CRAZY water slurping- spitting Runners!

[Cottage Rose]

Now don't get me wrong...I'm completely loving my adorable Runner ducklings....BUT...
never having any breed of ducks before other than Muscovies, these Runners are a brand new experience for me.
So what the H is up with my Runner ducklings emptying a 2 gallon water fount
and getting their bedding completely water soaked over night?!?

At first I thought the water fount was leaking but it appears they are simply emptying the fount for
fun! Well they're in my new deluxe Amish built coop at night and while the floor is wolmanized the side walls aren't the
they're dumping so much water out the bedding that is touching the side walls made it all wet.
Okay, I completely changed the bedding and laid down 4" of pine shavings and the same situation the next morning.
bedding is completely soaked!
What does one do about this type of situation?
I'm stumped for ideas. The last two nights I've put them up with no feed or water
but I hate to do that because they're still quite young, just 3 weeks old.
Any tips appreciated.

 

[pips&peeps]

I just sold the last 7 ducklings from my April hatch two days ago. Thank you LORD!!!!

They are terrible aren't they. As soon as I was able, I put them outside on the lawn in a 4x4x4 dog kennel....

PS I'm getting a gander from Audrey......

 

[Cottage Rose]

Wooo-hooo on tha gander!

Can't wait to see pics of him.

Funny thing is my Muscovy ducklings never did this and I thought they were messy!

Hey Jean did you get the check I returned to you?

 

[Cottage Rose]

P.S. I'm picky about night time protection so theres no putting them outside full time.
I have a shed with a dirt floor but no room in there right now.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I always put my ducklings water containers into a baking tray- It helps to catch alot of the mess.

 

[Cottage Rose]

But its like they fill their mouth with water and deposit it all over.
The bedding isn't just wet by the fount but all over!

 

[froggie71]

Take away both food and water at night, then make sure they get it back first thing in am.

 

[1lpoock]

By three weeks my goslings and ducklings were outside during the day and locked up at night. The only day predators we have are hawks, and we really haven't seen many of those this year. Plus, I think they are getting big enough so the hawks don't bother with them.

 

[BeccaOH]

Quote:
Yes, that is basically what they do.

I'm brooding ducklings right now. I have them in large rabbit hutches on wire and off the ground. They are pretty well protected and near a security light at night. That system has really helped me manage the mess. But they are starting to out grow the space.

 

[crj]

I ran into the same problem with my runners. They just love slurping up that water and rattling there beaks in it. I took a chick water, put it on top of a rubbermaid container to get the waterer up higher. I took both of these and put them in a roasting pan. Saves all the water and less mess on the floor. Even if there waterer is empty they still have plenty in the pan. If fyou need a picture let me know and I will post one.

Mine were 5 weeks last Tues. I just moved them outside to there pen. This will be interesting because they were afraid to come out of the dog cage I had them in. They definitely weren't in Kansas anymore! (I don't reall life there, but you know what I mean). They recognized there pool!!!!.........lol.

I still have work to do in there area but at least I have them out of the house and out of the dog cage!!!!!!! I just can't believe how darn fast they grow.