food and water at night????

[wackwack]

Since having the ducks I have put a little food and water in their house at bed time. The first few nights I didnt but they still put them selves to bed. now, if i forget the food they dont go in without it until after dark.
However, my question is this, do they need it?
I was told that they didnt need it as they will sleep etc. But i wanted to give it to them as a treat etc. and to help keep them so good at going to bed.
However, as you know.....oooh the mess....
I had just been giving them a little food, them realised through here that I cannot do that without giving them water, their house is big enough for sleeping in, they are out all day and have a huge area and pond to free range.
I am hoping to ad a little extension to their house in the coming weeks, so I can keep their food in there full time away from the rain and snow.
So, they will have access to food and water anyway, but do they actually need it until then? The people that work at the feed store say that no one feeds them in their house at night....
Here no one has the beautiful big elaborate houses you guys have, I will have to make my own, but that will take a week or two, when the ducks are in their house at the moment and are lying down/huddled, they take up about half the floor space...is that adequate? I am hoping to be able to extend it to make the floor space bigger and add an outside part thats fully enclosed, but am just wondering about size.
its hard to know whats necessary versus whats luxury/nice!! I want luxury, but €€€€!!!
I am doing the extension because with winter here and the dark they will basically be in for over 12 hours, they put them selves in today before i got there at 5.30 and i let them out between 8 and 9am. so i feel if they are in that long they should have a bit more space.
sorry this is so long...i tend to do that, sorry!!!!

 

[duckyfromoz]

They dont always "need " it- but delending on the size of the house- ventilation etc in may be better to provide it in the hotter months. What I do over winter to reduce the mess is give them a pot of defrosted peas in warm winter at around 9pm. that sees them through the night without too much mess- but in summer they have a bucket with a drip tray underneath. I just want my birds to be happy and comfortable and not racing for the water when they get let out in the morning. I do have a lot of cleaning to do- but I just accept it as part of the responsibility of owning ducks.

 

[wackwack]

ya, thats kinda my thinking too, I have been doing the cleaning etc, and its not THAT much extra, but i just wonder what will happen when the big freeze hits, the spilled water will freeze and that will make thier house less comfy....tho maybe the warmth of them in there will stop it freezing, and i always clean it as soon as they come out anyway...hmmm....
even if their water is all gone or spilt they dont even go straight to water, they have a flutter of wing, stretch their legs and them remember that food will have been refilled!!

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
In the winter I do provide food and water inside the duck barn but that's because I have them locked up from about 7pm - 5am and I feel that giving them some grain with a bit of cracked corn mixed in will give them extra energy to keep their metabolism up for warmth. I ensure the waterer is not something they'll be able to bathe in... it's just for drinking. I make "waterer-unfreezers" out of cookie tins and a 40W light bulb then set the waterer on top of that. Doesn't keep it warm but keeps it above freezing.