Chortle Chook Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) I have 6 bantam chickens and a Silkie cockerel in a 20m by 10m garden which acts as their WIR. My OH saw some Call ducks at the weekend and has taken a fancy to idea of adding a couple to our menagerie, but our garden doesn't have grass - just flower borders for shrubs, terracotta path ways and some areas of gravel and others of slate chippings. The ducks could have their own house and a small pond, but would the gravel / slate arrangement hurt the webbing on their feet? Also can they eat out of a Grub / Glug arrangement of should they have a dog dish and special duck food? and last question - if they need special duck food would it matter if the chickens sometimes ate it? Sorry for being a newbie on this but I don't want him to rush out and get ducks only to find that they have to be returned the next day Edited May 15, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 I'm not sure about the gravel, I guess that would be ok byt maybe not slate chippings I have two sets of call ducks, both have grass in their run that they have completely ignored. A surface that could be hosed down is just about perfect but if your gravel is well drained it could be ok They make soooooooooo much more mess than chooks though They shovel food and I'd imagine they'd struggle with a Grub - a dog bowl undercover is ideal. My lot eat layers pellets The glug would be ok They need a bath of some sort even if very small, I use tub trugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 Thanks, Redwing. I'll show your reply to OH. I don't want him to lose all interest in poultry and feel it has to be his decision but I do want him to go in for ducks, eyes wide open . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 Discussions have been carrying on today and I'm warming to the idea of two little . I've agreed to shovel off the slate (which can go in the front garden where the car is), and to replace it with pea shingle (but not grass as the chooks would just get rid of that). I think it'll be alright as the soil underneath is increibly free draining. We've even got a Flyte so Fancy 'dinky duck house' which was supposed to be going to be for my cockerel but just seems to have arrived at the right time What makes ducks so messy - is it that they poo more than chooks or that their poo is always loose? Also will they eat greens like cabbage etc. the way chickens do? And one last one . . . are female call ducks a bit less noisy than drakes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Female call ducks are very noisy. The drakes are very quiet Their poo is very loose and they make a mess of even the tiniest bit of water paddling it all in to one big mess with their feet and beaks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I have 3 ducks 1 is a drake. The 2 girls have laid an egg each not missing a day since March. Mine eat layers from a grub and they have a childs sand pit as a pond and a baby bath. I change the water every other day but it's muddy 5 mins after I change it. They have an eglu go with run extention with the baby bath in it. They have a large area to fr all day. Tonto laid her eggs in the go run and I have to use a stick to knock it to the door. It ends up filthy. Soft greens like spinich and lettace. They are messy, they make muddy puddles. But are cute. I am writing from my phone, sorry for mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 Many thanks, Redwing and Chicken shack. I'm getting very excited now. and am finding it hard to concentrate on my work Oh is busily painting the Flyte so Fancy Dinky Duck house (that was to have been for our cockerel) in various shades of blue and we have located an area for a child's paddling pool that is near a drain so that it would be easier to empty and keep as clean as possible. We are not all that fussed about eggs so would it be OK to get 2 little drake Call ducks or do we need to have a female? Also can one sex them when they are young or are they like chickens and only show whether they are boys or girls when they are almost grown up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Don't get 2 drakes as they may not get on. One drake is enough to keep him and 2 or more girls happy. The reason I have a drake is because a freind had too many and the girls were getting jumped on too often. You will need to keep them in a fox proof run at night which is why I have the with run extention and the roosting bars removed. I use meal worms to get them in at night as they will sleep anywhere they fancy. I did lock them into the nesting area at first but I think they prefer to sleep out in the run. Daisy always lays her egg in there but Tonto lays them more often than not in the run. Charlie Drake is content with his two girls. The wild ducks and swans visit them and they used to make one hell of a noise but now it has become normal to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 If your not fussed on eggs you can keep 2 drakes they should be ok as they will not have any females to fight over leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
