Feeding at night ?

[Luv Ducks]

My ducks have periods of wakefulness during the night, then go back to sleep. My son has a very noise crested pekin who wakes up shouting between 3am and 4am. Shouting for no particular reason except that she can!!!

I swear mine hear my alarm clock as I get up at 3:45 am to drive the bus and they start chattering. The pen is up against the house and I think they just want to go to work with me. lol 5 minutes with the kids and they will be looking for another job. lol The kids can be louder than they are sometimes and they would not like the competition. lol

 

[HeritageFan]

We have always fed our ducks twice a day; once around dusk, in the coop, and again in the morning. We put out about 2x the feed in the morning, w some in the run, and some in the coop.
We also have water available in the coop 24/7, and the pool out in the run during the day.
We shut everyone in overnight, our ducks and turkeys all have secure coops. The turkeys get access to their yards about daybreak (when I have to leave for work), and the ducks stay in until about 9. My research showed that ducks tend to lay (generally) most actively starting at dawn.
When we used to let them out earlier, we had many more issues w eggs laid by the pool and in other areas around the run. Now that we keep them in a bit later,
-most- of the eggs are in their nesting boxes in the coop.
Yes, they make a mess w their water at night. But. We use shavings in the coop, straw for the nest boxes, and the “floor” is paving stones to keep anything from digging under and in. It’s a super quick clean up / toss new bedding job, but it is a daily clean up job...
I have other duck-y friends who don’t put their ducks away at night, just leave them in a covered run. I have had issues w raccoons and personally don’t prefer to do that.
I’ve also got friends that don’t give their ducks food or water overnight and think it works great.... maybe it’s me. I wouldn’t like to have to go a night without being able to have a sip of water. And our ducks put themselves in the coop and wait for dinner if we get tied up out late.
Long and short of it, you probably don’t feel like you’ve got a solid answer because everyone has a different answer
Your feathered friends will absolutely adjust to what works best for you. They also won’t know anything other than what you elect to do for them.
If you are noticing weight issues, dry stools, or any other problems (should you decide to no give them food/ water overnight), you can always revise your plan!

 

[Luv Ducks]

We have always fed our ducks twice a day; once around dusk, in the coop, and again in the morning. We put out about 2x the feed in the morning, w some in the run, and some in the coop.
We also have water available in the coop 24/7, and the pool out in the run during the day.
We shut everyone in overnight, our ducks and turkeys all have secure coops. The turkeys get access to their yards about daybreak (when I have to leave for work), and the ducks stay in until about 9. My research showed that ducks tend to lay (generally) most actively starting at dawn.
When we used to let them out earlier, we had many more issues w eggs laid by the pool and in other areas around the run. Now that we keep them in a bit later,
-most- of the eggs are in their nesting boxes in the coop.
Yes, they make a mess w their water at night. But. We use shavings in the coop, straw for the nest boxes, and the “floor” is paving stones to keep anything from digging under and in. It’s a super quick clean up / toss new bedding job, but it is a daily clean up job...
I have other duck-y friends who don’t put their ducks away at night, just leave them in a covered run. I have had issues w raccoons and personally don’t prefer to do that.
I’ve also got friends that don’t give their ducks food or water overnight and think it works great.... maybe it’s me. I wouldn’t like to have to go a night without being able to have a sip of water. And our ducks put themselves in the coop and wait for dinner if we get tied up out late.
Long and short of it, you probably don’t feel like you’ve got a solid answer because everyone has a different answer
Your feathered friends will absolutely adjust to what works best for you. They also won’t know anything other than what you elect to do for them.
If you are noticing weight issues, dry stools, or any other problems (should you decide to no give them food/ water overnight), you can always revise your plan!

This is all so true. Mine stay in a covered large pen with several houses in it for them. They are left to sleep wherever they want. I use Nite-Guard lights that are solar powered that I have on all three sides of the pen as the 4th side is against my house. Neighbors a few houses from me have lost ducks to racoons but knock on wood, I have never in the three years I have had my setup. Mine have access to food and water 24/7. They eat when they want and sleep when they want. I have 4 different sections to the pen right now. One houses my 4 two week old ducklings, then another 2 five week old Runner ducklings and then a Drake jail I just made for my Mafia 4 little Call Drakes that were piling up 3 at a time on my Hens and the last is for the rest of my flock, 9 Hens and 1 Rouen/Mallard Drake that has been with them all along. They do adjust to whatever you want to do with them rather well and mine seem like Happy Duckies. Good luck with your decisions on your own setup.

 

[HeritageFan]

This is all so true. Mine stay in a covered large pen with several houses in it for them. They are left to sleep wherever they want. I use Nite-Guard lights that are solar powered that I have on all three sides of the pen as the 4th side is against my house. Neighbors a few houses from me have lost ducks to racoons but knock on wood, I have never in the three years I have had my setup. Mine have access to food and water 24/7. They eat when they want and sleep when they want. I have 4 different sections to the pen right now. One houses my 4 two week old ducklings, then another 2 five week old Runner ducklings and then a Drake jail I just made for my Mafia 4 little Call Drakes that were piling up 3 at a time on my Hens and the last is for the rest of my flock, 9 Hens and 1 Rouen/Mallard Drake that has been with them all along. They do adjust to whatever you want to do with them rather well and mine seem like Happy Duckies. Good luck with your decisions on your own setup.

drake jail
I love that. I’ve always called them Bachelor Pads/ Pens, but I might need to steal that one

 

[Luv Ducks]

drake jail
I love that. I’ve always called them Bachelor Pads/ Pens, but I might need to steal that one

I call my 4 Little Call Drakes my Mafia group because they strut around like they are the size of Ostriches! They have Little Duck Syndrome and think they own the coop. Their real names are Itsy, Bitsy, Teenie and Weenie but those names don't really fit their attitudes, LOL.