Wife wants ducks. I want to do this right.

[Redheadhomestead]

Hey all I’m sure the information is somewhere on this vast forum but I figured I’d ask. We’ve had 12-20 chickens for years so we’re not completely green, but we’ve never had ducks. My wife almost brought 2 home from TSC yesterday and I told her we need to research more first. Any helpful tidbits into integrating the ducks would be great.

I know they need a pool/water source.
Can they be confined to the coop/run/natural area that the 20 chickens are? How do I train them to go into the coop at night? I have an automatic door that opens and closes with the sunrise/set when I add chicks every year I just put them in the coop in the morning show them the food and water and let them find their own space. They’ve always come back to the coop with the rest of the birds by nightfall.

Do ducks fly a lot? Can you clip wings like a chicken or is it largely un necessary?

I’ve heard male ducks can breed/kill chickens. Anyway to get just female ducks like buying pullets?


How do you feed them can they eat 16% chick layer food or is it mandatory to switch to an all flock?


Anyway if anyone started with chickens and added ducks I’ll take any helpful tidbits. Thanks in advance

 

[HollowOfWisps]

1. Ducks can cohabitate with chickens if the space is large enough, but ducks are very messy with the water which can make it too wet for chickens. Ducks will need water every day that is deep enough to fully dunk their head to clean their eyes and nares. My ducks and chickens are separate at night and free range together during the day. Also as you noted below drakes can kill chickens.

2. Training is the same as chickens. It just takes time herding them in at night for a bit, but eventually they do catch on.

3. Flying depends on breed. Typically the larger the breed the less they are able to fly. The smaller breeds that do fly can have their wings clipped.

4. Yes you can buy sexed female ducklings at most hatcheries.

5. The biggest thing with ducks is niacin content in the feed. Technically there are feeds labeled for chickens that have enough niacin, but you will need to check either on the bag or contact the company to be sure. Many people also supplement their feed with brewers or nutritional yeast. I personally use Kalmbachs 20% flock raiser. However, I would highly recommend picking up Durvets B complex from your local farm/ag store when you are gathering supplies and dose at 1ml daily if you see any signs of a niacin deficiency.

 

[Knobby]

Following..since I just came home with 6 Peking ducks this morning from TSC. We have 12 acres and 2 ponds, but am not planning on letting them wonder freely on the ponds since we have coyotes, hawks and eagles that roam in the area. Am planning on possible building a coop/run area with one of those plastic koi ponds that you bury..we shall see. This is a new adventure or us as well, but currently have a flock of 10 chickens.

 

[HeritageFan]

Following..since I just came home with 6 Peking ducks this morning from TSC. We have 12 acres and 2 ponds, but am not planning on letting them wonder freely on the ponds since we have coyotes, hawks and eagles that roam in the area. Am planning on possible building a coop/run area with one of those plastic koi ponds that you bury..we shall see. This is a new adventure or us as well, but currently have a flock of 10 chickens.

If you get one of those plastic pond/ liners, please really think about how you can completely drain it.
If you are on a slope and can add a majorly large drain pump that won’t die from the sludge, go that route. If you can afford an also large transfer pump that can handle the sludge, that can also work.
I stick w the kiddie / dog pools, 3’ max, so I can dump them, hose the sludge out, and refill every other day.
Ducks are wonderful. We love them. And they make SUCH a mess esp of their pool!

 

[HeritageFan]

Unsupervised pool time for the babies is a no-go. This little Welsh Harlequin hatched for us last August, she was the only egg that hatched in our first try at incubation, so had to put up w being raised w the turkey poults that were the same age until I could find other WH ducks that were similar in age. As a break from the peckers (aka turkeys lol) she got daily supervised (shallow) pool time after about a week...
Her feet were a bit turned in, and the swimming corrected the issue quickly and without further intervention. She is now a healthy and happy member of the rest of our duck flock. I was happy it was such a warm time of the year and could do this for her she started preening herself early and never got “waterlogged” or wet below the surface of her baby down.
But seriously. Look at that face!! Who knew ducks can smile?

 

[Knobby]

Please do not let your ducklings into a pond until they are fully feathered unsupervised. My friend bought 6 Rouen Ducklings from TSC and had a large tub of water that he saw them get into and out of. The next day three of them were dead in the bottom of it. They do not have the waterproofing that a Momma Duck gives the when first hatched out by her own feathers on them and they get water logged. Just FYI. Good Luck with your babies.

We are actually keeping them in a brooder until they feather out. Don't want them to freeze outside and want to be sure they are ready.

 

[Knobby]

If you get one of those plastic pond/ liners, please really think about how you can completely drain it.
If you are on a slope and can add a majorly large drain pump that won’t die from the sludge, go that route. If you can afford an also large transfer pump that can handle the sludge, that can also work.
I stick w the kiddie / dog pools, 3’ max, so I can dump them, hose the sludge out, and refill every other day.
Ducks are wonderful. We love them. And they make SUCH a mess esp of their pool!

Thank you for the recommendation. I purchased a large kiddie pool and filled it up with fresh water, only to find it full of sludge the next day. Ducks are indeed much more messier than my chickens, but they are adorable.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Thank you for the recommendation. I purchased a large kiddie pool and filled it up with fresh water, only to find it full of sludge the next day. Ducks are indeed much more messier than my chickens, but they are adorable.

In the heat Botulism bacteria grows rapidly. Although the kiddie pool gets dirty, it's easy to empty and refill. Any time the it is hotter than about 93 degrees here, we empty the pools mid day and refill to prevent Botulism. Ducks are real work, there's no doubt, but they bring so much joy that I believe it's worth the work. See: https://duckdvm.com/condition/botulism

 

[HeritageFan]

Thank you for the recommendation. I purchased a large kiddie pool and filled it up with fresh water, only to find it full of sludge the next day. Ducks are indeed much more messier than my chickens, but they are adorable.

I’m not sure where you live, but summer is coming everywhere for most of us!
I second the other post about mid day dump and refill on hot days, both to help curb bacterial growth, and also because the water in smaller pools get HOT in the sunshine!
Some people like to add a shade screen to help give the pool a bit of shade in the hotter parts of the day. Our ducks have a covered “patio” attached to their hutch and they like to nap in the shade during the summer....and in the rainy winter months.
And, as I mentioned before, we always offer two water sources- the pool plus a bucket that is really easy to clean twice a day- so they have an option if we are out for a day that is warm and can’t do a mid day pool water swap...

 

[Luv Ducks]

Unsupervised pool time for the babies is a no-go. This little Welsh Harlequin hatched for us last August, she was the only egg that hatched in our first try at incubation, so had to put up w being raised w the turkey poults that were the same age until I could find other WH ducks that were similar in age. As a break from the peckers (aka turkeys lol) she got daily supervised (shallow) pool time after about a week...
Her feet were a bit turned in, and the swimming corrected the issue quickly and without further intervention. She is now a healthy and happy member of the rest of our duck flock. I was happy it was such a warm time of the year and could do this for her she started preening herself early and never got “waterlogged” or wet below the surface of her baby down.
But seriously. Look at that face!! Who knew ducks can smile?

Such an absolute cutie pie!!!