Waterers for ducklings?

[Hennyhandler]

I know that ducks have to be able to put their whole heads in the water. My question is when they are day olds and you don't want them to have access to a bowl of water to drink out of because they might drown when you're not around what do you use? I will not be available hour on the hour so I would love something that can stay clean awhile and that is good for ducklings.

Also, when do you move your ducklings out of the brooder? Is that when they get their feathers, like a chicken?

 

[comp6512]

After spending ungodly amounts of money on all kinds of waterers, here's what I settled with:

It's a simple lunch container with a pasta sauce jar in the middle. The jar is filled with water for weight. At a week of age, I replace that container with a taller one, but same diameter.

 

[ChickenToes]

I use a regular chick waterer until they're about 2 weeks old, then I switch to a weighted dish.

 

[my1stchicks]

I use a small milk jug with a hole cut in the side so they can get their heads in but not their bodies.
I increase the jug size to gallon when their a bit bigger.

 

[Brickman House]

I use a gallon milk jug with a hole cut into the side, too.

I start with the hole small and low (probably a quarter to a third of the way up the jug) and then as they grow, I throw away the old jug, and cut a new one with holes larger and higher, progressively.

 

[gryeyes]

I used a cottage cheese container (will graduate to a Cool Whip container in a couple of weeks) with a slice cut out of the lid. The lid snaps back on tightly. Ducklings are able to put their bills - and their whole heads - into the container and dabble in the water with their bills all they want. They can't GET step into, poop into, or otherwise fling all that much water out of it at one time.

But I do like that milk jug idea, too.