We built a 4x6 house for my 5 ducks (4 runners, 1 WH). Roof opens for easy hosing each morning. Floor is trex for easy cleaning. I have an area under the water dish that is hardware cloth so it doesn't get soggy in their hut.
They free range all day and it seems lately to be 50/50 if they are in their house or in the pond.
Mine LOVE to swim. I built them a 7x11 raised pond. They are big fans. Dogs thing it is a big water bowl. Chickens also stand at the edge and drink as well. We drain and clean the pond a couple times a year. We put some feeder fish in the last time we cleaned for them to snack on them. Um. yeah, they didn't eat them. Figured they'd all die. DH was cleaning the leaves out one day and called me over and there's a good sized fish in there LOL
Herding them from the pond is usually easy. I walk over to it (with a chicken because a chicken has decided she needs to be carried to bed each night), tell them to get out and walk behind them to get them going in the right direction. Put the chicken away and lock them up and then turn around and lock up the duck house since they ducks have made their way there.
Some days they are there on their own.
We used to have a small kiddie pool. They really loved to swim, so upgraded to a bigger one. Didn't really like the big blue pool in the yard, so built them one.
Nesting - I have a cement mixing pan in their hut with pine needles (and leaves when I have them). When they were laying in the house, they'd make a nest in that and lay in there. I'd just collect each morning. Sometimes one of them would give me an evil eye if they saw me take them.
Then one of the chickens decided to start laying in there and the ducks stopped...
Now I have no idea where the eggs are.
My runners can fly, but not high/far. They run along the garden in the morning and then fly to the pond. Some an inch above the ground and another a foot or two up. She can get some air sometimes, but not often.
They free range all day and it seems lately to be 50/50 if they are in their house or in the pond.
Mine LOVE to swim. I built them a 7x11 raised pond. They are big fans. Dogs thing it is a big water bowl. Chickens also stand at the edge and drink as well. We drain and clean the pond a couple times a year. We put some feeder fish in the last time we cleaned for them to snack on them. Um. yeah, they didn't eat them. Figured they'd all die. DH was cleaning the leaves out one day and called me over and there's a good sized fish in there LOL
Herding them from the pond is usually easy. I walk over to it (with a chicken because a chicken has decided she needs to be carried to bed each night), tell them to get out and walk behind them to get them going in the right direction. Put the chicken away and lock them up and then turn around and lock up the duck house since they ducks have made their way there.
Some days they are there on their own.
We used to have a small kiddie pool. They really loved to swim, so upgraded to a bigger one. Didn't really like the big blue pool in the yard, so built them one.
Nesting - I have a cement mixing pan in their hut with pine needles (and leaves when I have them). When they were laying in the house, they'd make a nest in that and lay in there. I'd just collect each morning. Sometimes one of them would give me an evil eye if they saw me take them.
Then one of the chickens decided to start laying in there and the ducks stopped...
Now I have no idea where the eggs are.
My runners can fly, but not high/far. They run along the garden in the morning and then fly to the pond. Some an inch above the ground and another a foot or two up. She can get some air sometimes, but not often.
