Ducks with limited space.

[ruthhope]

Sadly you confirmed my thoughts. Ooof kinda gutted but I know it's not posssible. Thanks for the reply. Sadly I live in Aberdeen Scotland and space is limited.

10 metres x 10 metres is perfectly adequate space for 3 or 4 ducks.

Make sure it is predator proof -- foxes, owls and hawks would be a worry.

You can certainly use a kiddie pool.
Yes ducks will get water everywhere, but you can use deep litter in their duck house -- scoop out messy bedding, but just add more dry litter on top of wet areas. I use mainly pine shavings in my coop but when it gets very wet, I add a layer of dried leaves. You might collect leaves in the autumn and keep them for use in the coop. Perhaps getting the leaves dry will be an issue in the UK; I'm lucky as we have lots of hot sunny days for raking dry leaves in Florida!

Out in the run, leaves are also good for keeping mud at abeyance. My ducks free range and my garden is deep in leaf mulch and the ducks love it as they like rummaging for bugs in it. But I am on well drained sandy soil. If you are on clay, it will be more difficult to control mud. Some folks use artificial turf but I think that 3 or 4 ducks in 100 square metres won't be too bad

 

[Cookiee]

Sorry for the slow reply on UK time here so I was in bed This gives me plenty to think about. I think most likely I am going to have to move out of where I currently live and go back to living in the country. Thanks for all the replys.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Greetings all,

I have limted space where i live (UK) sadly but I was wondering if ducks could be kept in small numbers ? Now I know ducks are dirty but could I keep 3/4 ducks in the space of maybe 10x10M ? I was thinking of turning my old kids pool into a duck pond. Is this a stupid idea or can it be done? Any advice is accepted

I think this is plenty enough for 3 ducks, My two girls have a pen with a waterproof roof, so the only mud is around the little pool and perfectly manageable with a bit of effort. I free range them under supervision in my large yard, but theyre pretty content in their pen for the most of the time. It depends on the breed I think, some can be more active imo, my girls are content and choose to stay close to their pen. Others may want to venture and explore more. So depends on the breed and individual birds. It also helps to offer enrichment, mine have a forage area and water area, as well as toys that they love, it makes the most out of the space

 

[DuneDucks]

I agree a few ducks would be fine in that space. My main pen is about that size, and while they do have a much larger run they're often let out to, there are also days my main flock of 5 spend the entire time inside (their pen).

I wish I would have had a little more plant life grown in the area to start, but the size of the space itself isn't an issue. In that space I have a coop, small lean-to, little pond, kiddie pool, 15-gallon tub, and a few hundred square feet of space left for them to stretch their legs and forage through. They know how much better the bug hunting is on the outside, but otherwise my ducks seem pretty content with the space.

I think the biggest issues you'd face would be the quality of your yard after a few months and the smell. Like I said I didn't have too much grown to start, but I planted some grass just a bit before they moved in, and it has done well. The only time I've noticed them get particularly destructive is when I mistakenly fill let their pool overflow and a puddle forms for them to dig around in. And I'm not bothered by it, but if you're sensitive to the smell of ducks, it would probably get a bit more concentrated in a smaller area. I catch the occasional whiff of their pond on a hot day, or anytime I'm in the water emptying/cleaning, and I can understand why some are averse to keeping them for that reason alone.

 

[Cookiee]

I have decided I will give it a try and see what happens, after talking to a friend today he has an allotment so if the worse comes to the worst I will move them there. I am going to put my daughters old paddling pool to use and will use it as a pond and I guess I can always just tip it and refill it if it gets stinky. Does anyone know the best feed for ducks (uk here) and also is there anything else I should be aware of ?

 

[Canadian Wind]

First step is to research what kind of duck you want. You're in the city, so unless you have very understanding neighbours, they may be disturbing. If noise isn't an issue, you might want to look into some off the bantam breeds, they are smaller than regular ducks.

If you are worried about noise, then I would suggest Muscovy. (yes, I know everyone, of course I would suggest them, lol!). They are personable and inquisitive, can be very friendly, and they don't quack! The females make the sweetest little trilling noise!

The next thing is housing. What are they going to sleep in? This should be set up before you get them.

And then you need to decide if you're going to go with adults or ducklings. This time of year, you can get adult drakes for cheap or free. Drakes are also quieter than the females. But if you go with ducklings, that comes with a whole bunch of other considerations. You'll need a brooder for them (and enclosed container, like a storage bin, with a heat lamp.) They will need much more care than adults.

As for food, you should get duck-specific food from a feed store. You can also order it online. There are different formulations, depending on age and even gender of your ducks.

Have fun researching, and let us know what you decide! I'm so excited for you!

 

[BelovedBirds]

I have decided I will give it a try and see what happens, after talking to a friend today he has an allotment so if the worse comes to the worst I will move them there. I am going to put my daughters old paddling pool to use and will use it as a pond and I guess I can always just tip it and refill it if it gets stinky. Does anyone know the best feed for ducks (uk here) and also is there anything else I should be aware of ?

awesome! Good luck!
I'd recommend getting a breed like khaki campbells, they arent the loudest ducks, so wont be too bad with neighbour's. They also arent too large and are a pretty nice breed, commonly available. I'd get sexed ducklings or buy some adults so that you dont end up out of ratio. You'd probably be best going with all girls since you're having a small group

 

[Cookiee]

First step is to research what kind of duck you want. You're in the city, so unless you have very understanding neighbours, they may be disturbing. If noise isn't an issue, you might want to look into some off the bantam breeds, they are smaller than regular ducks.

If you are worried about noise, then I would suggest Muscovy. (yes, I know everyone, of course I would suggest them, lol!). They are personable and inquisitive, can be very friendly, and they don't quack! The females make the sweetest little trilling noise!

The next thing is housing. What are they going to sleep in? This should be set up before you get them.

And then you need to decide if you're going to go with adults or ducklings. This time of year, you can get adult drakes for cheap or free. Drakes are also quieter than the females. But if you go with ducklings, that comes with a whole bunch of other considerations. You'll need a brooder for them (and enclosed container, like a storage bin, with a heat lamp.) They will need much more care than adults.

As for food, you should get duck-specific food from a feed store. You can also order it online. There are different formulations, depending on age and even gender of your ducks.

Have fun researching, and let us know what you decide! I'm so excited for you!

I was going to get Cayuga ducks not sure about how beginner friendly they are, noise is not an issue I keep parrots so the neighbours are used to a bit of screaming at sunrise I was going to keep them in a bantam shed in the evenings, would this work ?

 

[Cookiee]

awesome! Good luck!
I'd recommend getting a breed like khaki campbells, they arent the loudest ducks, so wont be too bad with neighbour's. They also arent too large and are a pretty nice breed, commonly available. I'd get sexed ducklings or buy some adults so that you dont end up out of ratio. You'd probably be best going with all girls since you're having a small group

Ah ok I was going to hatch mine, I was going to incubate them, I have a good bator so the hatch rate is always really high but if this is a bad move let me know. I would set 6 to account for losses with hope to hatch 4.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I was going to get Cayuga ducks not sure about how beginner friendly they are, noise is not an issue I keep parrots so the neighbours are used to a bit of screaming at sunrise I was going to keep them in a bantam shed in the evenings, would this work ?

how big is the shed? They'll need some decent ventilation but if its big enough it could definitely be adapted if needed.
Cayugas are beautiful birds, I'm not sure how beginner friendly they are either. But its good theres no issue with noise, that means you can be a bit more picky about the kind of ducks you want to keep!