Author Topic: My ducks - You Tube (Read 3871 times)

jameslindsay · « **on:** February 27, 2009, 09:44:37 pm »

This is my ducks going mental in their clean pond. Enjoy!

James

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgT824lOUxs

sandy · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2009, 10:15:20 pm »

I am VERY tempted to have ducks...I have a pond but no grass as the garden if fully laid to gravel, suists the chickens as there is some soil in the boarders and I collect weeds daily for them, do ducks need grass?

jameslindsay · « **Reply #2 on:** February 27, 2009, 10:23:56 pm »

I keep moving my ducks as the grass in their pen is always destroyed, eaten and turned to milk. However, they seem to thrive and we feed them lettuce every day which they love and I guess "tops them up" with their daily greens. They lay ok so eare obviously very happy where they are, I do let them out onto the grass every so often and they love it. I think a pond is essential for their fun and they would still "Dig up" the gravel catching any bugs. They are great pets Sandy.

doganjo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2009, 10:42:39 pm »

Have a look at my run if you come down on Sunday, Sandy. There used to be grass there but it was trashed within a week. I have a friend who brings down all her veg scraps so they have everything they need. The hens have no grass either.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2009, 09:42:39 am »

James, they are beautiful! You are right, your black ones do look similar to one of ours, but they are twice as big! I am quite sure now that ours is some variety of a call duck.
We thought long and hard if we'd let the ducks in our pond and decided against it. They would terminate any wildlife in there in a day and I do love my frogs, toads and newts. We have given them the kids' old sandpit to play in and they seem to be happy with that. It can be easily cleaned, which is important, as they poo a lot in the water. After only a few weeks they had turned their enclosure into a smelly mud puddle and they were so unhappy, always looking at the grass outside - so they now have the former lawn/new orchard to roam in. They do eat the grass, but also dig it over and eat the worms and roots underneath, which shows mainly at the edges of the area. I will fence some parts off and reseed the destroyed areas. I agree with Annie, that ducks can thrive if you give them plenty of greens. I also give them some weeds from the vegetable patch, they love ground elder and chick weed.