Pekin Duck Club!

[Miss Lydia]

I have two ducks. Do you have chickens too. Where do you keep your food and water? Do you heat it for the winter?

Heated buckets or dog bowls are very nice, but I wouldn't use any kind of container inside the ducks will totally mess up the coop.one way to keep food dry

 

[Free Spirit]

I have two ducks. Do you have chickens too. Where do you keep your food and water? Do you heat it for the winter?

I do not keep food or water in the coop. Both are available for them in their pen. Unless it's raining then I put the food in there just to stay dry and remove it when I lock them up at night. Ducks and geese will make a horrible mess in the coop overnight if food and water are left in there.

I don't heat their water because I'm home all day and can take out fresh water to them if needed. When I lock them up I dump the old water then supply fresh water when I let them out in the morning (especially so I don't have to chip ice). The water is in a heavy duty black livestock feed bowl (holds about 6 gallons of water) so the sunshine will keep it from refreezing. But if the temps get so low that it should refreeze during the day I'll check on it and bring out more water if needed.

If you are not home to check on them during the daytime if temps are below freezing then you may want to check into a heated waterer. This one can be used outdoors
http://www.amazon.com/Manufacturing...79377&sr=8-14&keywords=heated+poultry+waterer

Here is another style but I read on another site that this type is recommended to be placed in a sheltered area (but still would not put it in the coop with ducks or geese)
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovato...079377&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+poultry+waterer

I have chickens too but they are in a separate area of the yard. I apply the same feeding / watering practices with them as I do the ducks and geese. Currently my chickens have a hanging waterer that will be changed to a black dog bowl when the daytime temps reach below freezing.

 

[BullChick]

I agree with Free Spirit. I do keep the food and water in 24/7, but I don't use heated water bowls at this time. I may need to at a later date.
Here in Pennsylvania, we are freezing so the chickens are using the rubber bowl already.

 

[MandyJ]

I have two ducks. Do you have chickens too. Where do you keep your food and water? Do you heat it for the winter?

I have 2 pekin ducks. I only leave food with them while they are in their pen at night. I put the food in with them when they go back in their pen around 5 pm then remove it before I go to bed around 11 pm. They are hungry when they come out in the morning but seem to be okay. The reason for removing the food overnight is that we have found opossums in the pen. The opossums are after the food but I am afraid that one day they will harm the ducks. We have made their pen more secure to keep the animals out, but still am afraid the ducks will be hurt.

They have water in their pen and water outside since they are free ranging during the day, they also have access to a pool in the front of the property. Since we live in central Texas we very seldom have freezes therefore, I don't heat their water in the swimming pool or their water container.

 

[Hilfox84]

Hi, this is my first post in this thread. We hatched some Pekins this spring, they are almost 4 months old now and I'm starting to see a tail curl developing in some of them, it looks like I've for 4 males and 3 females. My plan was to keep one male and all the females but I'm already inundated with chicken eggs and really just wanted ducks for their waddly funny antics anyway so I'm thinking of keeping the boys as a bachelor group and selling the girls to recoup some costs.

I'm just wondering how a bachelor group will get along? Has anyone kept a group like this? The ducks are housed completely separately from the chickens they wouldn't have any female company at all.

As thanks for you help here is a pic of the quackers dining on bolted lettuce a'la bucket served in the vegie patch today.

I would not keep that many boys together alone without any females. I got 3 ducklings this past spring and they all ended being males. I've had issues with them fighting and trying to "breed" each other. One of them is smaller and the other two pick on him worst. It's gotten so bad lately they are separated and I'm trying to find females for them. I'd keep two of each. I think they will be much happier.

 

[Amiga]

It is going to be up to the ducks, based on what I have seen and read.

You are right - too many drakes for the number of females you have. Some people keep a drake pen and it works well. Some have problems like Hilfox84 mentions.

It would be nice if there were a clear cut answer. Glad you are concerned about everyone's safety!

 

[Hilfox84]

Does anyone know how well pekins and saxonies do together? I'm very interested in the breed and would like to get some but I have male pekins and would like to get female saxonies. Does anyone think this would be an issue?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Does anyone know how well pekins and saxonies do together? I'm very interested in the breed and would like to get some but I have male pekins and would like to get female saxonies. Does anyone think this would be an issue?

I think it would be fine Saxony's aren't light breeds so they would probably be fine with Pekin drakes my Muscovy drakes weigh in at around 12-15 lbs my Females around 4-7 so those girls can handle heavy loads they much prefer to mate in water though.

 

[Hilfox84]

I think it would be fine Saxony's aren't light breeds so they would probably be fine with Pekin drakes my Muscovy drakes weigh in at around 12-15 lbs my Females around 4-7 so those girls can handle heavy loads they much prefer to mate in water though.

Okay thanks! I'm fairly new to ducks is it okay to mix breeds like that? I read that saxonies are more broody so ducklings are more likely with them than pekins. But then it would be a mixed breed. Is that okay? Lol sorry i know thats kind of a dumb question.

 

[Julie Birb]

Okay thanks! I'm fairly new to ducks is it okay to mix breeds like that? I read that saxonies  are more broody so ducklings are more likely with them than pekins. But then it would be a mixed breed. Is that okay? Lol sorry i know thats kind of a dumb question. 

It is not a dumb question. There's no such thing on BYC