What do you do with ducks no longer laying well?

[zooweemama]

You have more property than I have and all of my ducks are fine and I don't even have a pond. I have about 8 kiddie pools for 60 ducks and 13 geese to share and they all do fine. But as you said the time and money. It's time consuming and let's not talk about the price of feed.

I wish I had a pond.

Post a pic of your pond if you can. I love to see ponds and the possibility.

My pond is horrible looking right now. :| But I will take a pic and share later today.

 

[FireTigeris]

I use those kiddy pools for everything, I have one for sand bath, one for food, one for water and an extra when we leave on vacation

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

ZooWee, glad you have plans and thought behind the ducks. Seen too many get them and after the fact ask what will they do with all of the eggs. We love the ducks and geese both, nothing better than a flock of geese to keep a yard in golf course condition. We have goats too, they handle the brush well, don't care for grass much.

 

[zooweemama]

I use those kiddy pools for everything, I have one for sand bath, one for food, one for water and an extra when we leave on vacation

We have 2 but I think we will need to get a 3rd or even 4th because some of the ducks that appear to be very low in the pecking order won't even get in the water. At all. Poor things.

 

[zooweemama]

ZooWee, glad you have plans and thought behind the ducks. Seen too many get them and after the fact ask what will they do with all of the eggs. We love the ducks and geese both, nothing better than a flock of geese to keep a yard in golf course condition. We have goats too, they handle the brush well, don't care for grass much.

I'd like to have grass one day. We have 4 foot tall...weed grass? It's not grass for sure! LOL It's REALLY tall. Almost taller than my 5 year old. I don't know if we will ever have real grass. Summers are very hot and dry here and water isn't cheap. Soooo fields of weeds it is!

I like to plan things, and calculate things and I know how much time I don't have so I have to be careful with how many ducks we have. Which is why I am even concerned with having a bunch of ducks that don't lay. I have to find a balance between loving them as pets but meeting my families food and time needs. I am really so grateful this forum exists. I have learned so much here from all the people who selflessly give up time to answer questions.

 

[FireTigeris]

As far as Time when I had 8 chickens is not different then 28 if you make your coop smart-(I have vinyl flooring as shown in my pictures) things I'd change on mine is a drain on the back wall...

 

[zooweemama]

As far as Time when I had 8 chickens is not different then 28 if you make your coop smart-(I have vinyl flooring as shown in my pictures) things I'd change on mine is a drain on the back wall...

Is vinyl flooring even okay for ducks? Isn't that pretty slippery? Or do you put a covering over it (hay etc)? I have to clean our coop out soon- the flies are icky and the smell is icky. Not horrible just starting to get a little umm warm. But I want a fresh coop when we add the 3 week olds this week- since there will be 17 ducks pooping in it every night instead of 9. I have also been nonstop brooding ducklings for 6 weeks - ducks are exhausting. Cleaning their brooder is a lot of work! Good thing this part is temporary.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is vinyl flooring even okay for ducks? Isn't that pretty slippery? Or do you put a covering over it (hay etc)? I have to clean our coop out soon- the flies are icky and the smell is icky. Not horrible just starting to get a little umm warm. But I want a fresh coop when we add the 3 week olds this week- since there will be 17 ducks pooping in it every night instead of 9. I have also been nonstop brooding ducklings for 6 weeks - ducks are exhausting. Cleaning their brooder is a lot of work! Good thing this part is temporary.

I have vinyl flooring in both my duck and chicken coops. Then I add pine shaving on top. I use deep litter so they never slide on the vinyl.

 

[zooweemama]

I have vinyl flooring in both my duck and chicken coops. Then I add pine shaving on top. I use deep litter so they never slide on the vinyl.

Thank you. I would love to be able to swipe off the bedding and hose her down. Right now we have a wood floor with a tarp then hay on top. The ducks are SO messy they filth the hay up in no time and it's a soggy mess. We do have a thing fashioned in there that has their waterers (i call them dunkin buckets for their heads) over a netted container. I think they are using it more and more now instead of the little waterers.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you. I would love to be able to swipe off the bedding and hose her down. Right now we have a wood floor with a tarp then hay on top. The ducks are SO messy they filth the hay up in no time and it's a soggy mess. We do have a thing fashioned in there that has their waterers (i call them dunkin buckets for their heads) over a netted container. I think they are using it more and more now instead of the little waterers.

Honestly with ducks I think shavings are much better than hay or straw, with shaving especially if they are thick you can stir it up everyday. and if it gets nasty i just take the shovel and scoop it out into a big plastic container and when full it goes around bushes/ plants etc.