ducks and water?

ekofke201

Songster
10 Years
Dec 27, 2011
129
25
159
Southern PA
In preparation for my ducks, I am asking about the water situation. These will be my first ducks ever and I am very excited!

However, what do they need as far as free access to water? Do they need more than the chicken waterer? I plan to raise/house them with my chicks. Is that enough for them to clean their beaks? Or do they need an additional bowl of water to play around in? Just looking to do the right thing and aide in the cleaning process...
 
They will drink a lot more water than chicks. They are also very much more messy, with lots of sloppy poop. They like to put their food in the water and then throw it around the brooder.

If it was me I would raise the ducklings separate from the chicks, but its not essential.

The ducklings should have the water in a normal chick water feeder thing. Don't let them try swimming in a bowl!!! This is because they are not waterproof and they will get very wet and maybe chilled and sick.

In nature they get the oils from nestling amongst the mother ducks oily feathers.

You can let them start swimming in deeper water when they have got a lot of the adult feathers.

What kind of ducks are you getting? Make sure you don't feed them the medicated chicks starter food, as this will cause them to get very ill!!!! (maybe another reason to keep them apart form the chicks).
 
Ah, yes, I knew not to let them play unsupervised. The chicks are not eating a medicated feed. So, we should be ok there. I think I am going to give the togetherness a chance, but if they are too much of a mess then we'll have to re think some things...
 
It's fine to let them swim if you dry them off and make sure they can get under a heat lamp. My ducks didn't get to go swimming until they were 3 weeks ( we didn't get a pool until then), but they LOVED playing in this dish I had for the that came up to their bellies. Their ducks! There's a reason their called water fowl. Have fun and post pics!
 

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