My current duck questions:

[corriemartin]

Hey folks, here are all the things I'm currently wondering about:

1) My May-hatched Swedish Blue ducks have started laying, but they're laying the eggs in the middle of their coop, and they're absolutely filthy. They're completely ignoring the nesting box (which I only put in the day before the first egg). One was even laid in the muddy middle of the yard. Is there any way to get them to lay in a better place (ie, where they won't become absolutely filthy?

2) Washing eggs? Does it take the bloom off if you just use water, and not soap? (I mean, these eggs have really been filthy.)

3) I'd like to feed the ducks layer feed, because it comes in pellets, which seems like they waste a bit less of than the crumbles, but will the calcium in them hurt the drakes?

4) Is there any way to get ducks to waste less food? The bucket of water next to their feeding pan always has many inches of food sludge in it.

Thanks!

 

[ajohn151]

I have a couple of the same questions. Watching.

 

[KaleIAm]

Hey folks, here are all the things I'm currently wondering about:

1) My May-hatched Swedish Blue ducks have started laying, but they're laying the eggs in the middle of their coop, and they're absolutely filthy. They're completely ignoring the nesting box (which I only put in the day before the first egg). One was even laid in the muddy middle of the yard. Is there any way to get them to lay in a better place (ie, where they won't become absolutely filthy?

2) Washing eggs? Does it take the bloom off if you just use water, and not soap? (I mean, these eggs have really been filthy.)

3) I'd like to feed the ducks layer feed, because it comes in pellets, which seems like they waste a bit less of than the crumbles, but will the calcium in them hurt the drakes?

4) Is there any way to get ducks to waste less food? The bucket of water next to their feeding pan always has many inches of food sludge in it.

Thanks!

1) I highly recommend dummy eggs. You can get them on Amazon or at most feed stores. Put them in your nesting boxes and your ducks will probably lay there. It worked for me! Mine would lay right in the poop otherwise! I tried taking the dummy eggs away after a year thinking they would be trained, but no. Right back in the poop. Ping pong and golf balls also worked for my ducks. They weren't picky.

2) I believe even water will take off the bloom. But I got clean eggs almost always with the dummy eggs. If I got a dirty one we just washed it and used it right away.

3) I only have females, but I have read that the calcium is bad for the drakes and will hurt their kidneys. This is not my area though. When my ducks aren't laying, like now, I feed Mazuri waterfowl maintenance, which is a pellet. You could use something like that and put out calcium in the form of oyster shell for the females.

4) You could put less food in their bowl, it sounds like they aren't finishing it anyway. Maybe put their food just a little further away from their water? The food I use actually floats on the water so I put it directly in their buckets. But I used to put their food about 2-3 feet away so they didn't get it too wet. Obviously they need water to eat, so don't put it too far.

Hope this helps.

 

[corriemartin]

1) I highly recommend dummy eggs. You can get them on Amazon or at most feed stores. Put them in your nesting boxes and your ducks will probably lay there. It worked for me! Mine would lay right in the poop otherwise! I tried taking the dummy eggs away after a year thinking they would be trained, but no. Right back in the poop. Ping pong and golf balls also worked for my ducks. They weren't picky.

2) I believe even water will take off the bloom. But I got clean eggs almost always with the dummy eggs. If I got a dirty one we just washed it and used it right away.

3) I only have females, but I have read that the calcium is bad for the drakes and will hurt their kidneys. This is not my area though. When my ducks aren't laying, like now, I feed Mazuri waterfowl maintenance, which is a pellet. You could use something like that and put out calcium in the form of oyster shell for the females.

4) You could put less food in their bowl, it sounds like they aren't finishing it anyway. Maybe put their food just a little further away from their water? The food I use actually floats on the water so I put it directly in their buckets. But I used to put their food about 2-3 feet away so they didn't get it too wet. Obviously they need water to eat, so don't put it too far.

Hope this helps.

Yes, thanks. I even have dummy eggs. I'll get them out right away.

The food, though, they are eating it all, especially now that it's colder and since I've had to go back to work, they're not out and about foraging all day long. I do have calcium available for the hens (not that I can tell if they're eating any of it, unlike the chickens which clean out the dish every week or so). I have the bucket about two feet away.

 

[KaleIAm]

Yes, thanks. I even have dummy eggs. I'll get them out right away.

The food, though, they are eating it all, especially now that it's colder and since I've had to go back to work, they're not out and about foraging all day long. I do have calcium available for the hens (not that I can tell if they're eating any of it, unlike the chickens which clean out the dish every week or so). I have the bucket about two feet away.

Oh, I misread #4. I thought the food bowl had water in it, not that the water bucket had food sludge in it! That makes more sense. I'm not sure if you can do much about that since they are going to dip their food into their water.

I guess if you are really committed to it not happening you could make their water buckets shorter (dig a little hole and put the bucket in it? Or get a smaller bucket? Give them a "step stool?") but block them from swimming in there. I've seen a photo of someone doing it with a board across the top of the water bucket. That way they could eat the food that sinks to the bottom, but can't poop in their water.

I'm not really sure how to deal with that one! I haven't had that problem, but if I did I would probably try to let my ducks reach the food they dropped. And I'd throw out all the wet food at the end of the day.