Topic of the Week - Feeding Ducks

[Abriana]

I use heated buckets for all my flock chickens, ducks and geese I use 4x4 as steps for my chickens to be able to get drinks

If I put out chicken waterers my ducks have them drained in no time and nasty too.

Nipple waterer will not work for ducks they need to be able to wash their faces while eating. dunk their heads.
Swimming water is another issue once it gets below freezing and stays I put up the pools mine usually wash in the buckets so I keep a piece of board over half the buckets so they can't climb in or completely empty them.

I don’t plan on using the nipple waterer for the ducks. They will be able to dunk their face with the one I have in mind. Won’t they get coated in ice in the winter?

 

[Miss Lydia]

They can and do but they have down under their feathers so it usually won't hurt them at all as long as they can keep out of bitter wind I have seen mine with frozen feather and they seem fine. Just don't want them sleeping inside a water bowl all night their feet and legs would be subject to frost bite

 

[Abriana]

They can and do but they have down under their feathers so it usually won't hurt them at all as long as they can keep out of bitter wind I have seen mine with frozen feather and they seem fine. Just don't want them sleeping inside a water bowl all night their feet and legs would be subject to frost bite

I have plywood screwed to the bottom of my fairly tall coop. They’ll have a windbreak. Yeah me either!

 

[BantyChooks]

It got down to 1.2 degrees F the other day! Brrrr. That’s why I’m concerned. The nipples are screwed into a heated bucket and don’t usually freeze. What about wet feather? I read they should always have access to water that they can get fully wet in.

 

[Abriana]

Also how steep can the ramp be for ducks to go into the coop? Can someone post a pic of their ramp/an ideal ramp off the internet?

 

[Miss Lydia]

getting dark here it will have to be tomorrow for me. Maybe Banty has a ramp and it isn't getting dark by her.

 

[BantyChooks]

getting dark here it will have to be tomorrow for me. Maybe Banty has a ramp and it isn't getting dark by her.

No ramp here. The current duck coop is right at ground level, and the other chicken coop (where they live other times) just has a cinder block in front of the door. They jump up fine, even the call. I meant to build a ramp but I ran out of 35* days.

Don't know how well you can see the block here. To the right of the door is a ramp I tried, but the ducks didn't like it.

 

[Abriana]

No ramp here. The current duck coop is right at ground level, and the other chicken coop (where they live other times) just has a cinder block in front of the door. They jump up fine, even the call. I meant to build a ramp but I ran out of 35* days.

Don't know how well you can see the block here.
View attachment 1227825

What a pretty pic!
My coop is about a foot/two feet off the ground.

 

[BantyChooks]

What a pretty pic!
My coop is about a foot/two feet off the ground.

If you do make a ramp, make it wide. Ducks hate narrow ramps---that much I've found.

 

[Abriana]

If you do make a ramp, make it wide. Ducks hate narrow ramps---that much I've found.

Ok, I’ll have to make one!