The Duck Thread

[TattooedKeeper3]

Hi everyone, first time poster here. After browsing through the boards and lurking about quite a bit in the past few weeks, I thought I'd introduce myself--and the girls.

I just bought my first house and it came with a chicken coop! For obvious reasons my SO and I chose ducks over chickens, and thus the experiment with 4 wildly entertaining ducklings has ensued. We bought four hens: a Pekin (Grace), Cayuga (Martha), Welsh Harlequin (Piper), and Black Swedish (Juniper/June). It's been super fun thus far and we're both in love with our ducklings. They're about 3.5 weeks old at this point and are really starting to feather, especially on their chest and wings.

They've taken very kindly to us, and while I wouldn't say they've totally imprinted on us, they've gotten close enough to the point that we can call them and they'll all come waddling towards us if we're standing "too far" away in the yard. Picking them up is obviously no problem and never has been.

We thought you might enjoy some pictures of the experience thus far, so have a look!

1-2 days old:
First hours after being delivered to us





Fell asleep almost instantly after feeling the warmth of my hands

1-2 weeks old:
First swim lesson!



June says hi

2-3 weeks old:
Moving into the new temporary enclosure--they got too big for the bathtub!

First excursion outside

Finally being tall enough to see each other in the mirror

The water doesn't 'taste right' if it's not sat in first

They are so precious. I can't wait until my ducklings get that big. Is that a screen top on the water container?

 

[farmer boy]

i just put in 11 duck eggs in the bator today lets see how many will hatch .. my first duck hatch from my first ducks lets see what happens next

 

[adorable]

I have had ducks before.. I do remember there was alot of poop and in the spring the smell... How do i avoid this in the near furture as i am starting up again. I really like ducks more over chickens. but they are pooping machines. .. But they make alot of mud with there water and poop in it. You cant clean it and just hoping for it to dry up and you cant move them. So what do you do in that case.... what about in side for the winter time.. Here the coldest it does get is minus 30 .. It is cold. I give a pail of water.. But then the next thing you know is there bedding is wet and frozen then it builds up .. You cant clean it until it thaws.. Any answers to this.. beside dont get any ducks. lol.. In the summer when it is warmer.. It is all good.. But only for a short time as our summers are short here.

 

[Amiga]

I have thirteen ducks. Nine runners, four buffs. They have a pen in our walkout basement for nighttime, and a day pen outside.

I do room service every day. Takes fifteen minutes most days. Then once a week or so, big cleanout, takes about an hour to really do it up.

I keep their water pots in little watering stations. One is a large, high-sided cat litter box with a lower entrance. The other is the bottom of a large plastic dog crate. I put sawdust pellets under the water pots. That gets fluffed daily, and changed as needed - maybe twice a week.

For bedding, I have used straw, but when quality became a problem (moldy), I switched to pine shavings.

Room service is collecting poo chunks and fluffing the shavings, emptying water pots, wiping them out and refilling, fluffing sawdust.

Full cleanout is just what it sounds like. All bedding goes onto gardens or compost piles, watering stations get emptied and wiped out, pots scrubbed, all new bedding a sawdust put in.

The basement smells better than it ever has, because I stay on top of it. I have the door open a bit each day (when the ducks go in and out, and when I go in and out) and that helps keep it fresh. I need to dust more in the basement because both shavings and straw are dusty.

 

[adorable]

that sound awesome.. Do you have any pics and any pics of your water station.

 

[Amiga]

Here's the watering station

 

[jonhpdx]

They are so precious. I can't wait until my ducklings get that big. Is that a screen top on the water container?

Yep, it is. We didn't have one while they were in the bathroom and it was a complete disaster zone by the time they moved out. I learned my lesson and went looking for some kind of grate to put the water on--the one I have is actually a metal sheet meant for grilling vegetables. Strapped it to some styrofoam that is the perfect size for the top of a big plastic bucket and called it a day. Haven't had to change it once, ducks can't get to it, and their pen is nice a clean (minus all the poop...)!

 

[TattooedKeeper3]

Yep, it is. We didn't have one while they were in the bathroom and it was a complete disaster zone by the time they moved out. I learned my lesson and went looking for some kind of grate to put the water on--the one I have is actually a metal sheet meant for grilling vegetables. Strapped it to some styrofoam that is the perfect size for the top of a big plastic bucket and called it a day. Haven't had to change it once, ducks can't get to it, and their pen is nice a clean (minus all the poop...)!

I will have to try that. I have noticed as my little ducklings rapidly grow the chicken waterer is just not cutting it. I couldn't think of a way to keep them out of the water though until I saw your pic. Thanks for the great idea.

 

[MissRoseJ]

HelP! This is not urgent, but I'm SO CURIOUS!
What kind of duck do you think this is?

When I adopted him as a baby, the owner said he was a "blue swedish", but now about a year or two later I'm thinking he is either a Cayuga or East Indie duck (although from pictures of the two they look EXACTLY SIMILAR) but my Cocoa (my ducky's name) is a BIG boy, (not small like they say East Indies are).
Let me know what you think...
his white bib feathers are suspicious however, and also his orange-ish beak

Thanks!!
-Misso

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Sorry MissRose, Have no Idea. Not a duck pro. But VERY VERY Pretty!!!! You are very lucky.