I thought I was Chicken Crazy and Now I want Ducks!!!

[pattypenny]

I wanted ducks and my son got 4 last year. I have to pen my birds because of the neighbor's dogs. I didn't have a pond but and old wash tub worked just fine. trouble was they are so nasty and made a real mess. I had them in the cold months but I knew as soon as hot weather arrived my neighbors were going to smell the stink as well as us.
You need to be able to free range your ducks and you need a water source. a pond is best. keeping them penned is not a good plan, take my word for it.
I gave my ducks to my brother and he had land and 2 ponds and they were fine.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

You're not alone! Our chicken frenzy has also spread to ducks. We've got 16 runner eggs in the bator and I'm planning on getting some Blue Swedish too. I have no pond, but plan to use the kiddie pool. I also have a dog pen to keep them in at night. My yard is fenced and I'm hoping the neighbors won't complain

 

[chickenlisa]

Oh we get more and more addicted each year. I started with buying baby chicks 5 years ago. Then bought more chicks the next year. Then more chickens and 2 adopted ducks the next year. Then more chicks and 6 purchased baby ducks the next year. Then hatched baby chicks, and baby keets, and baby Button Quail, and purchased baby Mandarins, and hatched baby ducks last year. Now this year, I've already started hatching chicks, this weekend baby ducks should hatch, and Friday baby goslings will arrive from Ideal. I'm going down a slippery slope to total addiction. Where will it stop? I don't want to know. I want Sebastopol geese, the Nigerian Dwarf Goats...I have all of my ducks together (see my signature line to see how many) and they all get along. At least 5 drakes in the big duck group and 2 Mandarin drakes. I rarely see anything between them and when I do, its only between the 2 Mandie boys.
Lisa

 

[Empera]

Are your mandarins tame chickenlisa?

 

[crazy cat lady]

I too use a kiddie pool for my ducks. I am going to have to get a bigger kiddie pool this year tho as I am definitely getting more duckies and at least a pair of geese (don't know what kind yet).

 

[BackSwampGirl]

There is no way you can just have one!!!! I have more ducks than I ever have.And they all are so cute.I got new breeds this year.Because a Bear got all of my other ones except for 1 Pure Rouen Drake,and 1 pure Cayuga hen .And she gives me an egg everyday.So one egg might be Rouen,and one might be Cayuga.Or mixed.But I have some in my incubator now and they are developing great!!! I also have eggs to hatch for sale if you are interested.They are very pretty.As you can see I have lots of ducks.They are so friendly,and very smart.Let me know if you are interested.Sandra

 

[ChickenToes]

Quote:
You're absolutely right, it does start to stink if the ducks are kept penned. But, with the right management, you can keep it from getting stinky. For the time being, our ducks are kept in a relatively small pen until we can move them to their new digs this spring.

We emptied our kiddie pool everyday to keep it from getting stinky. My neighbors only emptied theirs once a week, the smell was terrible. When the ground started to get muddied and stinky, we put down a thick layer of bark and wood chips. That immediately killed the smell.

 

[b.hromada]

I do love my ducks. As for them not wanting to go inside, mine are the first ones to go into the coop at night!

They are so funny. I don't have a lake here either, not on this little property, but I do have a kiddie pool for them, and they just love it. I raise them right with the chickens, although my 2 drakes which are 8 months old seem to think that my poor hens and pullets are female ducks

! I think you would really enjoy them.

 

[Wifezilla]

Mine have a pen with a hutch they go in at night. I use deep litter in the hutch. If it gets stinky, I add more pine shavings. Once it gets warm, I am totally going to empty the hutch and add that litter to the compost pile.

They free range in the back yard during the day. I get an egg a day most days. I have a khaki drake, a female runner, a female buff, and I also used to have a female khaki. I want another khaki because I thing a 3 girls to 1 boy ratio is best. Those boys can be...we...vigorous

I hatched out one lone duckling on Saturday. It was a purebred khaki from my hen that died. I have 4 more mixed breeds in the incubator due in a couple of weeks.

 

[ShadyGlade]

My ducks range together all fall and winter so right now there are 53 ducks in the winter pen. Some will be culled before the breeding season starts here, but right now I have 9 mallard derivative drakes, 4 Muscovy drakes, 26 mallard hens and 14 Muscovy hens together. No major problems, but I always brood mixed groups once the birds feather up and move from the baby brooders. The only ducks I never mix with any other are the Calls. Ducks are even more addictive than chickens in my opinion. As a bonus the eggs and meat are better too!