LisaP Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Just posted in the chicken forum that we went to the Royal Welsh Spring Festival yesterday and came home with 4 new chickens and 2 Cayuga ducks We've got a male and a female and they are beautiful and are quacking away quite happily and are currently in a stable with the 4 new chickens. We have wanted to get ducks for quite a while and now that we're lucky enough to have our smallholding we felt ready to start with 2 of them although I will be basically learning as I go, just as I did with our original chickens We were told that it is fine to feed them the same layers pellets that we give the chickens but if anyone has any advice on what else if anything, to feed them or indeed how to get them to go to bed at night, all advice will be greatly appeciated Lisa P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Ducks arent the best for going to bed at night, they need to be herded in usually I keep mine in a fox proof pen and they have a covered cat litter tray for shelter. they rarely use it though layers pellets are fine, they dont really need waterfowl food. Dont use mash though as it can clog their nostrils Ducks are very forgiving - more so than chickens so you should be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaP Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Thanks Redwing, they are still happily settled in the stable, eating loads of pellets and they have a large underbed storage tray filled with water for paddling - haven't seen them use it yet but know that they have because it gets filthy. The new chickens have moved out of the stable into the eglu, adjacent to the cube with our other girls and at the weekend we are hoping to set up a secure run in our bottom field and move all the chickens and the 2 ducks out to there and then gradually integrate them. Lisa P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Can we see your Cayuga ducks? I don't think people put as many pictures on here of ducks as they do of chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaP Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Oh yes, will do but I have to wait for DD (my tech asst ) to come back from Uni this weekend. Not only do I need her to put the photos on here but the ducks are also a surprise birthday pressie for her. She's only back for a week, for revision, just hope the ducks don't distract her too much In the meantime I am really enjoying them, they are such funny characters and Mr drake is so protective of Mrs, it's so sweet and they have a lovely soft little quack Lisa P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 They sound so delightful! I'm getting two little call ducks on Sunday (my first ducks) and am very excited but I have a funny fealing that it will be the same as with my hens in that I'll have dear little banties and will love them to bits, but will still hanker after some biggies. (OH won't allow me biggies ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaP Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 DD got home last night and she was very very happy with her surprise Don't think she could quite believe it at first but they were immediately posted on Facebook and they now have names - Batman and Robyn(female spelling of course) Photos will soon be posted on here Lisa P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 So glad your daughter loves her ducks - what a wonderful parent you must be. I was never allowed pets as a child . . . but I made up for it big time in later life . Yes please to the photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaP Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Photos of Batman and Robyn Sorry we couldn't get the pics smaller Lisa P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Oh delightful, thanks for posting. They look black here but are they that lovely beatle green in reality? Have they found their swim water yet and is DD besotted ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaP Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 This is Lorna (Lisa's favourite daughter in the whole world ) and yes, they've got such a lovely greenish tinge in real life. I can't wait to get them out into the field and see how they look in the sun. We haven't seen them in the water but it keeps getting muddy and when we went out to see them earlier they were slightly soggy and seemed a bit upset that we'd interrupted them I love them so much! I've been going on at Mum and Dad to get some forever and I still can't quite believe I actually have some. Now I just need to find a way to get them back to uni without anybody noticing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 I like the idea of your ducks getting up to illicit midnight swims and even better . . . ducks who go to lectures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaP Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 We've got duck eggs Robyn has laid 3 lovely soft green coloured eggs over the weekend hard to explain but they have a completely different feel to them from the chickens eggs, very smooth almost silky. Chubby Chook did you get your new ducks? Your little ducks house looks lovely by the way Lisa P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Thanks for your comment about my dinky duck house and well done on your eggs, LisaP We did indeed get our little ducks and I'm putting their picture on another post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaP Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Can't wait to see them, now finding that they're as addictive as chickens, we already want more ducks Lisa P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
