Ducks with limited space.

[Canadian Wind]

He is very handsome. Forgot to ask how many ducks do you have?

Ummm... Up to 30 now? 17 of which are Muscovy.

Like my signature says, I'm a duckaholic! And proud of it, lol!

 

[Cookiee]

I seen those kid pools used as duck ponds but I think you should plan on changing the water daily. Or twice a day. We had a duck when I was kid and did just that. It was messy for sure.

Ah thanks for the reply friend. I hate where I live what space I have I keep quail in, and I treat them like kings. I am so sad as I would like to get out the city, at least when I come on to this forum I have some hope for the future

 

[Canadian Wind]

Aww, thank you. You made my day, too.

I need to warn you though. When you do get there, ducks are addictive!

 

[Pheonix_in_wonderland]

I think you could get away with having 2 ducks. I had 2 ducks (male and female) for quite awhile, and they mostly just used a kiddie pool. a plastic toboggan also works nicely. As long as you provide them with a bowl of clean water with the pool as well you won’t need to change the pool daily.

10 m is 32 feet, I think that would be alright. as long as their is plenty of plant life they can’t kill in some section of that 32x32ft area you should be fine. if you do have issues with mud it will be around the area with their water, in witchcase you can put straw or shavings around to absorb the moisture and help stabilize the ground. but if you put the water on rocks, or tile or something instead of the dirt it will help. And if it’s on a slope have the water at the lower end to help keep the rest of the area dry.

i don’t think you could do 4 in that space, maybe 3 tho. I would recommend only 2 If you are not getting sexed female ducks. I got my 2 from tractor supply and it worked great! My drake was much gentler with his female then rather than now that he has many more.

but yea I think you could totally have 2 ducks in that space.

 

[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 ?

 

[ruthhope]

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 ?

You will need to empty and refill the pond daily as it will get dirty!!
You can hose down places where poop gets too smelly. My ducks come up onto my patio and back steps and so I hose them down every evening. The effluent flows onto my asparagus bed and ornamental ginger plants. The latter are 12ft tall and the asparagus is doing well too.

BelovedBirds might be able to help you information on the best duck food available to you -- she is in England.

But mostly be assured that your 10m x 10m space is ample for 3 or 4 ducks.

 

[Cookiee]

You will need to empty and refill the pond daily as it will get dirty!!
You can hose down places where poop gets too smelly. My ducks come up onto my patio and back steps and so I hoe them down every evening. The effluent flows onto my asparagus bed and ornamental ginger plants. The latter are 12ft tall and the asparagus is doing well too.

BelovedBirds might be able to help you nformation on the best duck food available to you -- she is in England.

But mostly be assured that your 10m x 10m space is ample for 3 or 4 ducks.

Can hardly wait for my dirty dogs

 

[BelovedBirds]

I am worried about ratio tbh. I hatched many quail but sometimes I ended up with a flock of roosters. Lucky where I work we do a combination of growing your own vegetables and keeping chickens/quail as a way to reduce the need on supermarkets. I have always been able to rehome my spare quail but I am not sure about ducks.

You may be able to find homes, especially if you choose a fairly popular breed, it's just up to you, whether you'll be okay parting with them (ducklings are oh so easy to fall in love with).

There isn't much I can reccomend in terms of good feeds- Ive only ever used Fancy Feeds for my ducks, which I get online on amazon. The local feedstores have a pretty poor selection and the brands available have pretty bad reviews. You may have completely different options to me.

I raised my ducks on Fancy Feeds chick starter crumb, supplemented with nutritious yeast for the all important niacin, which worked really well. Then switched them over to their waterfowl layers pellets. It's been okay so far but I dont by any means think its the best food out there. I keep my eyes open for other brands, but to no avail. It is a decent feed, though, I havent had any issues and the company itself is very helpful.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Can you

If that sounds like a put me off join me up . Hard to think of anything better tbh what's that handsome duck in your profile picture btw?

Cannot guess? A Muscovy, of course!

That is Mist, my special boy. He runs to me and gives me cuddles, even when I don't have treats for him. Don't tell my dog I like Mist more than him, lol!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Must. Resist. Temptation! $30 for all four Call Ducks! They are so pretty!!!

*clears throat and grunts, reestablishing masculinity*

Oh, you want pictures of my current flock! LOL! Hold on, let me dig through the hundreds of pics I have!