gooner.girl Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I'm thinking of keeping ducks and i need some help as i don't know much about them at the moment. (I did an nvq in agriculture at school but ducks were not covered and hubby won't let me keep anything i did learn and know about - eg. pigs, sheep, cows in back garden - humph!) Anyhow, live on edge of village in 3 bed semi with a medium-ish garden and just wondered whether this would be ok. Already have 3 chickens in it but there seems to be plenty of space and i'm certainly not garden proud - its a bit of a mess. Am happy to put in (somehow) a small pond. Was just wondering what people recommend? Is it mean to keep ducks with only a small pond? What types are relatively quiet? I have heard that girls are noisier (not a good thing) so thought about getting a couple of boys (not fussed about eggs) but hear that they may try mating with the chickens? I don't want Ducklings (well i do but i think that might push husband to far!) so don't want a pair. I like the look of call ducks, i don't want anything to fancy, something quite small and white will do! I have a dog and 2 cats who get on fine with the chickens - presume they will be ok with the ducks as well? I would probably save up and keep them in an eglu (or ducklu?) Do they need to be out in the day? (am a bit paranoid and hens aren't out unless i am home as one got eaten by a fox) Would get a run extension for them. I have been keeping an eye on the duck forum and it doesn't seem to have much use so i'm hoping someone will see this and help me? Please???!!!!! Thankyou Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Hi Helen, Sorry but i cant be much use on the duck front however im sure someone will be along soon who knows much more then me! I would have thought that a rigid sided paddling pool would be enough for the ducks to swim in as long as the water is changed often enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Hi Helen We bought two White Campbell ducks earlier this year and they were kept in our garden until we moved here to the smallholding. We had an Eglu with the roosting bars removed and which we filled with straw. We had the convertor and extension on the run and we used a small plastic storage container as a pond. You can see my early postings here. We found ducks to be noisier, messier and smellier than chickens . They don't appear to go to sleep at night and don't always go into the Eglu. The female is more vocal than the male. We now use the larger of the duck ponds which are available at The Domestic Fowl Trust. The water needs changing every other day at least and it is making the ground really waterlogged by emptying the dirty water onto the run area. Sorry to sound so negative - we've loved having them but with hindsight, I wouldn't have ducks unless I'd got a pond with running water through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 Hi Lesley, Thanks for your help. Its good to have a balanced view. Still keen to go for it someday though will obviously need a lot of thought and planning. I ve the idea of white campbells, they look gorgeous. If i got 2 males do you think they would try and mate with the chickens? How noisy would 2 males be? To noisy for a graden? We have very understanding easy going neighbours! Do campbells like the water a lot? Not to bothered about the mess and smell part! Once you reach a certain amount of animals i think you get past caring!I don't find the chickens smell at all! How long does it take you to empty out the pond each day? Do you keep/ did you keep the ducks in the eglu for most of the day or do they freerange?! Sorry for all the questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I don't mind the questions Helen - but I'm no expert, I can only tell you how we got on with ours. I was hoping there may be someone more experienced around to give some advice. You could always look in the Practical Poultry forum as well? As far as I know - drakes will try to mate with anything (dead or alive according to what Revnev posted recently ) I wouldn't put them in with our chickens. The 3 ducklings that Mindy hatched appear to be drakes and I noticed today that they are all chasing her -they will have to go in the pot soon Two drakes shouldn't be too noisy. The pond empties quickly - we lift the edge and tip it all out, then refill. We don't empty it every day as we are paddling already and will be growing webbed feet soon We just top it up and then empty twice a week. We kept the pair of ducks in the extended run only for a few weeks until we moved and now they have a run which is 6m x 30m. You would need to keep moving the Eglu and run if that was lall they had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 Gosh drakes sound a nightmare! i don't think our girls would like to be mated like that! Bless 'em! They wouldn't be in an eglu with chickens but i guess they would all free range together. Hummmm. Maybe i should get a pair of females - there are some quieter breeds around aren't there? The ducks would only be in the eglu when i was at work, i keep the chickens on grass but was wondering if i kept the chickens and/or ducks on bark chippings/hemcore (or whatever it is!) whether that would save the grass a bit more! Can you keep ducks on barkchippings and is it mean to do that to chickens - wouldn't they rather have grass between their toes?! Isn't that more interesting for them? Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 IAs far as I know - drakes will try to mate with anything (dead or alive according to what Revnev posted recently ) I wouldn't put them in with our chickens. The 3 ducklings that Mindy hatched appear to be drakes and I noticed today that they are all chasing her -they will have to go in the pot soon . They should do that with men too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I The 3 ducklings that Mindy hatched appear to be drakes and I noticed today that they are all chasing her -they will have to go in the pot soon . They should do that with men too What all of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 No, just bits of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Hey Helen hopefully you've got your ducks by now but here's my two penneth..... ducks are WAY smellier than chickens and they have wrecked our lawn (they're free range) but hey, that's all part fo the fun isn't it?! We have a duck and a drake, Indian Runners (soon to be more I hope!!). The drake is quite protective towards the duck and quite territorial. He chases the chickens and the dogs and even us, although he does suddenly decide he'snotso brave when you turn around. I thinkhe may have illusions that he's a swan!! Although they are smellier and messier, I wouldn't be without them at all, they're lovely! Even Indian Runners make a bit of noise. A neighbour has call ducks and call is what they do!! My next buy will be appleyards I think so I'll let you know how noisy they are! Our ducks do go to bed each night, they're quite good like that. They put themselves to bed. They always seem to be quacking in there mind you!! As for a pond, webuilt a rillof running water with a HUGE pump and filter. It hasn't needed cleaning out since we put it in last summer. Don't get me wrong, it's not clean, I mean I wouldn't go in it myself but the dogs and the ducks seem happy enough with it and the fish are still swimming about happily! Don'tbother with plants would be my advice - we thought that we should have some but the only ones that survived the dick attack was a bamboo and that's just cuz they can't reach it!! oh yes, and the rill can be seen here: http://www.mattesdoncottagecrafts.org.uk/ducks.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted January 21, 2007 Author Share Posted January 21, 2007 Hi Caroline, Your ducks are GORGEOUS!!! And the rill is fantastic! Wish me or OH could be clever enough to build something like that. At the moment we have 2 call drakes arriving in the spring (easter time hopefully) We are going to get an eglu for them and put a small tub of water in there and also get a man made pond to go in the garden. Though after Kannies post about her poor chicken drowning am a bit worried about whether that will be ok. The chickens have RUINED our garden anyway so i shouldn't have thought it could get much worse I'm told drakes are quieter then the girls so i hope ours don't make to much noise as we live in an end of terrace.. Must say i think ducks are nicer to look at then hens (although i love my girls to bits!) Can't wait though am a bit apprehensive about whether i'll be a good enough duck parent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 thanks! our ducks seem to need far less than the chickens in the way of parenting so I'm sure if you can work chickens, you'll be fine with ducks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Though after Kannies post about her poor chicken drowning am a bit worried about whether that will be ok I didn't see that one!! Where was that?! awwwww was it a duckling? the only thing I can think is that it was young. ducks can't just swim straight away in deep water so they need like a baking tray or something when they're little and to work up. I don't know if that's what happened, I'll look for the post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted January 21, 2007 Author Share Posted January 21, 2007 Thats reassuring! I just hope they all get on ok, its not to crowded and that the lawn recovers a bit in the summer Am a bit worried about getting 2 drakes but don't think i can have girls as they would just be to noisy... Do you give your ducks specific duck food or do they have layers pellets? Do you keep them in an eglu? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted January 21, 2007 Author Share Posted January 21, 2007 didn't see that one!! Where was that?! awwwww was it a duckling? the only thing I can think is that it was young. ducks can't just swim straight away in deep water so they need like a baking tray or something when they're little and to work up. I don't know if that's what happened, I'll look for the post. It was a chicken not a duck. I only skim read the post but its in the chickens section of the forum i think.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 We gave them growers pellets at first cuz they were only ickle but now they're just on layers pellets, same as the chickens! We thought about an eglu but then Pete made a duck houseout of my potting table!! It's FAR too big for two ducks so I'll have to get some more!! it's about four foot by three foot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted January 21, 2007 Author Share Posted January 21, 2007 Have you had any problems with foxes around your way - are your ducks freeranging around the garden all the time or do they have a run? Sorry for all the questions!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 there are foxes around here - we are pretty rural. We have two dogs though and although the foxies go in next door's garden quite often, we've never (touch wood and do other suitably supersticious things) had a problem. Everyone goes to bed at night but through the day, they're all free range. We have more problem with the postman leaving the damn gate open to be honest!! (fingers crossed it goes on that way!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
