Hopefully I get my ducks in the morning...

[Birdydeb]

Ahhh! I love the goslings names! Downeton Abby fan here.

You are the first person to catch that. I thought it suited them pretty well. Yeah, I was a fan too.

 

[Birdydeb]

Day three and it seems like I have happy, active babies. I can't thank everyone enough on this site who have posted their duck knowledge. Without your ideas, thoughts, what has worked best for you I would not be as successful at this point as I am. My recommendations are to plan, plan, plan. Then don't be surprised when you still need adjustments. My one tub idea went out the window quickly when I realized the girl who was supposed to get some of the ducks was not going to get them immediately. My quick adjustment was to cut the sides out of two tubs, zip tie them together and cover the edges with duct tape( which I monitor) and I am ver y pleased with this. Food and water is on one side and sleeping on the other. They adapted to this quickly with the result being they keep the sleeping side much cleaner but of course still poop on that side some...they're ducks! LOL. Next was bedding. I started with pine shavings under puppy pads. I did away with pine shavings the first night when I caught a couple ducks trying to chew on them. Yesterday the puppy pads went bye-bye when I caught them chewing on them. At this point I have decided the only way to keep my sanity is to use old towels and shelf liner that can be washed and reused. I really think I have a great working system for....about a week? LOL I would also like to say I knew and was prepared for the poop and water splashing....this CANNOT be exaggerated! It has not fazed me at all. Because seriously there is NOTHING cuter than ducklings and goslings .....puppies run a close second(and I am a dog lover!)....absolutely nothing cuter!

 

[neetabeamie]

Thank you for sharing all that. So how many ducks are you keeping? If you don't mind me asking?

 

[Birdydeb]

There are 10 ducks and she was supposed to get 4. I knew from the get go to be prepared for the possibility of all 10. Like you i did it to bring shipping costs down. I am hopeful that she will still take the ducks but I am prepared to take care of them if necessary. 6 to me was best but I will make the adjustment for 10. So very glad now that I went with an 8 x 10 shed!

 

[neetabeamie]

Well I hope she gets them.
Our situations sounds allot alike. Fun.
I am also using a plastic tub 3'x17" for my 6. I think it was brilliant of you to put the two tubs together.
Do you have all silver faze Welsh Harlequin ducklings or did you get any gold faze ?
I am getting three Welsh (all girls) and it would be SO fun if I got one gold faze. I LOVE the silver though. I know that metzer mainly has silver but from what I have read. Even if you breed silver to silver a few Gold pop up now and then.

 

[neetabeamie]

Gold girl on the right, silver boy on left

 

[neetabeamie]

Gold on left, silver on right.

 

[Birdydeb]

I think looking at them they are all silver, which is not a great surprise coming from Metzers. They are all colored like the silver on the right.

 

[neetabeamie]

Nice! So fun.

 

[Birdydeb]

I think looking at them they are all silver, which is not a great surprise coming from Metzers. They are all colored like the silver on the right.

Well...just noticed.....that was confusing? I meant the silver boy on the left in the duckling pic. Also I ended up using the heat emitter and it is over the sleeping side. Food side has no heat except ambient from the other side but stays between 76 and 80. Sleeping side is staying around 88-90 and they are sleeping like a carpet of ducks. I really hate heat lamp bulbs and when I tried to use the 75 watt I couldn't get it up in the air high enough to do less than 99...needless to say that ended quickly. If I didn't have goslings in there too, I seriously think the Victor Ultimate Flea Trap would be perfect. Ducklings would be perfect for it....goslings not so much.