[Clickalong]

Hi everyone,

I'm the process of trying to secure myself a field (which seems to be a hard thing to do here down South but I have got a contact so I am hopeful) which will be used to store dog agility equipment and as a space to exercise/train my two dogs.
We've had chickens in the past and would really love some again and would love some ducks too.
Primarily because our relatives used to keep ducks and they were great fun and I'm also keen to be able to get my working sheepdog to be able to help out with them (herding) from time to time (he's trained for this, has had sheepdog assessments etc).

I know that if you indeed to do some herding work with ducks that it is best to only keep drakes and to keep it as least stressful as possible for them.
They would be free range (in fenced/secure but very large run) for most of the day, and the dog would just help me to put them in at night or to separate them off if anyone needed checking over and those sorts of routine things.

Anyway... the two breeds I'm considering as Indian Runners and Khaki Campbells. I'm told both of these are good for herding and that the Indian Runners especially are particularly undemanding in terms of their lack of need for a pond etc. My friend has some and just has a large bucket that they enjoy dunking their heads in?

I know some people even suggest getting Runner X Khaki ducks, for herding as the cross can sometimes make them a little heavier and slower and easier to move when needed, whereas the runners are quite fast and flighty.

I'm a duck novice really... so any words of wisdom re food, shelter, runs, recommendations.

I'm thinking over whether it would be best for the hens to have their own separate house to the ducks. I know some people have them share (and keep the hens in the bunk above and ducks underneath) but it may not be ideal perhaps. I think they'd have the same large out run but houses at opposite ends? My only concern then is that the ducks will eat the hens' food, and I know they have different nutritional requirements to chickens.

Many thanks

[Backinwellies]

I wouldn't keep chicken and ducks in same house .... ducks are very messy! ........ dont know about different nutrition .... both eat mixed grain rations.

As for breed runners are probably easiest to keep ......... I've had both  but not tried a cross (actually rather fancy R x KK myself for egg layers 

[HelenVF]

I have runners, khakis and a cross between the two.  I have them in separate flocks - garden and fields.  The garden ones are pure runners, although do have some ducklings which are a cross.  I keep them in the same house as my chickens, and a goose, but they are free range throughout the day, and put them away at night.  They do have access to a bin lid full of water, which they do seem to enjoy having a little paddle.  They get mixed corn each end of the day, but in winter, they do have unlimited access to it.

My field flock come and go as they please, and do spend a large amount of time on the stream running through the field.  They don't have a shelter, and tbh, during the summer, we don't see them a great deal as they spent most of their time up the field.  Come winter, they will come down to feed and usually sleep in the duck pen.  They do tend to come down either in the morning, or evening for some mixed corn - which I chuck for the turkeys anyway.

When we do need them to be put inside, we do "herd" them and they are all pretty good, but do find the runners a bit flighty, although that could well just be my flock.

They can make a mess, so be aware, especially where the water is.  I don't like keeping too many drakes together because when the breeding season starts, they do fight over the ducks.  I've never had a flock of all drakes though.

I've found what works with my mixed flock and I'm sure they don't read the rule book cos they do everything wrong!

Helen

[Clickalong]

Thanks both for the replies.
For the moment, I'm thinking of starting up with all drakes. 2 or 3 perhaps and then going from there.

dont know about different nutrition .... both eat mixed grain rations.

Oh ok. I thought I'd read somewhere that whilst what they eat is the same but that it's the ratio of the specific ingredients/nutrients that is different.

Is the best way to go feeding mixed grain or pellets as staple diet and then allowing them to forage or supplementing with diced tomatoes and other veggies, meal worms , bugs etc?

A bin lid filled with water sounds pretty easy.

In terms of cleaning their houses; do you clean them out everyday, every other day, weekly?

[HelenVF]

The actual house weekly but the run (which is only a smallish pen which I shut them in overnight) pretty much daily. It's on slabs, and I just scrape and chuck a bucket of water down. I do find the actual house doesn't get too bad. They are bedded on easibed with hay in the nesting boxes.

Helen

[Backinwellies]

Cleaning out will depend on space (tighter the space the dirtier it will get) also the ground conditions ....... used to have mine mostly on concrete with just one small area of earth,  with a cattle foot bath as pond (just deep enough to swim when fully filled) ...... but in winter they could make that concrete a mud bath and then ofcourse it gets paddled into house.   They are great fun though and can't wait to get some now I have the space again.

[shygirl]

we have kept both breeds. our favourite by far were the runners. really bonny birds.
(their feathers sold well and they taste delicious too)
i didnt think they ran too fast or were particularly flighty, our kids could herd them no bother.
ours got fed layers pellets. we used a childs plastic paddling pool for them (2 actually for a trio) which we emptied regularly but they used to go awol to next doors pond and then got snaffled by a fox. they do need more than a bucket as they enjoy water so much its a shame if they cant display normal behaviour. if you are going the paddling pool route - buy them quick cos ALL the toys shops send them into storage after the summer and it took us 6 mths to get hold of some!

[Daisys Mum]

I agree Runners are my favourite too,they love the pond in fact when I went out the morning after my 9 chicks hatched to try and collect them up they were happily swimming on the pond and still spend a large proportion of the day there.