The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: doganjo on April 15, 2009, 11:28:22 pm
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No matter what I do I can't seem to keep fresh clean water in the ducks bowls. I have four ducks and they have three metal dog bowls filled each morning with clean water. Within about 10 seconds it is filthy again, and if I leave them they end up just full of mud. I have tried these plastic drinkers and they are exactly the same. At the moment the duck run is just earthen with some type 1 hardcore to prevent it getting too slippy, but I need to put some other ground cover in there - suggestions are sharp sand and wood chips/bark. Should I worry about it or just fill the bowls when I see them getting bad. If I'm out for the day they would just have to stay that way anyway. Any thoughts?
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From experience you will never keep the water clean. I have a drink through thing that releases the water as required, a big metal thing and even this gets filthy 2 minutes after cleaning.
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I was going to say impossible. Ours have a very large pond, they still come and bathe in the chickens water.
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My gang of ducks came out of their pen this morning and had great fun exploring. They enjoyed the experience for about 10 minutes before the geese noticed the invasion of "their" territory. They came chasing up the garden and rounded the ducks up and hissed them back into their run. It was funny to watch but the poor ducks had enjoyed their jaunt, the geese are so evil. I have no idea how the geese even knew the ducks were out as they were no where to be seen when I looked for them.
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I really must come up soon and see this menagerie of yours, James. Sounds great fun. Might come up with Sandy when ducks hatch out.
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You are welcome any time Annie, they do bring us many hours of pleasure. Now the 2 baby Toggenburgs are here our hands are really full as they still get bottle fed 3 times a day. They are a beautiful pair and have settled in brilliantly and they love human contact. I could probably sit and just watch these animals all day - oh if only!
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Part of the problem is that ducks will 'wash' their food to take mud off it. they also like to dip their beaks to clear any soil from their nostrils. You could hang the water drinker so they can only get their beaks in but you must also provide a wash pool be it a dog bowl or pond
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They used to get to free range and go into the burn, but it's been polluted on and off since July so only getting out occasionally at the moment after a heavy rainfall. As soon as SEPA pull the finger out and plug the leakage with it they will be able to drink and swim in clean fresh running water. >:(
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i feed mine the same as my chickens a layers crumble and noticed anytime the ducks took a couple of gobbles the are straight into the water bowl to wash it down leaving the water manky in minutes. thought they got so thursty was because of the crumble. they have other water sources so not too worried. id say they would survive on the water left out that morning til it was changed that evening or latest next morning.
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Same problem here, Annie. Mine get 5 large bowls with clean drinking water every morning and the paddling pool rinsed and refilled every 3rd day. It lasts about 1 hour! I also noticed that the bowls started smelling although I rinsed them each day. The ducks must excrete something when cleaning their bills that sticks to the bowls, so it's brushing them every few days, too! :&>
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Mine come out pretty clean from the dishwasher ;) That gunge you speak of Kirsten comes off then ;D
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I'm the dishwasher, lol! :&>
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:-[
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Just got to put up the BIG shed and make it cosy for the Ducks and some more chickens and been thinking about the drinking water, I have a hose that I can leave out up the garden and so will be able to top up the water bowls, also have a large tin bath and a small pond................. :&> :&> :&> :&>