown.

Are you getting all females, all males...what's the ratio? I personally prefer to keep my ducks and chickens separated. Chickens and ducks make different kinds of messes and frankly- mixing the two is just bleh for me. I know some people mix theirs, I just prefer not. Also my drakes could mount my chicken hens and it can kill them. That's the last thing I want. Drakes have penises and roosters do not. A hen's body cannot handle a drake mating - just physically it will damage internal organs.

A pool is good. I did kiddie pools because they were easy to dump and clean. Which I had to do daily. (we have them in the pond now) You do want to make sure the ducks have access to fresh water that is deep enough to completely submerge their heads (eyes and nares totally) so they can be healthy. They need to be able to clean their eyes and nares. So a pool with rocks sounds ok they just need daily access to deep water somehow - be it a bucket or something.

 

[PGRanch]

Are you getting all females, all males...what's the ratio? I personally prefer to keep my ducks and chickens separated. Chickens and ducks make different kinds of messes and frankly- mixing the two is just bleh for me. I know some people mix theirs, I just prefer not. Also my drakes could mount my chicken hens and it can kill them. That's the last thing I want. Drakes have penises and roosters do not. A hen's body cannot handle a drake mating - just physically it will damage internal organs.

A pool is good. I did kiddie pools because they were easy to dump and clean. Which I had to do daily. (we have them in the pond now) You do want to make sure the ducks have access to fresh water that is deep enough to completely submerge their heads (eyes and nares totally) so they can be healthy. They need to be able to clean their eyes and nares. So a pool with rocks sounds ok they just need daily access to deep water somehow - be it a bucket or something.

They are said to be females, but they are 2 months old so you never know. We will probably process the males if they turn out to be male. I will most likely be keeping them with the chickens just because its easier.

Thanks for the info!

 

[zooweemama]

Thanks! I need a pick me up after that massacre of my sweet birds I figured what could be better than pretty ducklings.

So tell me how you keep them?

And I personally find ducks easier to care for BUT they do protection from predators. Big time. Chickens can run and hop up into trees- ducks cannot. The term 'sitting duck' is a real term for a reason. They are completely defenseless much less so than chickens. I do let me ducks and chickens free range so they do encounter one another but because they sleep in different places at night- they tend to mind their own business. I also have a good duck to drake ratio so my males do not need to go looking for tail somewhere else. A good ratio is extremely important to duck health and safety of the chickens too. If you have all males- you will absolutely need to keep them away at all times.

 

[zooweemama]

They are said to be females, but they are 2 months old so you never know. We will probably process the males if they turn out to be male. I will most likely be keeping them with the chickens just because its easier.

Thanks for the info!

Just be sure the ducks have their own area to sleep in- like a cubby or something. Even cleaning my chicken coop out decently- since ducks do not roost that means they are sleeping in chicken poop. Nasty. And a nest box that is on the ground because ducks will not hop UP into anything. They may or may lot lay in a nest box on the ground but will very likely lay on the floor in the coop (but you still want to give them a nest box on the ground) - so again an area for the ducks would be nice or an ultra clean floor. My duck coops is rather clean but even so a duck will sometimes play soccer with an egg or two and kick it around the coop and it rolls all up in the poop in the coop. LOL They are not as tidy as chickens when they lay! haha Good luck!

 

[PGRanch]

Just be sure the ducks have their own area to sleep in- like a cubby or something. Even cleaning my chicken coop out decently- since ducks do not roost that means they are sleeping in chicken poop. Nasty. And a nest box that is on the ground because ducks will not hop UP into anything. They may or may lot lay in a nest box on the ground but will very likely lay on the floor in the coop (but you still want to give them a nest box on the ground) - so again an area for the ducks would be nice or an ultra clean floor. My duck coops is rather clean but even so a duck will sometimes play soccer with an egg or two and kick it around the coop and it rolls all up in the poop in the coop. LOL They are not as tidy as chickens when they lay! haha Good luck!

Oh I know! Ducks are filthy creatures I have 3 levels of nest boxes right now, the lowest one are ground level. I plan to remodel the coop eventually because I kind of just threw it together.

 

[zooweemama]

They are said to be females, but they are 2 months old so you never know. We will probably process the males if they turn out to be male. I will most likely be keeping them with the chickens just because its easier.

Thanks for the info!

Oh and 2 months old IS old enough to know. Listen to their quacking. Females are loud and obnoxious. Males have a soft whaaa whaaaa sound, females loudly yell quack quack quack. I was able to tell by 7 weeks. By 16-18 weeks their drake curls are in.