Holy "Crap"...

[chickschool]

Well, this is the first year I've ever had ducks. I learned very early on that they were messy but they were so funny and cute it was easy to over look. It's now the beginning of winter and they are in the coop more than ever and I've realize that unlike my chickens THEY POOP ANYWHERE AND EVERY WEHRE! Has anyone out there ever "potty trained" their ducks? If not I'm thinking about using a duck diaper (I saw it online). I love them but they are making my chickens miserable. I do have two different coops but the ducks insist on sleeping in the same coop as the chickens.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Not possible. They cant even stop them selves from pooping while your holding them! Just happend to me today

 

[TrystInn]

Nope, sorry, birds are incontinent.

 

[veronicasmom]

Nope, cannot toilet train birds. Which is why hubby vetoed having birds in the house.

 

[chickschool]

That's what I figured

I carry them around a lot and have never had them poop on me but I guess I was just hoping someone out there had some success with some sort of training. You never know.

I leash trained a silkie rooster and that was unusual so I'm always open to anything someone else has tried.

 

[Kevin565]

I've heard of parrots being clicker trained to relieve themselves on command. Maybe a similar concept could be applied to ducks.

 

[chickschool]

I'm willing to try anything.

If anyone out there has heard of or had any success in this area I would love to hear about it...no matter how crazy it might seem.

 

[duckdad]

Its gets better as they get older...when young they go every 6 minutes...ready or not. As they get older they seem to get some level of control, but it ain;t much.
The most effective method is common sense...don;t 'mess' (no pun intended) with them right after they eat, don't attempt to hold them for too long...about 20 min is a record, And remember that their feed works exactly like fiber and greens do in a human...I see the alfalfa pellets make them go like they had a ex-lax cappuccino.

Besides, you don't want to hold a stinky duck anyway...I'll hold mine after they swim or get a bath. I loose that warm fuzzy feeling when I walk over to them and see them laying in wet poo....Thankfully they were scotch-guarded from the duck factory, so it does'nt stick to them. Thats half the reason that I keep towels in the pen for them to wipe their feet on so that when I DO pick one up...I'm not going to get poo tracks all over from muddy duck feet. Still happens though. I wash my hands a LOT.

 

[sourland]

More like 'unholy crap'.

 

[chickschool]

You said it!