Rouen ducklings

[Suzyq16]

Hi! We recently hatched 8 Rouen ducklings that are now 3 weeks old. We found a home for 5 of them but we would love to keep 3 of them. We adore them but I’m really struggling trying to decide the best thing for them. I would never abandon them, ever! I just want to know if it is better for them to live with a family who has a pond? I live in SC so it igets to be extremely hot and humid here. We don’t live on a pond but we did buy them a kiddie pool. They are living in our bathtub now but they are almost too big for it now. I know we need a coop for them but everything is so expensive. If we kept them they would be our pets. How big of a coop would I need for 3 ducks? Would they need a kiddie pool in the coop? Is it better for them to live with a family on a large farm with a pond? If I kept them would that be cruel due to the heat factor? It’s about 100 degrees during the sumner and the humidity is very high. What does having a pet Duck involve? A typical day? Any and all advice is welcome. I won’t be offended at all. I just want to do what’s best for them. I’ve come to love them a lot and they love me. My husband on the other hand doesn’t care for them but that might be bc they’re in our daughters bathtub! Lol!

 

[Ratchnick]

I see they have a pool to cool off in. Make sure they have shade and water and they should be fine. Real ponds can be a headache with ducks. For housing 4 to 6 sqft per duck. If Your husband is handy he can build a coop the size of a large dog house size for about $150. Make the roof hinge up for easy access. Right now your only real potential problem is your male to female ratio. If you get 2 males, 1 female you will likely have to get rid of a male.

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi! We recently hatched 8 Rouen ducklings that are now 3 weeks old. We found a home for 5 of them but we would love to keep 3 of them. We adore them but I’m really struggling trying to decide the best thing for them. I would never abandon them, ever! I just want to know if it is better for them to live with a family who has a pond? I live in SC so it igets to be extremely hot and humid here. We don’t live on a pond but we did buy them a kiddie pool. They are living in our bathtub now but they are almost too big for it now. I know we need a coop for them but everything is so expensive. If we kept them they would be our pets. How big of a coop would I need for 3 ducks? Would they need a kiddie pool in the coop? Is it better for them to live with a family on a large farm with a pond? If I kept them would that be cruel due to the heat factor? It’s about 100 degrees during the sumner and the humidity is very high. What does having a pet Duck involve? A typical day? Any and all advice is welcome. I won’t be offended at all. I just want to do what’s best for them. I’ve come to love them a lot and they love me. My husband on the other hand doesn’t care for them but that might be bc they’re in our daughters bathtub! Lol!

Welcome to BackYard Chickens!

I will say without a doubt ducks are generally happier when allowed on a pond, BUT that doesn't mean that is best for them, if the pond has snapping turtles, mink, otter nearby the ducks will slowly be killed off. I let my ducks free range during the day, they have access to two creeks and a pond, every year I only lose around 2-3 ducks, I have to put a lot of work into making sure nothing happens to them though, if they cant I would suggest not.

Ducks should have around 5sqft per duck in a coop setting, in a run, they should be allowed at least 15sqft per duck. A kiddie pool would be better placed outside of the coop, or in the run, they'd make a complete mess in no time, which could cause mold/rot in the coop. It gets up to 100F here in Iowa, and it's humid as hell here too, my ducks fare well, just provide shade and water, I will sometimes put a fan in the coop at night too, to cool them down. Duck chores, feeding, watering, penning them up each night, and letting them out each morning, cleaning the coop, and dealing with disease/conditions within the flock.