Need some duck info.........

[lorain's fids]

Need some duck info........ I have been taking care of 3 baby ducks that were found in a sewer when they were about 2 or 3 days old. From what I've been told they are domestic ducks, as 1 is a Peking and the other 2 domestic mallards, I have had them for almost 3 weeks now. They are starting to get their pin feathers in. I am keeping them in an extra large dog crate in our spare room and then during the day I bring them outside for awhile and keep them in another extra large dog crate I also l put them in a kiddie pool as it has been hot here. They are eating chick starter from TSC . I was thinking that maybe I will keep them, but I'm not 100% sure. Do ducks make a lot of noise? Do they get along with chickens? If we did decide to keep them what age before they would need a duck house.

 

[Pyxis]

They do get along fine with chickens. I myself keep four ducks in with my chickens. They're not overwhelmingly noisy, but girl ducks will quack pretty loudly to warn of danger or if they spot something. Nothing like a rooster crow, though. They'll need a duck house just as soon as you get sick of keeping them inside - I usually had mine outside in the duck house with a heat lamp by four or five weeks because they sure can stink But they really don't NEED to go outside at a certain age, it's up to you when you feel comfortable moving them out. As a bonus, ducks lay larger eggs than chickens, and they are absolutely phenomenal when you bake with them.

If you do find them a new home, make sure you tell the new owners to clip the mallards' wings - otherwise they could fly away and starve, since they won't know how to take care of themselves in the wild. The pekin won't be able to fly, because pekins are too large for their own wings, so you don't have to worry about that one.

 

[lorain's fids]

They do get along fine with chickens. I myself keep four ducks in with my chickens. They're not overwhelmingly noisy, but girl ducks will quack pretty loudly to warn of danger or if they spot something. Nothing like a rooster crow, though. They'll need a duck house just as soon as you get sick of keeping them inside - I usually had mine outside in the duck house with a heat lamp by four or five weeks because they sure can stink

But they really don't NEED to go outside at a certain age, it's up to you when you feel comfortable moving them out. As a bonus, ducks lay larger eggs than chickens, and they are absolutely phenomenal when you bake with them.

If you do find them a new home, make sure you tell the new owners to clip the mallards' wings - otherwise they could fly away and starve, since they won't know how to take care of themselves in the wild. The pekin won't be able to fly, because pekins are too large for their own wings, so you don't have to worry about that one.

Thanks for the info. Still not sure what we are going to do. But if I do have to rehome home them I will be very sad, as I have fallen in love with these little ducks. In case we do keep them my husband has been looking at pictures of duck houses so he can get an idea of what he needs to build one. For 3 ducks, about how big would tit need to be? Like an extra large dog house size?
Wondering about ducks laying eggs....where do they lay them ...do they need a nest box like chickens.
Also when you said not overwhelmingly noisy....is it like the volume of an egg laying song by chickens? LOL!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the info. Still not sure what we are going to do. But if I do have to rehome home them I will be very sad, as I have fallen in love with these little ducks. In case we do keep them my husband has been looking at pictures of duck houses so he can get an idea of what he needs to build one. For 3 ducks, about how big would tit need to be? Like an extra large dog house size?
Wondering about ducks laying eggs....where do they lay them ...do they need a nest box like chickens.
Also when you said not overwhelmingly noisy....is it like the volume of an egg laying song by chickens? LOL!!

Most would say 4-6 sf per duck inside their house, and 20sq ft per duck inside a run, they don't need anything fancy but it needs to be secure. with lots of ventilation for health. use hardware cloth on all openings. ducks do lay some yr round some seasonal which would be your Mallards. some of my Muscovys will lay in the chickens nest boxes but most of them just lay inside their houise on the shavings. At times they can be a bit noisy but I can honestly say when my hens start with the egg song and everyone chimes in well they can out sing a duck in a heart beat.

if worried about neighbors, promise delicious ducks eggs when the time comes, they will learn to love your ducks.

 

[lorain's fids]

Most would say 4-6 sf per duck inside their house, and 20sq ft per duck inside a run, they don't need anything fancy but it needs to be secure. with lots of ventilation for health. use hardware cloth on all openings. ducks do lay some yr round some seasonal which would be your Mallards. some of my Muscovys will lay in the chickens nest boxes but most of them just lay inside their houise on the shavings. At times they can be a bit noisy but I can honestly say when my hens start with the egg song and everyone chimes in well they can out sing a duck in a heart beat.

if worried about neighbors, promise delicious ducks eggs when the time comes, they will learn to love your ducks.

Thanks so much for the info!

I see in you signature that you have 7 Black Australorp.... Beautiful Chickens, I have 1. If I were to every get the opportunity to get more chickens I think I would get BA. It seems her eggs are always Beautiful(as eggs go)LOL! When I got the 6 chicks at 2 days old they were all suppose to be Dominique's, but I guess I got lucky and one turned out to be a BA.,