Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Mental stimulation for ducks  (Read 3050 times)

Alex_

  • Joined Jul 2016
Mental stimulation for ducks
« on: January 12, 2017, 10:03:27 am »
Has anyone got any good ideas to keep ducks mentally stimulated?
I have seen lots of things for chickens but I  haven't seen much aimed completely at ducks
Duck Specific.

Thanks
 :&>

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Mental stimulation for ducks
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2017, 11:35:55 am »
I had run out of my usual bedding to top up with this morning (I'm deep littering them in the barn) so I chucked round a load of straw. They all went nuts for it dibbling away under it and making the funniest noises.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: Mental stimulation for ducks
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2017, 01:10:38 pm »
Whole wheat grains fed underwater so they can dibble? Not sure what else ducks do....  :thinking:  I suppose anything hidden under other things for them to "hunt"?


(I'm deliberately not mentioning the drakes  :o  )

GribinIsaf

  • Joined Aug 2015
  • Montgomeryshire
    • Gribin Isaf
Re: Mental stimulation for ducks
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2017, 09:19:09 pm »
Today we got a new feeder for our ducks.  It was almost identical to their old feeder, but not quite.  They used up quite a lot of mental capacity deciding if they were brave enough to walk past it.

On the other hand, they are now living in a  netted and covered vegetable bed, which they seem to quite enjoy

https://www.flickr.com/photos/colehouse15/31428809724

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Mental stimulation for ducks
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2017, 11:50:09 pm »
Ours have amused themselves of late by escaping from their pen.


Now by that, I don't mean 'oh look, a hole, let's squeeze through it' type escaping. No, we're talking proper soil down trouser legs escape from Colditz type escaping.  The thing is, they have been inside for what, 6 weeks now, and have never got out. However, they actually dug a duck sized hole under a sheep hurdle the other day and then went walkabout.


Perhaps they're not as thick as I previously supposed!
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Cuddles

  • Joined Feb 2014
Re: Mental stimulation for ducks
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2017, 01:34:04 pm »
Womble, I know chickens and ducks arent the same thing... but have you watched chicken run!?  One of the best documentaries I've ever seen on getting inside the mind of a chicken!   :roflanim:

Alex_

  • Joined Jul 2016
Re: Mental stimulation for ducks
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2017, 01:43:03 pm »
At the moment I have given covered hay bales to perch on at different heights. Muscovies love to perch.

I try giving them some fruit and veggie scraps as a treat but the don't seem to interested.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Mental stimulation for ducks
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2017, 09:56:37 am »
My ducks are very bored in duck jail at the moment as we like to call it  :raining:  Before they went to jail they wouldn't eat anything other than maize/wheat or pellets- however their new found boredom has made them explore cauliflowers- these went down exceptionally well especially the leaves, iceberg lettuce, mealworms (huge hit), suet blocks... they seem to be a bit happier in jail with a few of these things chucked in. And even happier when it rains !!

 

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