My boys were fighting like mad over the girls this spring. I found out that no one really wants a bunch of drakes when I tried to give the extras away. Instead, I decided to separate the boys into their own bachelor pad. After 2 1/2 days of work, the boys are separated from the girls and peace reigns! I have four drakes (call ducks and call crosses) in one pen and in a separate pen, I have three hens and one drake (the original one).
Here's the new run and pool.
I also split my duck house into two inside and cut a new pop door into it entering into the new run. The duck house was way too big for my ducks, anyway. Everyone gets locked in there at night.
That's Charlie and Nathan there in the front corner near the door. Charlie is the grey and the little bit of white showing is Nathan. Edward and Mark are in the duck house, sleeping.
I put drains, finally, into their duck pools. I anticipate that it will make my life much easier. The "drains" are actually hose faucets, bought at Lowes. I cut a hole with an X-acto knife into the side of each pool that was the exact width of the end of the hose faucet (spigot). I screwed the hose faucet into the the opening and caulked around it. I let it dry for 24 hours and this morning I attached old hose pieces to it, threaded them outside and over the bank into the ditch and set up their pools. Below is the larger duck run with a separate pool and it's occupied by Little, Hattie and Roger and that's Pearl over there on the right.
Now, everyone's happy, including me.
Here's the new run and pool.
I also split my duck house into two inside and cut a new pop door into it entering into the new run. The duck house was way too big for my ducks, anyway. Everyone gets locked in there at night.
That's Charlie and Nathan there in the front corner near the door. Charlie is the grey and the little bit of white showing is Nathan. Edward and Mark are in the duck house, sleeping.
I put drains, finally, into their duck pools. I anticipate that it will make my life much easier. The "drains" are actually hose faucets, bought at Lowes. I cut a hole with an X-acto knife into the side of each pool that was the exact width of the end of the hose faucet (spigot). I screwed the hose faucet into the the opening and caulked around it. I let it dry for 24 hours and this morning I attached old hose pieces to it, threaded them outside and over the bank into the ditch and set up their pools. Below is the larger duck run with a separate pool and it's occupied by Little, Hattie and Roger and that's Pearl over there on the right.
Now, everyone's happy, including me.
So they are getting a bachelor pad of their own as well!
Lovesgliders, I had the same problem. Plenty of people wanted the boys to "let them free" or eat them! I had quite an email discussion with one guy who was convinced that keeping the DOMESTIC DUCKS "captive" was absolutely cruel and that I should just let him have them to release into the pond near his house with the wild ducks that live there. I tried to tell him they have been raised with bowls of food since hatching and that their wings are clipped and they would be defenseless in his pond, and also that they should not be allowed to interbreed with the wild population of birds, but it was a waste of my time to even try to argue with the guy!
