i'm out of opiates but this deserves a couple at leastA summary of Ducks 101:
Ducks need water in their mouth to eat. Okay, not like cereal and milk. More like cookies and milk. Cookies are best dunked in milk, but you can take a bite of cookie and then drink milk.Even if you don't do it that way, you get my point.
A duck must be able to clean its nostrils with water. Throughout the day, they need to wash their eyes too. That is why nipple watering systems don't really work for ducks. Though IMO they are fine inside the coop overnight.
Sally has pictures of a milk jug cut the right way for ducks. They can get their heads in, but not their bodies. My ducklings knocked them over. So, I laid a half gallon juice container on its side, and cut a hole. The ducklings need to be tall enough to reach in. Maybe three weeks.
Take a dog dish and a gallon jug. Cut a hole in the jug about two inches below the top of the dog dish. Fill the jug through the hole, leaving the cap on. Place right side up in dog dish. Instant waterer, and the ducks can't climb in.
Use any jug and bowl to adjust to the brooder.
Ducklings can't stay in water long. They lack the water proofing oil that makes them float. Mom wipes hers on them.
Male ducks of most breeds get tail feather curls around three months.
And I'm going to leave that AutoCorrect because I think it's hilarious, but I do mean ovates