Toys for Muscovy Ducks

[Summernole]

Okay, not to take the "Motherhood" thing too far but I'm wondering what kind of toys, if any, do ducklings like to play with. I know they like to splash in the water, chase the hose water around and dig in the mud but what can I do to stimulate them a little more while they are growing up in the pen? In a week or so I will enlarge the pen to where they can venture into my yard a little more but I feel the little guys (and girls) are bored.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You named pretty much everything muscovy like to do. You could catch them some bugs? Otherwise supervised outings? @Soon2BChixMom what did you do?

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! Mine don't have any toys.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Bugs, plants, water, mud, treats, maybe some of those dog toys that you can hide food inside. Ducks aren't complicated creatures.

 

[casportpony]

If you do decide to get toys, make sure they are safe, and by that I mean that they should be solid things that the ducks can't break, and they should be big enough that the ducks can't swallow them or parts of them.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

You named pretty much everything muscovy like to do. You could catch them some bugs? Otherwise supervised outings? @Soon2BChixMom what did you do?

Mine don't have toys. Lol. I just put a couple of stumps, a large brick, and lots of fresh water. I also put up veggies in a suet holder sometimes. I add weeds and grass clippings to their run, let them out of the run sometimes, and pretty much just let them be ducks.

 

[Summernole]

You named pretty much everything muscovy like to do. You could catch them some bugs? Otherwise supervised outings? @Soon2BChixMom what did you do?

Yuk, I don't want to catch them some bugs but I could buy some. I have heard that they like mirrors and bells - like my African Gray. I just put three balls in the pen and they were nervous at first but then started pecking at them. We will see.

 

[Summernole]

Mine don't have toys. Lol. I just put a couple of stumps, a large brick, and lots of fresh water. I also put up veggies in a suet holder sometimes. I add weeds and grass clippings to their run, let them out of the run sometimes, and pretty much just let them be ducks.

Thanks, again, Soon2BChixMom.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Okay, not to take the "Motherhood" thing too far but I'm wondering what kind of toys, if any, do ducklings like to play with. I know they like to splash in the water, chase the hose water around and dig in the mud but what can I do to stimulate them a little more while they are growing up in the pen? In a week or so I will enlarge the pen to where they can venture into my yard a little more but I feel the little guys (and girls) are bored.

They don't need as much stimulation as chickens do. Mine brooded just fine with nothing but their food and water. I think by the time they got into their regular run, they were needing more room for sure, but other than that I don't think they were bored. Boredom is really a human idea.
Also, since it is the summer, I would just get them out into the grass where they can be in shade and protected by welded wire or a cage of some sort (temporary run). They will have loads to do then.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I buy crickets for my chickens and ducks. I never gave them to the ducklings, but they caught flies that were around their brooder, that was cute to watch.