Why do ducks do this?

[WeNeedDrPhil]

They stick their beaks into the mud and gurgle it about and then proceed to clean their beaks by dunking it into the water, which causes it become instantly dirty and ready to change. It's so annoying!
Link to video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CBVE2MIzDIoAs172VlC3ddPxxzG0aSLZ/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[416bigbore]

That is normal duck behavior, they root around in the mud just like pigs looking for something to eat.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Ducks are filter feeders. The sides of their beaks are special allowing them to take a bite of mud and then filter it it through those sides, in the water, for little worms and other yummy things. Your ducks are just being ducks.

I borrowed this photo from the website, "The Naturalists Notebook, Notes and Photos from the Field (Craig and Pamelia's Blog)".

 

[ducksinvt]

Rainy days turn my ducks to mudbugs!!!!! Especially my white pekings!!!!! Funny to watch until the water drains away and your left with small craters to break an ankle in!!!!!! Lol!!!!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Just the usual foraging for bugs. Every thunderstorm my ducks are out going nuts for the bugs they find in the mud. The muddier it is the easier it is for them to dig through the dirt for bugs.

 

[Weeg]

Its so cute when my white crested do it, they get there whole front all muddy and since there white its so cute!

 

[416bigbore]

I call ours mud magnets ! If it's there...... they are stuck up to their eyeballs in it ! Silly little gooses !

 

[nao57]

Ducks are filter feeders. The sides of their beaks are special allowing them to take a bite of mud and then filter it it through those sides, in the water, for little worms and other yummy things. Your ducks are just being ducks.
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I borrowed this photo from the website, "The Naturalists Notebook, Notes and Photos from the Field (Craig and Pamelia's Blog)".

Agreed!

 

[nao57]

Ducks love mud.

I hope you can learn to accept this about them, because they are very sweet animals. They are more social than chickens also.

They do better with some space, and that helps them to stay less messy, as they are able to spread out and move around.

But one idea that helps me with this is when you have animals you are letting them WORK FOR YOU. And this is the beauty of it. We take care of animals because of the idea that if we don't then we'll live by the sweat of our brow and back. But if you can harness the power of animals to work for you, then its more peaceful and you transfer that to them, while instead using your mind to work but going through less stress on the body.

Who wouldn't want that?

So try to love the ducks.

They are....NOT chickens. But once you get used to them, they are more exciting than chickens in many ways. They are also funny and do funny things too.

I've been doing gardening for about 10 years now. We grow potatoes, sunflowers, swiss chard, (attempted) radishes, and also tomatoes....

What I've found is there's MUCH less effort with both chickens and ducks than there is with the garden. Sometimes I could spend 5 to 10 hours a week in the garden and we'd get almost nothing. But feeding and spraying out the chicken and duck pens every day uses much less time than that. Its much easier.

So I hope you can think about this while you are getting used to your ducks.