What do ducks need

[1eyejer]

Hi there, ive been thinking about getting some ducks for our huge pond in the backyard, do they need something like a coop and do they eat the same food as chickens..What do i do with them in the winter,,, Thanks in advance

 

[chickboss]

I am very new to ducks, so someone will probably be able to tell you better than I. But here it goes anyway. My understanding is that ducks are pretty hardy and only require a small shelter to keep them out of the worst of it. However, predator protection is very important, at least for night time, so you want to make sure that nothing can get in. I guess lots of people use old dog houses, crates, ect. Others put in full blown duck houses with nesting boxes, insulation, and the works. I know you can start them on chick starter, but you want to make sure it is unmedicated and you want to add some niacin to thier diet because chick started has less than they need. I have read and heard so far that a lot of ducks will still prefer to be outside even in very cold weather. Hope this helps. Our first four are 3 weeks old and so much fun. OH, but that reminds me. They grow FAST! So make sure you have room before they come home or you will end up scrambling like me to enlarge brooder space.

 

[1eyejer]

Thanks Chickboss, very helpful

 

[Chicken Crazy12]

I've heard that ducks can freeze on a pond in winter, but ours have access to a pond all winter and have never stayed on the pond long enough while it was cold to freeze in it. They will need a shelter of some sort to go to when the weather is really really bad. For ducks they love to be outside mostly, but they will retreat to the shelter when it's bad out. We feed our ducks a duck grower, but you could get by feeding a game bird feed and because we sell eggs out of ours we feed them laying pellets, but thats just because we sell hatching eggs. ducklings have to be raised up before turning out to a pond or they could drown. Good luck I recomend Storey's Guide to Raising ducks by Dave holderread (a must have for duck owners)

 

[FenDruadin]

If you just want to release them onto the pond for looks, you could contact a local waterfowl rescue organization, and see if they have any native birds for release--I know our local organization does this from time to time.

Domestic breeds will require some time and attention, though they are easy to keep. As has already been said, they need shelter and, especially, protection from predators, especially if the water freezes over in winter. Mine do okay on the pond on the nights they choose not to come home, but they are sleeping safely on the water. If there were no water they'd be--well, they'd be sitting ducks for any predator that wanders by. Regardless, they will need to be fed a good quality grain feed to supplement what they can forage themselves, and they will need to have some place out of the wind and protected from predators to sleep in in winter. It will be easiest to manage them if they get in the habit of going into their shelter every night.

I do know of someone who keeps ducks on a community pond without shelter all summer, then brings them into their yard and into a pen with a shelter in winter. This works well for them and could be an option for you. They feed the ducks year-round.

Good luck. Ducks are addictive.

 

[Amiga]

I am with iammcuriositycat, as far as recommending you consider wild ducks for your pond. I think that some people can manage domestic ducks on ponds very very well. But if you are new to ducks, you may not be able to anticipate dangers to the ducks, and could cause yourself some unnecessary grief.

Please consider building duck nesting boxes and planting a food plot so that some of the beautiful wild ducks can enjoy the pond, and in turn, you can enjoy them. They are more suited for living on a pond that most of the domestic breeds of which I am aware.

Ducks are wonderful! And perhaps you can get some good advice for your area for having domestic ducks on a pond. Up where I am, we have fishers (a four-legged animal), raccoons, skunks, possums, bobcats, snapping turtles, hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, domestic dogs and cats, and I have probably forgotten a few. Domestic ducks for the most part cannot fly away from danger. They are, pardon me, sitting ducks.

So, I would consider what kinds of infrastructure would be required for domestic ducks to survive the environment, and what kind of infrastructure that would encourage and assist wild ducks to inhabit my pond, and decide which way to go.

Good for you for looking into this ahead of time!