How to keep ducks watered in the winter?

[ladyalia]

I've got 3 ducks in with my flock of chickens. The ducks make a MESS of the water. How do I not only keep my water thawed in the winter, but keep it IN the waterer?

 

[Marty1876]

With ducks, never!

LOL. You can keep them alone, you know. Give them their own waterer(s). I use shallow ones, and just change them morning and night. Take the old one and upside it into the bathtub, and fill the other with water. My mom uses 1" sections of metal barrels, and puts magnetic waterers into it to keep them thawed. (she still has to carry water when the hose freezes)

 

[Amiga]

Ah, water management. Key with finding happiness with ducks.

I would give the ducks their own watering station.

It is best for them to be able to wash their heads frequently to avoid infections.

My approach is to place a straight-sided pot in the bottom of a large plastic dog crate. I put an inch or two of pelleted sawdust in the bottom of the crate. Ducks walk in, drink, dunk their heads, make some splash that is quickly absorbed by the sawdust, and walk out.

Keeps the bedding dry and the ducks healthy and happy. Their shelter stays above freezing.

For outdoor water, I empty ice and refill once or twice a day, and they have access to the above-freezing shelter throughout the day.

There are many ways to do it right, by the way. Try a search of the archives using the keywords water and winter.