Need Help Im Brand New To This!!!!!

[smok531]

so ive have chickens,cows,lambs,goats,dogs,cat,and ive even had a mini horse but never ducks. and that changed after my trip to tsc on monday. i bought 3 sweeds and i need some info. i have them in the barn with a heat lamp. food and water. and i just found out all ducks cant fly so "CAN MINE"? also how much run room would 3 ducks need when there bigger.also how big of a breed are they?

thanks for all the help.

 

[Baralak]

From West Monroe, La

I'm new to this duck thing as well.. I have 3 mallards, and a campbell khaki... Right now they are in a big tupperware tub..

 

[DuckLover179]

Quote:
Here is a pic, so you can get an idea of how big they will be:

http://www.metzerfarms.com/BlackSwe...ck Swedish&BirdType=Duck&ID=BKS&CustID=247645

I don't know if you got black swedes, but that site also has blues.

My 2 have a 10'X6' enclosure (Go to my "Today (PIC HEAVY)" thread, and I have pics of it there). For 3 I would get at LEAST a 20'X20', but whatever you can accommodate! Swedes cannot fly, well maybe a few inches I guess.

EAT: Here's a link to pics of my enclosure: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=462403

 

[smok531]

i was just looking at you post i love pictures. ok i have a bunch of the 4.5 ft wire fence from when my girlfriend and i put up a quarantine "spelling" pen for new goats and lambs would that work? also would it need to be coverd? i also thought about putting a enclosure in the run with them to get in when they wanted or at nite.

 

[DuckLover179]

Quote:
Here is my list of requirments for a duck enclosure that might help:

Has to be predator proof, if your wire holes are small enough, so a predator cannot get through, than that will work.

Has to be protected from all 4 seasons. If you can, try to cover it. If you cover it with just wire, that will keep predators out, but they will likley get sunburned. It needs to have some kind of covering. I put plastic mesh on top of mine, with a tarp on that. That will keep the owls we have out, and the sun/rain. If you do not have any covering, and no shelter, then when a predators DOES attack, all you are doing is traping your flock, does that make sence? Just for safety, you might want to add something to the top.

Has to have a seperate "Shelter" especially if no tarp or shade is provided. I have a dog house that I stained with a pet friendly waterproof stain, and it has a lift up lid. It is warm, and when they poo, It has easy cleaning!

Has to have exeptional bedding. I use stall mats from the feed store. Since you are involved in horses you probably know where to get some. They are easy to wash off, and they get good footing on it.

So yeah, I'm kind of picky, but I would never put my pets in harm. You can make an enclosure to fit your standards, and what you think would work best for you, and your duckies!

 

[smok531]

yea my girlfriends picky which means i often over build. we just wernt sure if it needed a top. i will be placed in a particaly shaded aera so the shade parts coverd. may be a dumb question but i have no clue. if i have a pond/pool for them do they need a watering dish? also do they tare up grass like chickens do?

 

[DuckLover179]

Quote:
They do tear up grass! Not really as ducklings, but once they have a powerful beak, then they will tear up anything that's edible (Grass, vegetables, fruit, gardens, etc...)!

I have a kiddy pool for mine. I have heard they dirty them up fast, so I bought them these buckets from the dollar tree, as feeders and waterers. I just don't know if they will dirty up their pool, and have no clean water to drink from. I guess you could, though. When ducks swim they are constantly drinking the water, so if yours like water, and you clean their pool a few times a day, then I don't see why not!

 

[PlumTuckered]

My husband is an ice cream freak so we buy it in those buckets instead of the boxes. I keep 8 buckets out at the duck pen, 4 inside the pen with fresh drinking water and the other four outside the pen to switch over. I regularly clean out the 2 kiddie pools and my dang ducks can muddy up the buckets and both pools in a heartbeat LOL They do love their muddy water!

Michelle

 

[mominoz]

Or you can cover the bottom of your pen with small gravel or pond rock and just hose it...... ducks will need some shade. Kiddie pools or those cement mixing pans from Home Depot or anything about 6-12 inches deep with rocks or ramp to be able to get into. Small swim pans work fine and easy to dump and hose. I use small Fortex horse buckets for drinking water, so they have clean water, although they do drink dirty scum water all the time, like when I am hosing their pen Raccoons and dogs are your biggest predators of birds. Raccoons if you are in a edge of a suburban/rural area are a biggy. They can tear thin wire (chicken) apart. Can open some latches and will reach in and try to pull birds out and eat parts. hardware cloth around the bottom 2-3 feet is a good investment. Hot wire around top and bottom will keep anything that climbs or digs. Roof or wire top needed for owls , coons, possums. If you pen is roofed you only need a 'nest box' which could even be a rubbermaid cut out in front with no top or ventilation holes near top....

 

[ChickadeeMom]

i happen to be the "picky girlfriend"

for the record i am not picky i would just rather not have my cute little birdies be eaten due to poor fencing... ie build it right or dont build it.


i am curious though.. where could we get ducks in eastern west virginia?? our feed stores carry them but have limited breeds and quantities. we are almost sure we have one blue or black swede but the other 2 we're unsure of, because the whole lot was supposed to be swedes. they look like mallard chicks (from the pictures we have seen) but we were told tsc doesnt carry flying breeds.


can anyone help us?