The khaki-Campbell duck Thread !!!!!!!!

[eshinsz]

My Khaki Campbells are about 16 weeks old (give or take a few weeks). I'm trying to determine how many ducks and drakes I have. I think I have 2 of each, but I'm new to ducks and have only had chickens for a year now so pretty new there too.

Any guesses? I hear quacking when I go out to check on them but can never tell which ones are actually quacking. Thanks!!

 

[nchvac]

I have my ducks outside in a small coop with attached small run, during the day I open the door of the run and they free range (they dont go far from home) They swim in our small hand dug backyard pond (20 by 8 feet) and at night i throw some worms in the coop and they go to bed where they get locked in. They hardly eat any feed now that they wander during the day, they eat weeds and whatnot. I dont even have to water them since they have access to the pond all day. Honestly, they are effortless. Unfortunately trying to keep ANY animal confined to an unnatural area will naturally make for a messy situation. In a brooder they are a disaster but once they reach 3 weeks old and go outside they are great!

I have not let mine out yet. I have been waiting for them to get a little bigger because I don't know how the chickens will treat them. Maybe I need to rethink my setup. One thing I am wondering about with the foraging and sifting mud holes do they get that mud taste in the eggs like the pond ducks eggs have? And will they lay eggs in the yard or in the hutch?

 

[nchvac]

My Khaki Campbells are about 16 weeks old (give or take a few weeks). I'm trying to determine how many ducks and drakes I have. I think I have 2 of each, but I'm new to ducks and have only had chickens for a year now so pretty new there too.

Any guesses? I hear quacking when I go out to check on them but can never tell which ones are actually quacking. Thanks!!

If they are like mine the yellow beaks are quaking and I am told those are the drakes

 

[nchvac]

I have my ducks outside in a small coop with attached small run, during the day I open the door of the run and they free range (they dont go far from home) They swim in our small hand dug backyard pond (20 by 8 feet) and at night i throw some worms in the coop and they go to bed where they get locked in. They hardly eat any feed now that they wander during the day, they eat weeds and whatnot. I dont even have to water them since they have access to the pond all day. Honestly, they are effortless. Unfortunately trying to keep ANY animal confined to an unnatural area will naturally make for a messy situation. In a brooder they are a disaster but once they reach 3 weeks old and go outside they are great!

How are you using your run? Are you locking in coop at night and opening to run and then into yard or are they in the run some days?

 

[Amiga]

I have not let mine out yet. I have been waiting for them to get a little bigger because I don't know how the chickens will treat them. Maybe I need to rethink my setup. One thing I am wondering about with the foraging and sifting mud holes do they get that mud taste in the eggs like the pond ducks eggs have? And will they lay eggs in the yard or in the hutch?

My ducks' eggs do not taste muddy, and they do like to sift through mud and soil.

If they go outside before they are done laying, the eggs could end up in the yard. And sometimes there will be an off-schedule egg. But mine mostly lay their eggs in the night pen.

 

[mzmolly65]

This was such a beautiful day with sunshine and heat and it was made even better when I looked over the fence and all the ducks were sleeping in the sun with their heads tucked under their wings. They had no sunshine reaching them in their previous home, no green grass to sleep on, not even a dry spot of dirt to rest on.

It was beautiful to see them so relaxed and comfortable. While they were out I cleaned their coop, hosing down the inside and leaving the doors all open to dry it out and air it out, refreshing the DE, bedding, food and water at the same time.

Then I went in to town to see the vet, for an evening class and to do some grocery shopping and got home later than usual. They were quick to tell me I was late and they wanted to go in for dinner and bed. They practically ran into the coop when I opened the door.

Tomorrow they might not be so happy ... the vet gave us wormer and syringes to stick it down their wee throats! Sorry kids, it's for your own good.

Here's picture of them preening after a swim.

 

[nchvac]

This was such a beautiful day with sunshine and heat and it was made even better when I looked over the fence and all the ducks were sleeping in the sun with their heads tucked under their wings. They had no sunshine reaching them in their previous home, no green grass to sleep on, not even a dry spot of dirt to rest on.

It was beautiful to see them so relaxed and comfortable. While they were out I cleaned their coop, hosing down the inside and leaving the doors all open to dry it out and air it out, refreshing the DE, bedding, food and water at the same time.

Then I went in to town to see the vet, for an evening class and to do some grocery shopping and got home later than usual. They were quick to tell me I was late and they wanted to go in for dinner and bed. They practically ran into the coop when I opened the door.

Tomorrow they might not be so happy ... the vet gave us wormer and syringes to stick it down their wee throats! Sorry kids, it's for your own good.

Here's picture of them preening after a swim.

Why are you having to worm your ducks? Is this a maintenance type thing?

 

[KJ6485]

How are you using your run? Are you locking in coop at night and opening to run and then into yard or are they in the run some days?

This is the coop the ducks sleep in, when they were little I would shut the door between coop and run at night and open it in the morning and i kept them confined in it unless someone was outside with them. Now that they are big, the door between the coop and run always stays open (they still sleep in the coop by choice) and in the morning I open the run door and they come out, the only time they are confined in the coop and run is from late evening to early morning they always have access to the run area but after i put them to bed, the only time i will see them in the run is if I happen to go back outside and they hear me and think they are coming back out.

About the eggs, it is pretty natural for ducks to play and eat in mud. I don't think mud eating would effect the flavor at all, only more potent things like onions, or fish scraps may do that.

 

[nchvac]

This is the coop the ducks sleep in, when they were little I would shut the door between coop and run at night and open it in the morning and i kept them confined in it unless someone was outside with them. Now that they are big, the door between the coop and run always stays open (they still sleep in the coop by choice) and in the morning I open the run door and they come out, the only time they are confined in the coop and run is from late evening to early morning they always have access to the run area but after i put them to bed, the only time i will see them in the run is if I happen to go back outside and they hear me and think they are coming back out.

About the eggs, it is pretty natural for ducks to play and eat in mud. I don't think mud eating would effect the flavor at all, only more potent things like onions, or fish scraps may do that.

I put my rooster in with the ducks this morning to get them aquainted. My rooster is very docile and the ducks seemed very relaxed with him around. In fact the split up and went about their business instead of staying in their usual huddle of 3, so that is promising My rooster has great foraging instinct and has taught my hens well. I am sure the ducks will forage by instinct but at least he will get them to go around the yard and get them introduced to the layout. He stays way away from the road so the ducks should be safe with him around and he is a heck of watcher.

My ducks are fenced in under the chicken coop which is half wired and half solid bottom in the chicken pens. I have not built them a night box yet (do I need one?) as they have shelter from rain and there are trees all around the hutch so not much wind at all. I have them a large cardboard box in there if they need protection and I do see feathers in it but have never seen them inside it.

I am going to spread some sand on the ground to help with the mud and start letting them out with the chickens. I want to give them a good try and chance before I go back to all chickens. My original plan was to have the ducks for eggs and cornish chickens for meat.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Do khaki campbells and rouens generally get along together? I am planning on keeping them together in 1 coop, but should I plan on housing them separate? Will be starting to build pen this next week, so it would be helpful to know before I get started, there will be 8 hens and 1drake of each....thank you in advance for any insight on this.