Overnight Water Issue

[kendra1966]

I have 3 and 4 week old chicks in a brooder box that I have made out of a giant rubbermaid storage container. We have 2 pekin ducks in the same set up. 2 nights this past week we have awakened to find the waterers completely empty and the bottoms of the crate full of water. Same nights, same thing, both crates. Weird. They are both right next to each other, in the back room of our house which has a concrete floor, doors shut and no other animals. Any ideas what could be happening? Would it hurt to not have water overnight?

 

[NemerLuvPoultry]

Ducks just enjoy water. Most likely they are playing with it and getting it all over the ground. Water comes naturally to ducks. I would not take the water out.

 

[kendra1966]

I can sort of understand the ducks...still it seems like a LOT of water to have a party with between 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. when they don't do anything like this during the day. And it doesn't explain what is happening in the chicks box. We get up and the waterer is still upright, but completely empty, and the bottom of the crate full of water.

 

[kelseysfowl]

you could lower the amount of water they get at night but if you do, lower the food too since ducks need water to swallow their food.

 

[kendra1966]

Good idea...I may not have thought to lower the amount of food too.

Thanks!

 

[jdywntr]

Ducklings should have feed available 24/7 for the first 2 weeks, minimum. It is generally a lot easier to brood chicks and ducklings seperately. Ducklings are very messy and do not do well with chick waterers. Chicks can drown in waterers that are appropriate for ducklings.

In my signature, at the bottom of this post, are 2 links. Click on the one titled "raising and caring for ducklings". There is a section on water and pictures and a link to another duckling appropriate waterer.

 

[chickadoodles]

You might check to see if there is a slow leak in the water containers, that may be why it is leaking could just be a defect in them.

 

[Lelilamom]

We bought a 2 gallon metal waterer from TSC and it leaks. You fill it, put the cover over it and the water seeps out slowly and runs over the edge and out into the brooder. It did this the first night we got it and the next morning the whole thing was sopping wet. Turns out the little hole the water comes out was drilled on the wrong side, not on the side where the water is supposed to come out, kwim? We had to buy a new one.

 

[kendra1966]

Ducklings should have feed available 24/7 for the first 2 weeks, minimum. It is generally a lot easier to brood chicks and ducklings seperately. Ducklings are very messy and do not do well with chick waterers. Chicks can drown in waterers that are appropriate for ducklings.

In my signature, at the bottom of this post, are 2 links. Click on the one titled "raising and caring for ducklings". There is a section on water and pictures and a link to another duckling appropriate waterer.

I should clarify that when I said that the ducklings were in "the same set up" that it is a SEPERATE set up, but the same style. All are 3 and 4 weeks old at this point. Thanks for the links

 

[kendra1966]

We bought a 2 gallon metal waterer from TSC and it leaks. You fill it, put the cover over it and the water seeps out slowly and runs over the edge and out into the brooder. It did this the first night we got it and the next morning the whole thing was sopping wet. Turns out the little hole the water comes out was drilled on the wrong side, not on the side where the water is supposed to come out, kwim? We had to buy a new one.

Ours came from TSC also....Hmmmmm? Gotta check that out. Thanks!