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[DBarnard]

Hi

 

We have recently moved to a larger house with a big garden with a very big pond. We would love to have ducks to live on the pond but have no idea how to look after them, if they would stay or fly away, if the fox would get them or our cats. Would there house need to be on an island in the pond or on the edge. HELP!!!!!!

 

 

Many thanks

 

Debbie

 

Jake and Daisy our moggies

Kitkat, Tonto, Pandora, Amber our pedigree persians

[Lesley]

It would be lovely to have ducks on a pond

 

I'd recommend buying or borrowing a good book on duck keeping. I use Starting With Ducks by Katie Thear. Read all you can and see if you are still interested. There are always ways of keeping your ducks safe.

 

Also, Practical Poultry have a good forum with many more duck keepers to ask - have a good read over in that forum so that you can decide if having ducks is for you.

 

Good luck!

[Guest]

Hi

The ducks wil love your pond but if it has fish in it just beware they will also pollute it(the pond I have is 170ft x35ft and deep. 4 aylesburys and 2 khaki campbells plus a lot of wildlife too. In the morning i would let them out and they spent most of the day in the fields at the back returning to go to the house in the evening. They were just lucky not to get caught by the fox but he will be around(the pond does provide a safe haven )I found the fox in my garden during th e day time too.

You do have to be around to put them back in if it gets too dark they will stay out and you will spend the night worrying!

A normal square kennel with a door or shed would be good for ducks with some shavings.

You can give them crumbs mash to begin with(they love mash potatoe) then just normal poultry pellets thats all! Provide drinking water.

They do not need nest boxes they just lay anywhere in the shavings or straw(shavings rots better easier to clean)

The ducks re brill at clearing snails and will nuzzle the grass a bit but generally i found they dont eat all the plants ...

I visited a someone with a duck in an eglu and personally i felt sorry for it..the run is not big enough etc etc...they do need water most definitely and preferably somewhere to swim. Your pond sounds ideal!

The eggs are good for cakes and although the white will whisk beautifully they are useless for meringues! The eggs are v expensive to buy compared to chickens. v nice eggs

Ducks are messy they need a solid ramp not the ladder type. A floating duck house is another option. Forsham cottage arks make some nice duck houses.

hope that helps

indie999

ps i got my ducks to look at and admire but after letting them out in the morniing never saw them til late and visitors always asked after the blighters who were out socialising elsewhere!! htey are amusing! good fun