Water at night

[Quack head]

I have three 43 day old Appleyards and they are doing, what I think, great! Yesterday was the first day I let them in the outdoor pen all day, prior it has been a few hours at a time . The outdoor pen is 24' x 24' with grass for now. They have a kiddie pool, which they spent a lot of the day, they also eat bugs and just run around and would wander in and out of their house. I also have five adult Appleyards (some are two years old) that free range all day. At night, both are locked in the same house with hardware cloth separating the adults from the young.

My question: If I leave the young ones out all day with food and the kiddie pool, when can I stop giving them food and water at night. Needless to say they make a mess and create a haven for insects? They are let out between 6:00 - 6:30am and put back in the pen around 7:00pm.

 

[RainbowHen]

No need for water at night so long as there is no food either

 

[featherhead007]

Feed them at night? ( I wouldn't.) You know what happens to gremlins, when you feed them at night!

 

[416bigbore]

Leaving food and water in with Poultry at night has always been a debated topic, mainly because of the mess.

In my uneducated option, If you take away the food at night fine, but don't deprive your babies of water because you don't like to deal with the mess they leave. Ducks are messy, welcome to the world of being a duck owner.

Try to look at it this way, ducks also love to eat different bugs and what happens if one of your babies finds a big juicy moth at night and decides to eat it for a little midnight snack and no water to wash that nasty bugger down after.

Ducks are very active at night unlike chickens who roost.

 

[Quack head]

Leaving food and water in with Poultry at night has always been a debated topic, mainly because of the mess.

In my uneducated option, If you take away the food at night fine, but don't deprive your babies of water because you don't like to deal with the mess they leave. Ducks are messy, welcome to the world of being a duck owner.

Try to look at it this way, ducks also love to eat different bugs and what happens if one of your babies finds a big juicy moth at night and decides to eat it for a little midnight snack and no water to wash that nasty bugger down after.

Ducks are very active at night unlike chickens who roost.

Thanks for your message. I took away the water and food from the five adults about 8 months ago and it worked out fine. I guess at what age should I do it with the new ducks? Although the adults free range all day with a large pond (1/2 acre) I still feed and water them before they get put up for the night.

 

[416bigbore]

I am no expert and everyone seems to have their own reasons for doing the things they do with their poultry. I just know good clean water is an essential factor in having healthy and happy ducks, night or day.

 

[Beaglegal]

Thanks for your message. I took away the water and food from the five adults about 8 months ago and it worked out fine. I guess at what age should I do it with the new ducks? Although the adults free range all day with a large pond (1/2 acre) I still feed and water them before they get put up for the night.

I stop leaving water at night for the ducklings at about 4-5 weeks old. They are pretty sturdy by then.

 

[RainbowHen]

I stop leaving water at night for the ducklings at about 4-5 weeks old. They are pretty sturdy by then.

I follow this as well. Same for chicks. My ducks always slept through the night

 

[featherhead007]

I am no expert and everyone seems to have their own reasons for doing the things they do with their poultry. I just know good clean water is an essential factor in having healthy and happy ducks, night or day.

Yes! but no coffee after 10:00PM !

 

[Fuchsia]

I do not give my ducks water or food at night because they make a mess.
And they are supposed to be sleeping!