Water in duck house at night?

[mamaof2wi]

I put water in the duck house when I lock them up at night. Do they need it for that time they are locked up? I do not offer them food in there so just wanted to see if they need to have water. They make such a mess with the water, so want to make sure it is even necessary.


Thanks!

 

[Donna R Raybon]

If you put them up at pretty much dark and release them at early morning, then I would not put water in house. However make sure you give them water before you feed them. If these are ducks kept for egg laying you could have a small outside run to feed/water in morning and not free range until after 11am. Ducks lay early morning and can be bad to no use nest box.
When you leave food out overnight you are just feeding rodents.

I used small sized kiddie pools and moved/emptied/refill at least twice daily. Ducks dibble (make hole in wet ground with bill) and can dig deep holes if you fail to move pools.

 

[mamaof2wi]

If you put them up at pretty much dark and release them at early morning, then I would not put water in house. However make sure you give them water before you feed them. If these are ducks kept for egg laying you could have a small outside run to feed/water in morning and not free range until after 11am. Ducks lay early morning and can be bad to no use nest box.
When you leave food out overnight you are just feeding rodents.

I used small sized kiddie pools and moved/emptied/refill at least twice daily. Ducks dibble (make hole in wet ground with bill) and can dig deep holes if you fail to move pools.

Thanks for the reply. We put them away around 7:30-8pm and take them out around 6:30am. They are 3 weeks old right now.

 

[Donna R Raybon]

Ducklings are not wayerproof until they are old enough to produce oil in oil gland to coat feathers. A momma duck shares her oil with ducklings as they huddle under her so are waterproof from hatch. You will begin to notice water sliding off them rather than soaking them when oil glandbegins to produce.
Your ducklings need something deep enough to dip head under water and wash head off, but not something they could dive head first and drown upside down. Also ducklings can get flipped over on their backs in little divits and hole in the ground. When young and wing feathers not grown out they can't right themselves easily.

 

[chickens really]

With Ducklings till they are 6 weeks old we provide food and water 24/7. Then put them to bed as the sun goes down without food and water. They do great as long as everything is fresh first thing in the morning.