[PJB]

I recently purchased 3 Peking ducklings (i already have 15 chickens) They are 5 months old now and are more or less fully grown. I purchased a Duck house and run 4 meters long so they have not got the run of the garden (due to fox problem) Inside the run i have given them a paddling pool of water and they seem happy with this.  However, the 3 of them get very excited when i change the water and they barely fit all 3 in the plastic pool.  Should i be giving them more room and more
water space to fit in.?  I would not want them to be unhappy.
 
PJB
 

[Growy16]

I would not worry about it.  They need the water more for grooming than anything else.  We have got 6 Pekin's and they are so stupid that they only use the 2.4x2.4m tank I have put in for them to drink out of.  In fact they are so, so stupid that we actually have to put them in their accommodation at night.  Our 50 chickens are easier to deal with.


Mark

[PJB]

Thanks for that.  I try and give them fresh water every other day in the plastic kids paddling pool i am using for them!  Your right about keeping chickens is easier. I started to put them back in their duck house at night but ive given up now.  Anyhow the good news is i have just picked up the first eggs from them. I thought it would not be until next spring.
Thanks for your help
 
pjb
 

[Mel Rice]

Glad yours are laying...perhaps I will have to go and search my lots run (low(ish) stock fencing with a double top tape thats electrified)
 
Mine too are a pain to get into bed...I have to turn the battery off, climb in chase them round the clumps of irises and even then there is always one....needles to stay the duck hose door stayes open most nights!

[Growy16]

One thing with ours is their capacity to lay.  We get a good amount of eggs from our six.  The maths says an egg every 1.5 days per duck and that is pretty well what we get, in fact sometimes the ratio is better.  I prefer duck eggs to chicken eggs, particularly for omelettes which are amazingly light with just a splash of milk and for a great yolky, gooey crispy streaky bacon sandwich duck eggs with their huge yolk win every time.  Some sea salt crystals and Daddies brown and you have a meal fit for a king!!! Crikey I have made myself hungry, where's me frying pan....?11


Mark

[PJB]

That sounds awesome! i thought that maybe they would,nt lay until the spring as they were
relatively young.  Also i was not absolutely 100% they were all ducks although the farm i got them from sexed them at a few days old.
Whilst ive got your interest , i do try and change the water in the plastic paddling pool every couple of days or more because it gets very muddy and dirty. I see them drinK this water and wondered whether it would harm them.
I suppose a pond would be muddy and dirty so must be ok.
Do you bother to give your fresh water every day?
 
PJB
 

[Mel Rice]

I fill up an old pan as a waterpot daily but within mins it is as muddy as the pondThey seem to prefere the fresh water thats just overflowed from the pan...and hence muddy too, then a dip in the pan and back to the muddy roots
Do yours lay in a nest-box? or another designated place? And how do you keep the nest box/whatever clean? Mine seem to poo everywhere.

[PJB]

They do make a lot more mess than the chickens , i have only got 3 but they do make a mess.
The eggs i have just had are from the duck house, so nice and easy to retrieve.
i have been cleaning duck house about once a week.  i laid down a large piece of cardboard and then put shavings and straw on the top. When it comes to cleaning, put on some gloves fold the cardboard up with all the
mess in it and put straight into my garden bin for the compost.
This does not take too long to do and protects the duck house floor.
I purchased a large movable run so when it gets really muddy (it will in the winter) i will move it
around the bottom of my garden to give them fresh grass etc and give the other ground time to recover.
thats the plan anyway.


pjb