Time Commitment Ducks

[Araucana16]

I live in a neighborhood where chickens are illegal, but ducks are allowed. The problem is that it's just my mom and I, and she works from 7-5 most days, and while I get home from school at 2:30 some days, other days (once or twice a week for music performances), I get home well past nine, and the ducks would have to stay in an 8x10ish pen in the (well lit) garage with a small pool (they can't stay outside because we have serious wildlife problems in my neighborhood). The issue is that I could only take them outside to the grass maybe 5 days a week for two or so hours a day. I am kind of concerned that the ducks wouldn't be able to take this, but I've only ever had chickens. Does anyone have an input?

 

[beccaWA]

Hmmm. If you're willing to devote the garage to ducks it might work. I see a couple problems though. One being if the garage gets too hot and you'll need proper ventilation. Open windows with predator proof bars/screen coverings and a fan. (cold can be remedied, and ducks take cold really well.) The other is, ducks are messy. Extremely messy. I assume the garage has a cement floor. I brooded some ducks in a corner of my garage, and the poo is very difficult to get off the cement (even though I had pine shavings) You will end up cleaning it often.

Humidity from the pool and the ducks splashing water everywhere could be a prob, too. Thus the fans/ventilation and cleaning often.

Another option might be to install a pet door in a wall of the garage, make a run and have them be inside/outside ducks. The shady side of the garage would be ideal. Just be sure to use hardware cloth and bury some a foot or two into the ground also, so predators can't dig under. You could cover it with metal sheet roofing or more hardware cloth. They'd probably be happier that way. You could keep the wading pool outside, too. That would be healthier than having all that humidity inside a closed building.

I vote duckie door! Good luck.

 

[Amiga]

For water management - here are some ideas.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/641902/created-a-water-saver-for-my-duck-brooder

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/679433/water-water-everywhere/10

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/858161/feed-water-solution-for-brooder#post_12901321

http://frankiemakes.blogspot.ca/2012/06/watering-solution-for-ducks.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/259876/do-your-ducks-have-water-at-night/10#post_13568197

post number 8 from this
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959603/ducklings-getting-stuck-on-their-backs#post_14939819

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/969751/help-baby-ducklings#post_15125952