[Raine]

 


We have just purchased 6 Khaki Campbell ducklings (about 4 weeks old).  They are currently in a closed run, but we hope to get a duck house to put by our beck.


Any advice about rearing/keeping would be greatly appreciated 

[john and helen]

Ducks are great, we bought 4 and ended up with 11.. they are hardy little things, we mainly had call ducks..and didn't the neighbours know it  lucky enough they also loved them and would often bring them back when they went wondering 

forget nest boxes..they will lay everywhere but..unless your lucky, i know they say Kc 's don't need a pond, but i personally would put one in..after all , ducks and water go together

lets see some pics as i have almost finished my new duck run and we are getting KC's too

[HesterF]

Yay! Ducks are great. I got my first pair last September (Silver Appleyards) and now have four adult Appleyards, one big duckling (same age as yours, still with his/her broody mum) and six Cayuga, five Aylesbury and seven more Appleyard eggs being incubated /brooded. Very addictive and husband loves them too (unlike the geese or chickens which he has no affinity with).

Ours don't have a pond (we have one but with an enormous badger sett next to it I reckoned we couldn't secure them sufficiently) but we have a big dog bath they can get in and various other splashing areas. They've just saved up enough from their egg sales to buy another paddling pool (actually it will probably be a builders mixing tray) that the ducklings will be happy in once they're bigger.

I'm lucky in that my ducks all lay first thing in the morning before I let them out, all together in a little nest in the corner of their house. I'd heard they can lay anywhere but mine don't - in fact I've only ever had one egg laid anywhere outside of a house and that was from the goose.

Hmmm, not sure what else to say. I find the ducks the easiest of all my birds - hardier than the chickens and less stubborn than the geese. Enjoy!

H

[Laurieston]

I would like to get my 'first ducks' too, but nervous about having to put them to bed every night.

We already have chickens - they do it themselves - and I would like to have some ducks, especially as there is a large pond just outside our garden in which they could play/swim/whatever.  My concern is about having to chase them back from the pond every evening. 

Do they need chasing/rounding up? or do they do it themselves?  What experience do people have and is there anything that could be done to teach them to do it themselves?

Thanks.

[HesterF]

Well mine do eventually put themselves to bed but it's normally well after dark so I go up and shut the chickens in and persuade the ducks and geese in at the same time. Actually I get them back into their run (which they all share) a couple of hours before dark - that's the hard part but the chickens respond to bread, the ducks and geese can be herded. Then at dusk, it's easier because they're all in the run so I just have to get them into their house. The first couple of nights was a nightmare since ducks are not the brightest and just herded round and round the house rather than in. Now they know where they're supposed to go so it really doesn't take much work so they do learn.

[Carl f k]

I kept mine in the run with the chickens for a week ant they went to bed with the chooks and still do now when they free range... The drake will not go to bed until all the girls are in then starts quacking for us to shut the door on the run,then he goes to bed when he knows its safe

[john and helen]

one way i use to get the ducks locked up was a feed or more of a treat ..in their house, not every night..but just to start off..then cut it down to a random night..as you don't want to entice rats....

they soon made their way to the house once they saw me

[colliewobbles]

Clip their wings too - we had three lovely call ducks but one took himself off.  I am pretty sure he is the one living 1/2 mile away on a pond near the local pub with two lovely ladies in tow    - can't say I blame him really.   

[Beeducked]

I love my ducks


Started off with 3 and now have 16 and planning more.
They are party animals though and not really interested in taking themselves off to bed. They do seem to get in a routine and mine know when I come out in the evening it is time for bed and let me herd them in without fuss. Now if I try getting them in early though that is a completely different matter!