Will putting marbles in the ducks water.....

[ScoobyRoo]

make it last longer? I have 4 ducks (5wks old) and a gallon waterer (LG red plastic tray with gallon plastic) and they will empty it in 2 hours or less!
Fortunately my DH or I have been home to stay on top of it. Now we both are working tomorrow and I need to make it last for most of the day. They are staying in a rabbit hutch outside and two waterers may take up too much room. I've heard of using pebbles but I think that is more for preventing drownings. I wondered if it would keep them form splashing so much out and running dry before I get home? Any suggestions?
Thanks

 

[redbugs13]

I don't know about marbles. But I have 4 ducks in with 6 chicks, they seem to go thought the water pretty quickly also. I put a tray under the water to catch the water they spill out of the actual waterer. I saw that they were drinking out of the tray and the waterer, it made it last a little longer. Also, I had a 13x9 baking dish in with them as a "pond" they would splash in that and drink out of both.

Good Luck

 

[MaineChickens]

As much of a mess as it makes, you need to give them something they can wash their nostrils and eyes in. Depending on the age of the ducklings I cut a hole in the side of a milk jug so they can get their head in, but they can not get themselves inside. A couple of those works till they are big enough to use a 2 quart bucket. Then on to a 2 gallon bucket.

Thank goodness they grow as fast as they do, because you will want them outdoors asap.

Marbles won't slow them down. It is just their nature to play in water. I found giving them something that didn't work on gravity feed like a chicken waterer would at least leave them SOME water till I got home to refill.

I would not keep chicks and ducks together in a brooder situation because of how messy the ducks are.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

are you sure the waterer is level? when i had my ducklings, they would go through water sooo fast but then we figured out the waterer wasn't level so it would overflowing.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
No it is not overflowing. That did occur to me so I watched. They just splash and play in it a lot. I did have a tray before they were moved outside to the hutch. I will put that back in to catch the water and hopefully it will last till I get home.
Thanks.