New Duck Owner, with questions about bedding and food intake

[donnajeanne]

Thanks for the info re: winterizing my ducks, lol.........Right now they live in the coop with the hens/rooster, but I have to put them in every night because they wont walk up the ramp!
I think we need a little "house"for them to live in .......
will need towork on that.

i let them "free range" with the hens/rooster today (terrified they'd run away) , but they stayed right near the coop and loved chomping in the grass/dirt.

Thanks again for the help"!
Im sure I'll be back for more

 

[downsm75]

I put sand in the bottom of mine. About 4 inches. All I have to do is rake it over 2 x a week and its nice and fresh. BONUS, no mud in their run when it rains.

 

[downsm75]

My chickens and ducks live in the same run too. I had to put a dog house in for the ducks... Well 4 if them. 2 walk up the ramp and jump up to roost on the 2nd level with the chickens.

 

[ducklucky]

I know, it is terrifying the first time they range. They are all pretty smart about coming home at dusk, and the lure of fresh food and water always brings them in if you have a stubborn one. Trained mine with a plastic bag from the grocery store, always had their goodies in there. Just rattled the bag, and they would come running from wherever they were. Only problem is, now when I come home from the store and try to get the bags in the house, they attack me! LOL Pretty easy trick. We have to keep an eye on our ducks and chickens, we have a hawk that is determined she wants one for supper. Ah, the ramp. Mine were stubborn as well at first, found covering it with an old beach towel made it easier for them, no slipping, they won't go on the ramp without it. It gets filthy, but they don't care, so neither do I, and the rain usually takes care of it. Just watch the ranging come spring (seems so far away AGAIN), that is when the most varmints have their young and are most bold. Usually keep them penned but not cooped til June unless I have the time to really watch them. The foxes can be nasty, we've had one trot thru with a chicken in its jaws from a neighbor, and have lost many to them. Just some cheap netting over the pen will keep the hawks out and some aluminum pie pans hanging around. This is such a great time of the year for our "pets" wish it could last a whole lot longer, oh well...

 

[donnajeanne]

Oh thank you! I'll try the towel idea! We did put in (just today) a hand-made "coop" for the 2 ducks we have; I put hay in the bottom of it and they ran in and layed down I went out when dark and put a screen over the front (there is no door)....do you think they need to be locked in like the chickens are in their coop? The coops are all surrounded and covered with fencing or netting (on top)... but I still didn't feel safe leaving them in a 3 sided thing?
Im a wreck..I want to sit out there all night and watch them lol; I think I worry too much ?

 

[donnajeanne]

Your ducks will actually roost?? How would I try and get them to go up the ramp? I'd rather have them in in the winter. But they can go down the ramp; just not up...which is such a pain to chase them and put them in.....

 

[downsm75]

Mine do. I made the ramp wider for them. My muscovys roost with the chickens. My pekins stay outside.

 

[downsm75]

Get them a dog house. They will go in to stay out of the weather

 

[ducklucky]

As far as confining them at night, it all depends what kind of varmints you have. Racoons are pretty darn smart and rats as well, also weasels and owls. Trust me, if you have them around, they are watching. I sympathize with you, was much the same, and did actually stay up at first keeping an eye on things. Felt like a new mother LOL. Our fox problem occurred in the middle of the day, every other day we would lose a hen. But seriously, if you have nasty critters around, you want them to be secure at night. Think like a racoon would. They can figure things out even a hook and eye. If you have dogs, encourage them to do their duty around the pens, it helps. Usually a dog will "mark" in a spot where a wild thing has been. There are a lot of resources online that will help you think like the creature would, just look up that particular one. Think this time of year you are safer than in deep winter when they're hungry or in spring when they have young to feed. Good luck! Let us know what you come up with.

 

[donnajeanne]

Oh ok...thank you...I will / the dog house will be good for winter??? do you think..........