All right, if we decide to add ducks to our mini-farm I think I have done enough reading to have a good idea of what is required for ducks and how they are different than chickens. Am I missing anything?
Housing - anything from a large doghouse to a coop as long as it's secure at night (will be separate from the chicken coop)
Food - Flock Raiser or layena once they are laying (if I understand it correctly, they can eat chicken food right?) and fresh veggies (ducks are herbivores right not omnivores like chickens?)
Water - must be available near their food at all times
Pond/Pool - not anything huge necessarily but they will like to have water big enough to play in separate from their drinking water
Run - pea gravel seems like the best substrate for keeping things dry and out of the pool/pond
So does it seem like I have the basics down? Do they need things like oyster shell and grit or will they be fine without?
One last thing, I was only planning on having a pair but it seems the minimum from a hatchery is 4. Makes sense in case something happens to one but what is the better ratio? If I order 1 male and 3 females and something happens to the male then I won't have the possibility of having more later without ordering again. If I order 2 and 2 and something happens to one of the females then I'm stuck with 2 males and only 1 female, which could be problematic. Suggestions?
Housing - anything from a large doghouse to a coop as long as it's secure at night (will be separate from the chicken coop)
Food - Flock Raiser or layena once they are laying (if I understand it correctly, they can eat chicken food right?) and fresh veggies (ducks are herbivores right not omnivores like chickens?)
Water - must be available near their food at all times
Pond/Pool - not anything huge necessarily but they will like to have water big enough to play in separate from their drinking water
Run - pea gravel seems like the best substrate for keeping things dry and out of the pool/pond
So does it seem like I have the basics down? Do they need things like oyster shell and grit or will they be fine without?
One last thing, I was only planning on having a pair but it seems the minimum from a hatchery is 4. Makes sense in case something happens to one but what is the better ratio? If I order 1 male and 3 females and something happens to the male then I won't have the possibility of having more later without ordering again. If I order 2 and 2 and something happens to one of the females then I'm stuck with 2 males and only 1 female, which could be problematic. Suggestions?
