I'm getting one duckling.

[CrazyFowlFreak]

She's a Black East Indian. Can I raise her alone? Will she be okay in with the chickens and having her own swimming pool? Does she need a pond? We have a spring fed creek on the acreage of the new house we are moving into on June 28th. Is that enough water for her?

 

[Cetawin]

LOL Calm down. The questions were making my head spin woman.

You need to get her a duckie friend...you can raise them with chicks but they are so different....and duckies get bigger faster. I would get a duckie friend.

The creek will be fine but I would give her a small pool for those days she cannot get to the creek, weather and so forth.

Congrats on getting the duckie fever.

 

[ducklover15]

I raised one by itself but I spent almost 24/7 with her. I would get another duck eventually if you can't be around constantly.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Ducks are flock animals, and as such, should have at least one other duck to keep them company when you can't. It wouldn't be fair for her/him to be alone.

If a bowl of water is sufficient for some ducks, your ducks will be spoiled rotten with a stream! In my opinion, streams are better than ponds, because all of the nastiness gets washed away instead of sitting in the pond to rot.


Also, don't just put her in with the chickens, they'll peck her to death if you aren't careful. I needed to wait for three days to put my ducks in with my chicks, and they still went after them!
It really is better to brood and house them separate, but it can be done together, much to the dismay of the cleanly chickens.

They hate being wet, and ducks are the wettest bird EVER! Geese (who are much bigger) don't even make as much of a mess.

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

Great! Thank you for the advice Off to find her a friend...

 

[sonew123]

wet? thats not even the word for it-completely-sacherated! wow-Mine is going on 2 weeks old-and I change his water-6-8 times day! he is in a small temp brooder but we have got to get him out of the bathroom! The smell is overwhelming! I change him out 2x a day and it is not enough-thank goodness summer is almost here! and he does not have a playmate yet! we love taking him for walks ont he property-I take him out when Im in bathroom or shower he peeks in-its the funniest thing ever!