Do my 2 week old ducklings have to have a pool? It’s destroying my house and I have to change their pen 4 times a day!

[AmyA248]

Hi to all!

First off, I’d like to thank everyone with all my heart for getting me through my first family of ducklings and all of your kindness and condolences after I lost our tiny baby “Jelly Bean.”

I have another question..
Our ducklings are currently in a large playpen in my living room. They have had access to 2 Barbie pools and LOVE THEM! Unfortunately they are destroying my room! As you all know ducklings are terribly messy, but with them having a mesh playpen their area I’d soaked within 5 minutes of cleaning their area. They sling water everywhere and soak everything!
My question is, do they absolutely have to be able to swim whenever they want at 2 weeks?
I’m exhausted from having to change their litter and bedding 4 times a day.
I can take them outside to swim in our baby pool, but I don’t think they will be satisfied with this idea.
So, it is imperative that they have constant access to swimming water at all times?

Thank you so much!

Hugs,
Amy

 

[AmyA248]

I just took out. Here is their pen..

 

[raingarden]

Don't keep ducks in the house unless you are willing to live like a duck yourself and adopt all their habits..

 

[Richard1234]

Ducks are extremely messy. Putting them in your living room will cause it to smell at some points and they will cause messes. I put my chickens, ducks, and guineas in the garage when they are babys inside there brooder. Is there anywhere else you could put them?

 

[Richard1234]

Ducks are extremely messy. Putting them in your living room will cause it to smell at some points and they will cause messes. I put my chickens, ducks, and guineas in the garage when they are babys inside there brooder. Is there anywhere else you could put them?

But with the messes inside there enclosure there isn't too much you can do. Even if you go to a different method besides the mini pools than they will still make a watery mess. Ducks are very well known for being messy

 

[jm1231]

But with the messes inside there enclosure there isn't too much you can do. Even if you go to a different method besides the mini pools than they will still make a watery mess. Ducks are very well known for being messy

I’m going thru a second round of ducklings. After bringing up my original two into adulthood. There is literally no way to not have an absolute mess there just isn’t. Not in my experience. It took me months to get my room and bathroom to not smell. But clearly I’d do it all again because I am doing it again haha. But seriously I researched allll sorts of different ideas of how to keep their pin cleaner-just never works. I always bathed mine in the guest tub and they only ever had their water to drink and their “head dunking” water container in their pin…didn’t matter. Even if you manage to contain the dunking and drinking water -they kaka all over at all times of day and when there is urine in the kaka-well now it’s poo and liquid. Shoot a lot of the poo is liquid depending on what they ate etc. the short answer is they absolutely must have enough water to dip their faces in they do not require being able to swim all the time…but if they cannot dunk their head and have constant access to water it will be detrimental. I second what someone else said. I wouldn’t have ducks inside unless you’re prepared to live partially like a duck lol sorry girl, I wish I had a better answer. I’m a seasoned chicken gal. Only a year and a half into ducks. So maybe someone else wiser than me may have a better idea. But I will tell you this. I adore all my pet birds but if I has to choose like for forever I’d do ducks all day long. Id rather never have to choose and I get both lol but I flipping love love love my ducks they’re honestly my fav beings in the world. Other than my kids lol. Good luck!

 

[jm1231]

Poo I meant to reply this to the gal w the original question. My bad