Ducks in a small university dorm?

[Namenlos463]

Hi all! I just recently got two baby ducklings. One male and one female.

I was hoping to take them back to university with me. I won’t have a roommate, so that is a bonus, which means more space. I will have a small locked room to myself in a small first floor apartment. I will most be on campus (out of my dorm) from 8am or earlier to 4pm or later with little to no time to walk back for a little to let me ducks out. My dorm is also carpeted.

Are there any tips on how to house them while I am gone? Preferably cheaper options.

I’ve looked at fencing or wire instead of cages, and baby gates to block my door off. I’ve thought of letting them loose in the room while I am gone and just diapering them, but I feel like all day is a long time to be diapered, especially with food and water access. This problem of diapering would only be fixed if they have their own area with some kind of plastic and absorbent material placed down.

If it doesn’t work out, I will have to leave them back home with family, just the two of them.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Ducks, especially multiple ducks will be pretty difficult to keep indoors unless you can let them outside frequently. They poop almost every minute/few minutes so it will become extremely messy, and diapering them all day might lead to burns/injuries from the build up of poop.

They also splash water everywhere, as well as food (think walls, carpet... etc). The smell will build up in the room as well.

Personally I'd suggest having a trusted family member take care of them for you in the mean time. Best of luck to you & your ducks!

 

[Quatie]

First it is unlikely you can even bring them into your dorm. Majority of dorms do not allow any animals, except service pets. A fish is the only other exception I have ever heard of.

Second ducks grow quickly and will need an out door space, which a dorm will not provide. They are extremely messy and will get even more messy as they grow. They are also not quiet creatures. I live on a 2 acre property and I can clearly hear my ducks anywhere on my property. Ducks also need water to swim in to stay healthy, which they love to splash and send in all different directions. I have often been in the splash zone.

You are far better off leaving them behind. And depending on if you have 1 male and 1 Female you could have over breeding issues, which will likely require more ducks to be added and possible separation of ducks or rehoming.

 

[raingarden]

That would be a disaster. Even if they let you do it, both you and the ducks would end up really hating it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Absolutely NOT.

In addition to the mess and odor, the ducks would not be healthy in the stale air of a climate-controlled dorm room.

They belong in a proper coop and run where they can spend all day doing natural duck things in the outdoors.

 

[Chicken Heel]

Why would you get ducklings if you were getting ready to go to college? There will be enough distractions there without adding any other variables to the equation.

 

[AnnPann]

I will most be on campus (out of my dorm) from 8am or earlier to 4pm or later with little to no time to walk back for a little to let me ducks out.

this does not seem fair to the ducks, which are outdoor animals.

just diapering them,

this does not seem fair to the ducks either.

Sounds like you know the answer, which is to leave them at home (where the have more appropriate accommodations?) - sad for you, but better for the ducks.

 

[Moonbeam Guineas]

My sister has a house duck. My sister cleans the duck every morning and the duck goes outside in a coop with her pool. She is predator proofing Jazzy (duck) coop to get it outside & including a security system if intruders were to get near Jazzy's coop an alarm will sound and wake us all up ..from me knowing Jazzy..i will say she prefers her outside time and is very loud in the morning to get outside..my sis feeds our horses @ 7am and up @630 every morning and I wake up @530am for chores and then off to work.. When someone wakes up Jazzy is honking and honking to get outside! I dont think it is a good life for ducks to be inside all the time. ..Joey & Chandler's house birds are tv bourgeois.

Hi all! I just recently got two baby ducklings. One male and one female.

I was hoping to take them back to university with me. I won’t have a roommate, so that is a bonus, which means more space. I will have a small locked room to myself in a small first floor apartment. I will most be on campus (out of my dorm) from 8am or earlier to 4pm or later with little to no time to walk back for a little to let me ducks out. My dorm is also carpeted.

Are there any tips on how to house them while I am gone? Preferably cheaper options.

I’ve looked at fencing or wire instead of cages, and baby gates to block my door off. I’ve thought of letting them loose in the room while I am gone and just diapering them, but I feel like all day is a long time to be diapered, especially with food and water access. This problem of diapering would only be fixed if they have their own area with some kind of plastic and absorbent material placed down.

If it doesn’t work out, I will have to leave them back home with family, just the two of them.

y

 

[Moonbeam Guineas]

this does not seem fair to the ducks, which are outdoor animals.

this does not seem fair to the ducks either.

Sounds like you know the answer, which is to leave them at home (where the have more appropriate accommodations?) - sad for you, but better for the ducks.

I agree, and diaper ducks would need changed like every 40min? Depending on the food access ..every time the duck eliminates its just going to sit and collect up and stick in butt feather and just be unsanitary.

 

[Namenlos463]

I got them because we had a good backup plan just in case. We knew most likely I wouldn’t be able to take them in the first place. I was just trying to see if it would work. Thanks everyone!