Water/Feed Homemade Containers

[FunnyBunnies12]

Don't get me wrong, I just adore and love my ducklings but I will NEVER let them hatch this late in the season again!! It's a lot of work and to think I have 4mths of this to go! But orginally Katharina and other posted about using clear plastic tubs to place the food/water containers big enough to poke their heads in/out. What about buying the clear plastic containers and just using those strictly without their food/water containers in them, and fill them up to the holes big enough to put their heads in/out of. Will that work also?? No matter what I try and do, their water splashing mess and them trying to squeeze their bodies into the water trof and pooping/peeing, drooling you name it and still having to change it frequently plus the spill as well as the muddy mess they made with the wood stall pellets. That is probably the most frustrating part. Will the clear contains used for their food/water without the orginal containers inside them work? Anyone else do that? I know once they become bigger and adults it won't be nearly as bad, bigger bills, bigger bodies, but wow 9 babies doing the old "Monkey see, monkey do" is a lot of messy work! And very smelly!

 

[katharinad]

I would say it is trial and error. You just have to try the idea and work from there. Have you thought about using a very small kiddie pool and some stairs in and out and keep all the water and food inside of it? It will be a mess no matter what, but the key is to contain it into a manageable way.

Temps are dropping right now. We are down to 26 and it will keep on fall during the day. Very nasty cold air storm is on the way. They are now expecting -8 tonight with a wind chill of -15. Right now the ducks are out in their daytime outdoor area and the wind is just blowing the snow around. They are using the shelters and hay I put down onto the ground. I will round them up and bring them into their small enclosure with the duck house once it hits 20. It will be a messy long cold night. The oil heater is already turned up to give them more heat tonight. We never had it that cold this early in the season. It will be a bad La Nina winter for us.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

That is what i am using is a small kiddie pool, mostly it does help a lot, but I also thought of using that as their swimming, but with winter coming, that will be a whole new load of work as well. I just thought if I did that container idea, they put their heads in, but they can't splash around as easily making a bigger mess or sitting in it and pooping/peeing in the water and then they are crying for clean water before days end just to do it all over again! LOL!

 

[katharinad]

I would cut off their swimming time all together for the winter. They see water as a game and not really something to drink. You need something they can only stick their heads in and that is it. A bucket with a lid may even work too. Just cut holes into the lid and end of it. Once older you can give them some outdoor time with a concrete mixing bin full of water. That should take care of their splashing needs. I've cut mine off swimming water for now too. They are older now and don't try to swim in the drinking water bucket. They still make a mess.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Sounds good, thanks a lot for all the suggestions. I will try that long plastic container and cut 9 holes in the lid.