Garden ducks

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I'm pondering whether to add 2 ducks to my garden. I currently have 4 pekins.
There are a few questions that need answering, if anyone can help...

1. Would they get on with the pekins - they'd have their own house?
2. Are they noisy, and is there a quiet breed?
3. Will they fly away?
4. How much water do they need?
5. How much mess do they make?
6. Do I keep them in pairs, or same sex?
7. If I put the house in the chicken enclosure, they will still have more than the recommended 72 square foot and then will be let out into the garden for most of the day - will this be OK? (the pekins take up another 40 square foot, but the enclosure is 140 square foot, so this should be OK.)
8. I'm thinking of digging a small pond, about 1 square meter, but read that the water for ducks needs changing every day - how will this work in a pond, and is this big enough?

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.

Gosh, isn't poultry-keeping exciting?

 

[Mooner]

hi there - we have 5 female ducks and they mix very well with 14 chickens and pekin bantum. We had Indian Runners and Hookbills to start with and then when they died, we got Knaki Campbells to go with the one hookbill. they have their own house, (they don't attempt to go in the hen house) but free range all the time with the hens/bantum. We kept them in an enclosure for a week to get them used to going into their house at night, and with patience and coaxing, they started going in alone, so then we let them totally free range.The Khaki Campbells are very quiet all day, but do make a liitle noise first thing when let out, and a contented gurgling when hoovering the puddles after rain. they are lovely to have and the eggs are scrummy! We tried a pond at first, but like you said it's difficult to keep clean, and it started to smell. so we filled it in and now have two childrens sand pit type baths (you can get them from Argos) which we empty with buckets until liftable to tip away. they all get in together as soon as it's refilled clean (using a hose), and do it every other day but top it up in between. We also have several buckets and the hoppers about with water in and 2 food hoppers, which they happily share with the hens/bantum. they haven't flown away YET! We use sawdust and straw in the house, and clean it out every few days. It gets dirtier in the wunter and when wet weather. they also make more mess in the wet weather, otherwise not too bad. I'm not sure if that answers your queries OK, but feel free to ask again if you like! Good luck - go for it!

 

[Anonymous]

Likewise,I bought a child's paddling pool for my my alylesbury's.Mine are not full grown yet,the cheapest one I could find was from John Lewis,cheaper and bigger than what Argos had at the time,they will probably have a better choice in summer.
My 3 aylesbury's are quite noisy,apparently though,ducks are noisier than drakes.Drakes wont lay any eggs though .
I chose Aylesbury's because they are not good fliers,and,white traditional farm yard ducks appeal to me.To save on water(I've got a water meter)I'm going to put 2 water butts in my garden,and hope to use that water to fill their paddling pool and will provide clean fresh drinking/dunking water from my taps as well.
Mine are not very tame Bridmontbelle ,I bought them when they were 3-4 weeks old,and,they lived in my house until they were feathered up.In future,if I get any more ducks,will buy eggs and incubate them myself.
They wont come up to me for food,only water,as picking them up frightens/stresses them,I rarely pick them up.When I do pick them up,they are easy to carry and hold,but yell at top volume to their 2 friends,who yell back and follow :? .
Definitely not as intelligent as chooks but very charming,make me smile,and I wouldn't want to part with them now.

 

[Anonymous]

OK,
I'm giving up on the idea of ducks. You should have seen hubby's face when I mentioned it - it was abit like that crack in the fabric of the universe on Dr. Who, and JUST as deadly!!!!

Also giving up on the idea of cockerels for the time being. One day I'm going to win the lottery and get a smallholding. Hopefully this will happen before I turn 80.

Keep smiling.

 

[girlracer265]

I've got call ducks, they are extremely noisy :lol: and they have free range of the garden with whatever chickens are freeranging at the time and an old bathtub sunk into the ground to swim in but i have to clean and refill it weekly, glad im not on a meter :lol: i do use rainwater from the rainwater butt to fill all my drinkers tho unless it hasn't rained for ages as the water gets a bit stagnant
i adore my ducks, they are such charectors

 

[Anonymous]

OK,
I'm giving up on the idea of ducks. You should have seen hubby's face when I mentioned it - it was abit like that crack in the fabric of the universe on Dr. Who, and JUST as deadly!!!!

Also giving up on the idea of cockerels for the time being. One day I'm going to win the lottery and get a smallholding. Hopefully this will happen before I turn 80.

Keep smiling.

Ah sorry ,probably a good idea though,especially if your OH isn't keen,mine didn't tell me he doesn't like birds until a few weeks ago :roll: .Now he keeps asking me if I'm going to sell any!!!!!!! .
Er.....no .
Luckily,my OH doesn't live with me,and,he failed to notice me walking past him in the lounge 2-3 weeks ago with 2 poultry boxes,one was er crowing and moving :lol: :lol: :lol: .