Help! Duck Waterers

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

Scott, Are you planning on in the aviary when breeding season comes up to have a source of water they can get into? Because I have had call ducks for 2 years now and they were in a pen with a waterer for part of the year and none of the eggs were fertile because they coundnt get in it. I moved them into a pen with a small pond and 90% of the eggs were fertile. And if you are plan on hatching babies and having a water bowl/pond your problem is not fixed there. The water will still be dirty. I personally think it is more cruel to have ducks on ROCKS than wire. JMO.



Ryan

 

[rainplace]

I think it depends on the rock. Dave Holderread prefers pea gravel over wire. He says that wire can cause foot problems (he does emphasize though that it's more of a problem for larger ducks) and is less enjoyable for the duck. (Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks page 195)

 

[Duck Keeper]

Bah humbug, of course ducks doodle in their waterers! And I think you're spoiling them by cleaning waterers and pools like three times a day.

I regret the fact that they will still drink out of a nasty pool that hasn't been emptied and refilled in over a week... With algae and everything.

But no ill effects thankfully. It's gross when the chickens drink from their slop-pool too.

But the cat drinks out of it also, so it can't be THAT bad.
And this is the cat that refuses to drink from a bowl, and has to drink from either a sink, the tub, or anything outside.


I'm cleaning it tomorrow! o_o

 

[Scott]

I've decided I either need to accept that ducks are messy with water or cover the floor of my duck pen to-be with river rock/gravel so they can't get down to the actual dirt.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Quote:
Sounds good to me!

I just hope you can throw grass clippings in once in a while or something. Let part of your lawn get lush! Lol

 

[LoreenH]

We are in process of building our duck pen; we are going to put down a couple inches of gravel topped with several inches of sand. I know living in a rainy climate with ducks their whole pen would be a mud pit in no time at all.

 

[rainplace]

I'm in the Pacific Northwest too, and I'm struggling already with the mud.

 

[Feathered Wings]

I bought my Calls from a breeder who shows them all his Calls are on wire and i too have mine that i purchased on wire.
I believe large ducks would have problems walking on wire but not Calls or other bantam ducks.
I'm working on building some off the ground pens with a nest and pool area and using cage wire bottoms not hardware cloth.
The cage wire is thicker and better support for their feet.

Even with mine on wire and using milk jugs with holes cut in them they still foul their water with food.
Mine also get a pool ( plastic container) maybe twice a week and i leave it a couple days.
They foul those by pooping in them and carrying food to them too.
They can clean their nostrils in the milk jug waters i give them so no need for a daily pool.
As for breeding i assumed ducks were like chickens and are fertile a few days between breedings.
I hatched out 7 baby's 2 weeks ago using this method it was a 99% hatch rate too.
I clean my waters throughly about once a week the food is easily rinsed out i do that everyday.
BUT there is still a watery stinky mess under the pen "Yuck"

The pea gravel sounds good no sharp edges to cut feet.

 

[Scott]

Quote:
I think you are right.

 

[DuckMamaorBust]

I've been researching feeders and waters. This was posted on a chicken thread. Would this work for ducks? A few folks are using PVC pipe as feeders and waterers for chickens.

Could these work as feeders and/or waterers for ducks?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=235590&p=5