Water at Night

[purplepillbug73]

I've stopped giving my ducks water at night in an effort to keep their bedding from getting so gross so fast. They seem to be doing fine, but I was wondering if this was okay. They would drink the water at night, but was it because they needed it or because it was there?

 

[froggie71]

Is this outside or in the brooder? We took away water at night in the brooder when they were a few weeks old, but you must make sure they don't have access to food as well. Outside our ducks run is open to their house, so they have full access to water in their run. Not everyone agrees with taking away water at night.

 

[Judy]

I think it's a matter of how early they are given water access in the morning.

 

[10ducks]

Also the age matters... although I can't give a specific age, sorry. Many people think that after about 3 weeks they are fine for 8 hours without food and water. As froggie said, no water, no food--to prevent choking. I coop up my adults and teenagers (8 weeks plus) at night with no food and water with no problems. And they obviously aren't bothered by thirst: they can go right down to the pond to eat and drink when I let them out in the mornings, but they often hang around the barnyard for an hour or so and "socialize" before heading down to the pond.

Edited to add: I let them out about 7:00 am.

 

[becky3086]

I don't take mine away at night in the brooder or in the pen. In the brooder, however, they do run out of water at night and they act like they are thirsting to death in the morning when I give them some(I wake up at 5:15 so that is when they get their water.

 

[melissa508]

I think its fine for them to go to bed with no water, i do the same with mine when theyre locked in the barn for the nite. Otherwise its a stinky mess in there.

 

[protodon]

My ducks, or other poultry, have never had access to water at night once they go outside. They free range all day and have access to water then. At night they move to the coop and get locked up. There is never any water, or food, in the coop. They do perfectly fine. Nighttime is for sleeping!

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I keep water 24/7 in the coop. I have chickens/ducks/geese all in the same coop and offer 2 waterers. One is from TSC and is a 3gallon poultry waterer with a red base and white top, the other is just a bucket that I have sitting in a large black feeder that I also got at TSC. The geese and ducks mostly use the bucket to get water and any mess they make in that overflows into the black feeder! It's keep the coop much cleaner and if I do have some "wet" area, I sprinkle it with Stall Dry.

 

[purplepillbug73]

My ducks are 11 weeks old and they have access to water from dawn til dusk. I only give them food during the day also. They still seem okay without food or water at night and their droppings in the coop are still pretty watery. I think I'll go ahead and keep giving them food and water only during the day unless things change. If I need to give them water at night, I think I'll try toletiquesbysam's method with the overflow bucket.

Thank you all for the input!

 

[Wifezilla]

My ducks are used to having food and water at night, but they were getting really messy. So what I did was take a 5 gallon bucket and cut 2 holes in the side. The holes are just big enough for them to get their noggins inside and take a drink. I also put a lid on, so no unauthorized swimming

I based this on the milk jug waterers some people use in their brooders.

I am happy to say that after staring at it suspiciously for a while, they figured it out. I put fresh bedding around the waterer last night and this morning it was actually pretty dry.

This may be a good alternative for people who want them to have water at night but don't want a complete mess.