how hard is it REALLY to take care of ducks???

[Cuqui18]

so i reeeeeeally reaaaaaly wanna hatch ducklings. im very experienced in taking care of animals, ive raised baby birds before (passerines, like songbirds) but never precocial birds. i absolutely love animals, and i would never get ducks if i didnt think i would be able to provide them with a wonderful home, but during the school year i am busy with academics and sports. This is very hard for me becuse it never allows me to do things i love, like raising birds and what not. i was thinking of raising 2 ducklings this summer which i would definitely have time for (i would hatch them with my homemade incubator that i know works cuz ive hatched 3 robins) and i would obviously have time to feed them and what not during the school year but im just tring to figure out ***am i in over my head?*** i want them sooo badly but i want to make sure im not going to get them and then not be able to handle it, its only 1 or 2 ducklings

 

[Kschwartz]

EDIT-

Sorry, don't take my advice..

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
A couple would be ok, even if you're busy. The problem is would you be able to shut them up at night? Would you be able to give them at least a couple of feedings a day? Mine get fed about 8am and 5pm. Although you can have an automatic feeder and it would be easier.

Hatching duck eggs is pretty easy, you just have to be able to turn them AT LEAST 3 times a day. Mine get turned 3-4 times a day. The only difficult ones to hatch are Muskovey so I don't recommend those for a beginner.

 

[Cuqui18]

Quote:
A couple would be ok, even if you're busy. The problem is would you be able to shut them up at night? Would you be able to give them at least a couple of feedings a day? Mine get fed about 8am and 5pm. Although you can have an automatic feeder and it would be easier.

Hatching duck eggs is pretty easy, you just have to be able to turn them AT LEAST 3 times a day. Mine get turned 3-4 times a day. The only difficult ones to hatch are Muskovey so I don't recommend those for a beginner.

yes i would be able to shut them up at night, as they would be right in my backyard and i would imagine i would be able to give them a feeding in the morning and definitely food in the afternoon when i get home. but if i couldnt get them food in the morning, would it be okay to give them i few feedings when i get home? and i am a very inventive teenager, so im looking for a way to have an automatic door opener... but im still working on that lol

 

[Wifezilla]

at the end of the summer when they are full grown and fully feathered, you can release them,

No, you CAN'T! First of all, it is illegal. Second of all, the domestic mallard is not as "savy" in the wild as a truely wild mallard. You would just be feeding the local predators.​

 

[StevenW.]

Quote:
No, you CAN'T! First of all, it is illegal. Second of all, the domestic mallard is not as "savy" in the wild as a truely wild mallard. You would just be feeding the local predators.

X2
Kschwartz - You shouldn't have gotten ducks if you are just to release to become prey for predators.

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
No, you CAN'T! First of all, it is illegal. Second of all, the domestic mallard is not as "savy" in the wild as a truely wild mallard. You would just be feeding the local predators.

I agree!! It is totally illegal!! I've seen domestic ducks at the park and they get picked on constantly. There was a write up in the local paper about getting rid of these ducks to bring back the original stock because the domestics are not the same colors, etc. DONT do that!!

 

[dumb_cluck]

Wifezilla wrote:

at the end of the summer when they are full grown and fully feathered, you can release them,

No, you CAN'T! First of all, it is illegal. Second of all, the domestic mallard is not as "savy" in the wild as a truely wild mallard. You would just be feeding the local predators.

x3!

Don't experiment with ducks if you have no intention of keeping them safe and fed and protected!​

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
A couple would be ok, even if you're busy. The problem is would you be able to shut them up at night? Would you be able to give them at least a couple of feedings a day? Mine get fed about 8am and 5pm. Although you can have an automatic feeder and it would be easier.

Hatching duck eggs is pretty easy, you just have to be able to turn them AT LEAST 3 times a day. Mine get turned 3-4 times a day. The only difficult ones to hatch are Muskovey so I don't recommend those for a beginner.

yes i would be able to shut them up at night, as they would be right in my backyard and i would imagine i would be able to give them a feeding in the morning and definitely food in the afternoon when i get home. but if i couldnt get them food in the morning, would it be okay to give them i few feedings when i get home? and i am a very inventive teenager, so im looking for a way to have an automatic door opener... but im still working on that lol

THrowing a ton of food out like that isn't suggested either. I would say either get an automatic feeder or don't have ducks. Or have a friend or neighbor feed them for you. If you throw a ton of food out one day but not another, etc, they will get loud expecting you to do it all the time. Mine sure do! They let me know when it's feeding time. Fortunately my neighbors like them LOL

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Illegal and cruel. Domestic Mallards are NOT the same as a wild Mallard. They have no idea how to forage for food or evade predators.