Will ducks drink from chicken watering nipples

[Brittany0309]

I recently purchased three cayaugas and 6 silkie chickens. The pen I am building will be 4 feet by 8 feet, with the "living" area about 2 feet off the ground and the "pen" underneath. The pen will be open to the elements but enclosed with chicken wire or whatever I end up using, with a ramp going up into the coop area and a door to my backyard. They will be freeranged during the day and put in the cage at night for protection. In an attempt to keep the living/sleeping are of the coop clean i was thinking of not keeping food in the upper enclosed area, but instead in the lower portion of the coop. If I used chicken waterer nipples in the upper area will the ducks drink from them if they get thirsty? I will keep food and water for the ducks to eat in the lower portion because I dont care about the mess but would perfer the ducks not mess up the upper area if possible. I have no issue leaving the ramp open all night so the ducks can eat if they want. What do you guys think? Thanks.

 

[jdywntr]

Are they ducklings or adults?
If ducklings, they may learn to drink from nipple waterers, they may not. I have tried with 2 batches of ducklings with no luck.

Also, you may find that the ducks won't use the ramp. I don't have ramps but from things I have read on BYC, many ducks don't like them.

Unless you live in an area without predators, loose dogs etc don't use chicken wire. It is very easy for a predator to get through. Welded wire or hardware cloth while more expensive will offer protection.

Finally, you will find that the 3 ducks are going to create such a mess that the silkies will not like it. Ducks are messy, ducklings are filthy.

I would have a plan B just in case a problem develops with them living together.

 

[sourland]

I would guess that there would be no problem with the ducks learning how to use the system. The one concern is that they might "play" with the nipples thereby wasting water and causing a real mess.

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

They will do what ever they can to get water.

 

[poultry09]

I have 16 ducks, 9 geese and 16 chickens, they all use the 5 gallon bucket (they where all at least one year old when I introduced the bucket to them all I did was removed all other water sources for a couple day till they learned what the bucket was for and while they where watching I pushed the nipple so it would drip and they learned within minutes) with poultry nipples in the bottom, (even tho they have a pool which is good cause they get good fresh water) the only water that gets wasted is from a hole I managed to drill to big in the bottom and it drips and they play in the puddle it creates. My coop is off the ground and all my birds go in at night by them self's up a ramp, The only problem I have is when I get a new goose or duck they don't know how to get in the coop at night so for the first couple days (usually 3-5 days) I catch them when it is time for bed at night and put them half way up the ramp and have them walk up the rest of the way into the coop and they learn that in order to get into the coop they must go up the ramp, it works out great for everyone the ducks do not have any problem with the nipples or the ramp to the coop.

good luck

 

[Brittany0309]

Thanks for all the opinions. Basically I would like to provide access to water at night but want as little mess as possible. The pen will be built in a way where there will always be access to the outside area of the pen, which will always have food and water. I intend on using the deep bedding of pine shavings method so I would perfer not to have water buildup if possible in order to prevent mold and such. Do you folks think I would be better off not having food and water in the upper area of the pen and keeping the ramp down as to provide access to food and water in the lower area 24 hours a day, or should I have water in the upper area as well. Thanks again for all the input.