muddy water

[kritterkeep]

Hello-

I have 2 call ducks ( male and female) and 5 chickens who all live togather in a pretty good size pen...

why do the ducks get the water dish all muddy- they keep putting dirt in it and getting it all muddy

Why?

Donna B

 

[headred]

Because somehow they try to fit their whole body into a watering dish and then poop in it too! Gross, isn't it!??

 

[rlhbond]

It will help if you put the water dish on something like a cement slab so they can't splash the water out to make mud. If there is dirt/mud around the bowl they will root around it and then stick their muddy faces in the water dish. Ducks must think it's pretty fun to do that.

 

[Crayonsmom]

They do poop in it, but they also use the dirt as grit. (Woopsie, I forgot what grit does? Helps with digestion or something)

Anyway, my ducks always did this and we just had to empy their water a lot. They'd scoop the dirt right up and start eating, drinking, and of course pooping.

 

[pamiejune]

My experience was that it looked like they like their food/grit as wet as possible, so like someone dunking a doughnut in their coffee, the ducks dunk their food in their water before eating it!

Mine also dabbled in the water to get their heads wet and try to fling it over their backs to kind of get a bucket bath when the kiddie pool wasn't available. Silly ducky babies...but, yeah - a LOT of water-changing with ducks. Too bad they don't make a water bottle they could drink out of, like my buks do.

 

[GrannySue]

Quote:
Because they're ducks!

(P.S. I sympathize with you. Mine are still inside overnight and they stink as well!)

 

[kritterkeep]

Thank you-

they have a kiddy pool- but you hardly ever see them in it..

I'm thinking maybe I should have two water bowls and hopefully they pick one to play in so that the chickens can at least have some clean water...

Thanks again-
Donna

 

[rainplace]

I have multiple water bowls in the pen that I put them in outside during the day. But it's like every time one sees fresh water she'll say, "Hey gals, come see what I found!" Then they all come running and proceed to turn it into a brown mess.

 

[Wifezilla]

Ducks think it is their duty to inspect and then trash each and every water receptacle in reach.

 

[Anny]

Cus they are ducks

No matter how small the water bowl is, they must sit in it...and poop in it. Do the ducks have swimming water of their own?