Jennifer3141 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Does anyone here do ducks? We are considering three female ducklings this spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Didn't exactly want to but dh came home with a male and a female duckling from the store the other day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galtgrl Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ducks are REALLY messy, just so you know. :tongue_smilie: We have 2. They'll be pretty easy to keep if you have a pond, but if you don't I wouldn't recommend them. The males can get aggressive, but females should be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 My DD21's roommate has a pet duck. The duck lives in the backyard. It chases my daughter's corgi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudboots Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 To make them true pets, you'd need to spend a lot of time with them when they're very young. You might be able to tame them a little bit later by offering grain or corn from your hand. I had a single pet duck several years ago. He was very tame - so sweet. Last year, we got a herd of ducks. These ducks aren't very tame, because I'm too busy to sit out there with them. But they're still fun to have, and they keep grasshoppers to a minimum around the garden. Ducks make easy prey to foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and even owls. We shut ours into a pen with a roof every night. They know where they're supposed to go, and it's easy to herd them in there. My DD21's roommate has a pet duck. The duck lives in the backyard. It chases my daughter's corgi. Our first duck used to chase the DH's lawnmower around the yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 ..... Our first duck used to chase the DH's lawnmower around the yard. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 My youner sister has two ducks; they were very cute, messy and noisy. She will not let her dd, have them:lol:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 The mess part is the part that throws me. I'm thinking of ordering day old ducklings so they'll be handled a lot. And I went for the quiet, more docile breeds. We have a large wading pool we'll be converting for them and if we just HAVE to have a pond soon... so be it. :lol: No males this year. It's the year of the female bird for me! The custom coop is coming for the chickens and rabbits at the end of August. I'm not sure if I will house the ducks in there too or if they will have to go into a totally separate space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3browneyedboys4me Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 We raised them a few yrs ago.We have a pond in our back yard. It was perfect for us, but they are messy and a lot of work in the beginning. If you get them as littles, You'll need a big box or something to put them in and a light...plus food. Your feed store should help you with the supplies. We took them out every now and then and put them in our bath tub to practice before the pond! :auto: It was really cool...but again...a bit of a commitmen!;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 We just bought our first two ducks last week! They have an enclosed pen though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 I've been buying good brooder equipment in preparation for chickens anyway so I'm all set with that. I'm looking for organic duckling feed on the net. Our local feed stores don't do a lot of organic stuff. :( And once the ducks are old enough to go outside they will have to be penned when they aren't with us. There aren't many trees on this acreage and I am afraid a duck will stand out (espeically the Pekin) quite easily to a bald eagle! And then night comes and out come the coyotes and foxes and raccoons and owls... :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 (edited) Like others have said, ducks are super messy. But they're also pretty loveable, in most cases. :D I raise Call ducks, which are a bantam duck. They're friendly and downright adorable. I keep mine in raised pens that have a sheltered section with a plywood floor/sides and an open portion that has a wire floor and a sunken tub for a "pond." This really cuts down on mess. Ducks are very susceptible to predators. Turn them loose on a pond and, unless you get very lucky or have ducks that roost (e.g., muscovies), they'll probably just disapear one by one. If you can contain them in your back yard or other fenced in area, you can usually teach them to coop at night. But I would definitely suggest either containing them 24-7 in their own enclosure or at least cooping them at night in a predator-proof house. ETA: I would also suggest housing the ducks separately from the chickens (and definitely brooding them separate from any chicks). They just make a lot of wet mess. Edited April 5, 2012 by BrookValley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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