Some general duck questions

[ltsite6]

That would suffice. They will be ok in there. Many many people would say no way that's cruel blah blah blah, obviously it's not the most perfect setting for Ducks, but it is enough room for them to live in. And if you want seriously improved egg production get a 4 foot shop light that hold 2 T5 lamps, and have one lamp be 2warm light and the other cold light. Basically it's the Kelvin scale. One bulb 3400k. And the other 7500k. High and low spectrum. I have played around a lot with the different spectrum and I have come to find out that combination is best for max production. And give them 17 hours a light a day. You can get an auto timer that will turn your lights on and off.

 

[ltsite6]

Really any artificial daylight for 17 hours a day is really good

 

[pauleberly]

Actually I looked into it, ts more lole 4 foot wide by 16 foot long. That should be enough area.

I'll have to look into the lighting. Does it mess up a ducks natural cycles?

 

[ltsite6]

Hmm. Well, that's a tricky question. Haha. Their natural cycles, as well as any bird for that matter, is basically seasonal laying. That's "natural". However us humans, (me for sure) love my quail, chicken and duck eggs all year long. So I'm ok with the artificial lighting. You just have to be careful not to let any of them set a nest during winter. That makes for some sad or dead ducklings if a hen DOES hatch any out. But most of the time even with 17 hours of light a day all year around they still don't really like to go broody outside of spring and summer. So yes. Naturally birds don't lay much in the shorter days. (Winter, late fall). So it messes with the natural cycle. But it doesn't hurt them really... Maybe will "burn them out sooner". But I've not really noticed that. I keep my birds super happy and healthy. They have a good system down and no stress. And like you said, your in it for the eggs. So you want lighting. I'm in it for eggs, meat and my love for animals and having them kept happy and healthy. So I do it too. I love everything eggs. I even like Balut. Haha

 

[Ghibli]

They should burn out sooner with lighting, and it'll likely be harder on their bodies (Imagine pushing out an egg every day!). Personally I'm much more comfortable with letting them do it however is natural, but my ducks are more pets than anything, I like just watching them and hanging out with them, I don't need them to lay eggs constantly. But just so you know, they should stop laying sooner if you have them laying year round, to my knowledge, like humans, they're born with all or at least most their potential eggs (Ovums) inside them already.

Edit: Thought I'd just add, according to my vet, chickens are less healthy and more likely to get reproductive problems due to just being bred so heavily for egg laying. So that's where my thought that it's difficult on their bodies comes from. Ultimately it's just a personal choice you'll have to make, depending on what your priorities are and what ducks would be to you.

 

[ltsite6]

But also if you have them cooped up then even hatching during the winter they would possibly be fine.

 

[ltsite6]

Yes, ghibli is right about that. They will probably burn out sooner. I have had Ducks lay for a few years straight. Without a break from lighting. But as more of a pet and such, or not having that many, maybe you won't want to do artificial lighting. I replace my duck stock every 2 or 3 years. Chickens every 2 years. I mostly eat my own meat, and my true passion in life is breeding and competing in dog agility with my working line Australian shepherds. They eat a fully raw diet. so nothing NOTHING ever gets wasted from the animals I butcher. Sorry if that is gruesome to anyone! My little pack of carnivores need to eat too!!!!

 

[ltsite6]

Question ghibli, are you talking about breeding for chickens that lay better? Selective breeding? Like the breed the industrial commercial egg farmers have?

 

[ltsite6]

Doesn't matter either way! Good info! Thanks for the addition to this thread!

 

[Tilly6]

Muscovy's FLY, their also more apt to be super seasonal layers,

You do not need a kiddy pool. All you need is a bucket or something, as long as they can dunk their head and wash out their nostrils and mouth.

Clipping wings won't keep them from flapping, stretching, or attempting to get air. Haha but the breeds you named full grown won't be getting off the ground, (except I don't know about runner Ducks, never had them)

If your looking for good egg layers you should check out metzer farms golden 300 hybrids. Their pretty and LAY AMAZING!!

My runners from Metzer farms can make some "flying" leaps, but they can't fly away. Two of my females can be very loud, the rest are quieter. I think it just depends on the duck. They are excellent foragers. They are still about a month away from being old enough to produce eggs.