Oh. My.

[BrahmaMama]

Gawd. They are messy. Extremely messy. I was warned, but man! DUCKS! Bless their little hearts, I love them, but I can't take this

I have two big livestock tanks in my basement. Up until yesterday, the ducks shared the tank with the teeny chicks they were shipped with. I have 3 golden neck D'uccles left, and 8 Polish chicks. Poor things were constantly looking "matted" from being icked up by the water/wet bedding. I finally brought the ducks out and put them in a tubby (they are HUGE!) The other tank has my 5 chicks I hatched out from my eggs. They are fully feathered, and as soon as my other coop dries out, I am putting bedding down, a heat lamp out there, and they are moving. Because I don't know where else to put the ducks right now, they are in my son's bathtub

I have the tubby flipped over on the side, with bedding in it, and the food and water on the other end. Besides stinking up that bathroom, they seem to be doing fine

And I have chicks coming from Ideal in May..

what was I thinking?

 

[wegotchickens]

That's why I don't want any ducks.
And geese are the same, only 10x bigger...

 

[ozark hen]

How funny, been there done that. I went through the same thing. And I said the same thing...what was I thinking?! But you know there is nothing more entertaining then the ducks in the kiddie pool. Even folks who come for a visit will stay at the kiddie pool and enjoy the antics. It is like kids at the city pool...you can almost hear them laughing. They have so much fun and it never fails to bring a smile to the face. Of course, I am talking about a kiddie pool...outside and not inside. LOL LOL They stink like crazy inside. You will enjoy them much more when they can stay outside.

 

[therifleman]

In this world, there is NOTHING nastier than ducks!!!

 

[BrahmaMama]

Yeah, I want a pair of Sebastopol geese someday...maybe next year, lol!

 

[BrahmaMama]

Quote:
Glad to hear I share company, Ozark,

I know, I was told how messy they were, and that they should have been seperated from the chicks (not necessarily "should", but better off) but it worked for the first while anyways, lol! I know, my mother in law was over last night, and got to watch them swimming in the bathtub, before I drained it and set up their temporary home. She got a couple of laughs out of them

I can't wait to see them outside in the little pool!

Therifleman-I take it you don't want ducks?

 

[gritsar]

Shoulda got more brahmas instead

Hey therifleman - I used to live in Barnardsville and I know its not pronounced the way its spelled....neither is Leicester

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

My little duckling is not to messy. Only time his bedding gets wet is from his beak when it drips. Do I have a good duck?

Hope your ducks enjoy the outside.

P.S. When do you add pine shavings? he will be a week old on friday

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Hee, hee! I have LOTS of Muscovies....and they ARE filthy!

I ended up splitting the coop down the middle (on the inside & with the run) so the ducks have one side & the chickens, the other (oh & I have Brahmas, by the way!)

I'm leaning towards building a 3-sided shelter for them & fencing another section of our side yard off so the ducks will be out of that coop, completely. That way, I can expand my chicken breeds from Brahmas, Sultans & Golden Laced to include some others, but I can keep them seperate at the same time.

Oh and I wouldn't have a coop to clean out as often! I'd just make it a dirt floor so I can shovel it.

 

[ozark hen]

I used to herd my Muscovies into their pen but then they rebelled and prefer to sleep in the outdoors or in the three sided "garage". sometimes when I go lock up the chickens they are in there so I just lock them in the coop...of course, there is no water left in the waterer come morning.