New to backyard ducks... and looking for advice!

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TheBurrow

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Hello!

My husband and I live in south central Wisconsin and have decided we would like to have backyard ducks. We would like to start with only 2 or 3 ducks. We have a large backyard which we are currently getting quoted for a privacy fence, and are researching ALL the things. Ha! Any recommendations for the following (or for anything else not listed which I may not have thought of) would be much appreciated!

  • Type of ducks?
    • We have young children, so they must be gentle and friendly, good with kids!
    • We would love good layers - we're really looking forward to the duck eggs!
    • Hopefully ducks that are not black, but lighter in color - this is a preference and not a necessity, though.
    • Able to be cold hardy for WI winters!
  • Duck "coop"?
    • Gracious, there's a whole world of options out there. Make your own, buy, build, go fancy, use pallets... almost too many choices! I can't help it, I want it to be charming. There, I said it. Any advice on a charming duck coop with a solution for water (that doesn't turn it into a messy-waterpark-catastrophe)?
  • Backyard pond for swimming...
    • Is 12" depth enough for ducks? We're not going for a traditional pond, here - we live in a neighborhood and would like something that:
      • works for the ducks
      • preferably is charming (I can't help it)
      • doesn't break the bank
      • doesn't break our backs by dumping and refilling, ha!
        • Seriously, though... are there any filtered setups that can handle duck poop, and thereby prevent daily dumping and refilling?
Thank you to all of you, we're excited to join your community and appreciate any and all help!
 
Hi and welcome to BYC. Here are some helpful links:

Best wishes

Pork Pie
 
TheBurrow said:
Hello!

My husband and I live in south central Wisconsin and have decided we would like to have backyard ducks. We would like to start with only 2 or 3 ducks. We have a large backyard which we are currently getting quoted for a privacy fence, and are researching ALL the things. Ha! Any recommendations for the following (or for anything else not listed which I may not have thought of) would be much appreciated!

  • Type of ducks?
    • We have young children, so they must be gentle and friendly, good with kids!
    • We would love good layers - we're really looking forward to the duck eggs!
    • Hopefully ducks that are not black, but lighter in color - this is a preference and not a necessity, though.
    • Able to be cold hardy for WI winters!
  • Duck "coop"?
    • Gracious, there's a whole world of options out there. Make your own, buy, build, go fancy, use pallets... almost too many choices! I can't help it, I want it to be charming. There, I said it. Any advice on a charming duck coop with a solution for water (that doesn't turn it into a messy-waterpark-catastrophe)?
  • Backyard pond for swimming...
    • Is 12" depth enough for ducks? We're not going for a traditional pond, here - we live in a neighborhood and would like something that:
      • works for the ducks
      • preferably is charming (I can't help it)
      • doesn't break the bank
      • doesn't break our backs by dumping and refilling, ha!
        • Seriously, though... are there any filtered setups that can handle duck poop, and thereby prevent daily dumping and refilling?
Thank you to all of you, we're excited to join your community and appreciate any and all help!
Click to expand...
Be ready for the dirtiest water you’ve ever had and needing to replace it constantly 😂 ducks are filthy animals!!
 
:welcome

In case you haven't found it yet, here's a link to the Duck forum where you can get all your ducky questions answered: Ducks

There are also some articles in the Learning Center on raising ducks that you might find interesting: ducks.30

Best wishes!
 
Welcome to BYC! I recommend you get some white layers or pekins. They are white in color and are pretty friendly. For the pool, you could you use a kiddie pool, but if you want something that is more sleek, I recommend one of those mixing tubs. I have one for my ducks and they love to swim in it. Have fun! :)
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