Ducks first night outside, do they need light to drink/eat?

[ruthhope]

Sorry, even if the coop is dark and they won’t be let out til sunrise in ~10 hrs?

My ducks go into their coop at 7.30 to 8.00pm at this time of year. I get them up at 7.30am. This 12 hour period is the shortest they are in the coop as I let them out when it is light and get them to bed before it is dark. The coop does not have lights but some light from my kitchen window might pass through the tarp cover as it is translucent.

I feed them in the coup when they go in -- they each have their own food and water as the coop has dogcrates to house the 3 pekins, and the 2 muscovy don't get along at the moment, so they too have their own food and water in different parts of the coop, to keep the peace.

I know they all eat and drink as soon as they go inside. I don't know if they eat it all or save some for the morning, but there is rarely more than dust left in their feeding bowls when I let them out. They do come out and eat their morning ration within 30-60 minutes of being let out of the coop, so I think perhaps they eat all the food at night. Crops are very useful to pig out on food and then slowly digest the food over many hours!

I hope that this reassures you that you might feed your ducklings at night in the coop -- you will have to give them access to water too if you feed them in the coop -- and they will survive the night without light and without extra rations during the night

 

[RSduck]

My ducks go into their coop at 7.30 to 8.00pm at this time of year. I get them up at 7.30am. This 12 hour period is the shortest they are in the coop as I let them out when it is light and get them to bed before it is dark. The coop does not have lights but some light from my kitchen window might pass through the tarp cover as it is translucent.

I feed them in the coup when they go in -- they each have their own food and water as the coop has dogcrates to house the 3 pekins, and the 2 muscovy don't get along at the moment, so they too have their own food and water in different parts of the coop, to keep the peace.

I know they all eat and drink as soon as they go inside. I don't know if they eat it all or save some for the morning, but there is rarely more than dust left in their feeding bowls when I let them out. They do come out and eat their morning ration within 30-60 minutes of being let out of the coop, so I think perhaps they eat all the food at night. Crops are very useful to pig out on food and then slowly digest the food over many hours!

I hope that this reassures you that you might feed your ducklings at night in the coop -- you will have to give them access to water too if you feed them in the coop -- and they will survive the night without light and without extra rations during the night

Great thank you! their coop is very dark I ended up leaving food and water in their with them so they would have the option, if they figured it out. And the good news is, that they made it through the night and are very happy!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Why does that duckling look like it's wearing a vest?

 

[RSduck]

Why does that duckling look like it's wearing a vest?

That’s a good question, for some reason it’s feathers have only grown in on the front so far haha

 

[Aksarben Farms]

I would recommend a finer wire fencing for the bottom 2 feet of that kennel/coup. This will help with keeping the ducklings inside, also it helps to prevent the babies from getting hung up in the opening of the fence and that gap can catch a wing and they could get hurt. Finally it will assist for any would be predator from getting to them. It wont stop diggers totally or snakes but it can help. Depending on your location, semi-rural or suburbia, I would recommend a hotwire for around the enclosure about 1 to 2 inches off the ground. This helps prevent snakes and rats from going after the ducklings until they are old and large enough to fend for themselves. It can be shut off during the day and they can be relatively inexpensive if you find the right one.

 

[Canadian Wind]

That’s a good question, for some reason it’s feathers have only grown in on the front so far haha

I love how perfectly straight it is at the bottom!

 

[RSduck]

I would recommend a finer wire fencing for the bottom 2 feet of that kennel/coup. This will help with keeping the ducklings inside, also it helps to prevent the babies from getting hung up in the opening of the fence and that gap can catch a wing and they could get hurt. Finally it will assist for any would be predator from getting to them. It wont stop diggers totally or snakes but it can help. Depending on your location, semi-rural or suburbia, I would recommend a hotwire for around the enclosure about 1 to 2 inches off the ground. This helps prevent snakes and rats from going after the ducklings until they are old and large enough to fend for themselves. It can be shut off during the day and they can be relatively inexpensive if you find the right one.

Thanks you! Yeah i’m in the northeast in the suburbs. This is some helpful advice because I was wondering if there were some preventative measures I could implement to deter predators. What would you recommend for the bottom two feet, some hardware cloth?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Yes, hardware cloth. The one I use is 1/2" x 1/2". Fold it out at the bottom on the outside, so facing out. It can help prevent digging predators.

 

[RSduck]

Sounds good, Thanks.

 

[Aksarben Farms]

Many people hate chicken wire but, if you take the wire and half goes up the fencing and then half goes horizontal and lays on the ground with either bricks or something heavy weighing it down works so the ducks do not get tangled up on it. Now you can go further and when you mow you bag your grass clippings take them and then toss them into the kennel for ground covering. This helps to keep the area dry to prevent bumblefoot also it helps to attract bugs. Eww! wait I want bugs there? Yes you do because they need to be eaten by the ducks yea? You will see your ducks rut and goes crazy for it. They will also eat some of the green grass. This helps with Niacin. not much but some. You can supplement the niacin with giving the ducks bagged peas, they love it. To a duck it is like crack. Not too much nor too often remember a duck needs to forage. Maybe once every two or three days. Now the grass can also be put outside on the chicken wire to help hold it down. Just change the grass every two weeks to a month. You can also use the small 1/4' square welded wire. Another thing you need to consider is a much area for the ducks. Somewhere that they have access to raw earth that is muddy. They love this as they drive their bills into the mud and look for small bugs. A low kiddy pool with dirt in it if you have an HOA that doesn't like you tearing up your yard will work just change the dirt from time to time so it gets bugs. Or you can use an area under a tree or bush.