Absolutely crackes for my little qwackers (Ducks)

Member Name: mickeyhunt

Product:	Ducks
Date:	06/08/09 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Feathered fun and entertainment

Disadvantages: Poo , Poo and more Poo

Last year we got our first ducks. We live in a town, but have a large garden and after visiting a few country shows felt that ducks would be nice. We had to get a cage sorted out first and looked on line and found a chap on Ebay that was selling dog cages and we found a 4 ft by 4 ft dog house with an 8 ft run that looked suitable. We had this installed in our back garden and then set about looking for ducks.

We decided that Indian Runners were the ones for us. They call them the wind bottle duck as they have a very upright stance just like a wine bottle. They are also know as penguin ducks. We found a rare breeds place in the New Forest and went to get the ducks. My husband was adamant that we were only going to have 2. When we arrived they showed us ducklings of various ages, from 1 week up to about 8 or 9 weeks. We decided to go for the 4 week old and was ready to pick two, when my husband said why don't we go for 4. So I chose another 2. 2 where chocolate, 1 was yellow and 1 was fawn. I did not know what sex they were, so it was a case of taking a chance. What we wanted was females for eggs. We put them into a box and set off home.

Once home they had to go in our spare bedroom for a week or so till the weather warmed up. It was early July and a bit rainy. I eventully put them in a paddling pool with a fence around it on the bedroom floor and then had to keep clearing the poops out of the sawdust. Every time I went into the room they reacted like I was the devil woman. Over the next few days at intervals I took one of my cats or dogs into the room to introduce them.

Disaster struck 4 days after we got them, I fell and broke my ankleand was off my feet for a week. This meant that every thing piled up on my husbands shoulders. By the end of the following week it was time to move the ducks out into the garden. It was brilliant. I setup a seat in front of their cage and I was able to sit and watch them. They settled in straight away to their new cage. We put a shallow potting tray in the corner with water so they could paddle and their food and drinking water in the other corner. They spent most of their day sat in the paddling tray. The cats were absolutely facinated and if the ducks got too close to the sides my siamese cat Jasper would launch himself at the side of the cage trying to grab them. The dogs were also obsessed especially my yellow Lab Freya who would whine and run up and down the side of the cage wanting to get in with them. They grew at a phenomenal rate and soon I realised that we were going to have to build them a much bigger cage. We started letting them walk around the garden when we were out in the garden, but were terrified that the cats would kill them. So I contacted the cage man again and we had a 22 ft by 6 ft cage connected to their smaller cage and we installed a 4ft by 2 ft pool in the cage.

Whilst we waited for the cage to be delivered we continued to let them out for small periods and gradually the cats go used to the ducks and suprisingly left them alone. In fact if they got too close to the ducks, the ducks would drop their heads down and chase at them. It eventually got to the stage that we could let the ducks out all day and everything would be fine. We still needed the cage for when we were going to be late in, but if we had waited we would not have needed such a large cage. Hey ho its only money. As they grew we were finally able to tell what sex they were and to name them. The yellow duck grew curly tail feathers and so was a boy and we named him Orlando although we usually call him Big Boy because he is. The other other 3 developed loud quacks and so were girls, which was fantastic as this is the correct ratio of male to female. The two chocolate girls are called Daisy and Dora and the fawn duck is Octavia. Orlandos favourite was Dora although he did alternate with Daisy on occasion. A menage a trois.

Once the cage was installed it was huge, it took up half the garden, but at least I knew that if we were on holiday or out late they always had a safe place. Now the ducks are let out every morning when I go to work and don't get put back in the cage till about 8 at night. Then I put them to bed about 8:30 pm. They are brilliant to watch and very easy to look after. they need fresh clean water to drink from at regular intervals, at least twice a day and more on hot days. Their bed needs cleaning every two or three days. I put down a base of sawdust and cover the back half with a deep bed of hay. On the next day I take out out all the dirty straw and sawdust. The next day after that I change all the straw and any wet sawdust and then once a week I do a complete sweep out and replace all the sawdust and straw. The biggest problem with ducks is that they poo every where and I mean every where, in their bed, on their food if you have it to low even in their drinking water. I really enjoy looking after the ducks. When I get home from work, I usually go out and talk to them and then get their cage cleaned and change their water. In the summer it is great because we can sit outside with them for most of the day when we are home. The only drawback is that I like to grow vegetablles and I have to grow these raised up in pots. There is always a way round problems.

Everyone has settled down well together and a year and a bit later things are still going well. We had a problem in April when after coming home from a visit to the feed merchants we found Dora drowned in the Pond. Big Bird had obviously got too amarous and exhausted her. It does happen, but I was horrified at first and felt like getting him rehomed. He has calmed down and we decided to get two more ducks to keep him in check. We got two silver applyard/ aylesbuy cross 9 month old birds. These were slightly bigger than him so I think they have helped. We called them Poppy and Jemmimah.

We have had an average of two eggs a day since last October. I haven't had to buy eggs since. I don't eat chicken eggs now as duck eggs are lovely. It does not cost much to keep the birds, a bag of food cost £8 and lasts about a month and a bale of straw cost £3 and lasts about 3 weeks and the sawdust £8 and also lasts 3 weeks. Peanuts really for fresh eggs. We feed them layers pellets (Small Holders or Marriages are best) and supplement with mixed corn and fresh chopped iceberg lettuce oh yes and which ever of my plants or veggies they can get at.

I do worry about foxes as we do get a lot of foxes in this area, but I think that the cats and dogs tend to keep them away and we always make sure that the ducks are in their enclosure before it gets dark and we actually shut them in the shed at night. We made sure that the shed had a floor slight raised and that the base underneath was concrete so that rats and foxes could not tunnel underneath. We clean out their pond on a weekly basis so that the water stays as clean as possible. It does take a bit of work, but it is worth it. I also get quiet worried when there are problems. Octavia has caused me a few worries, because she sometimes gets the heebee jeebes and flies off at a tangent, sometimes crashing into something. The first time she did this I thought she had broken something, because she staggered around for a bit them limped to the cage and just sat for ages. I put her to bed not knowing whether I would find her dead the next day, but she was right as rain. She had done this a couple of times. Big Bird has also worried us as I was sure he had a prolaped penis as it hung out for ages one evening. I was sure he was going to have to go to the vet, but the next morning he had tucked it away and was fine. My husband says I panic too much.

I would reccomend ducks as a pet to anyone who has a bit of space and is prepared to put in the time and effort to look after them. It is worth it as they gradually do get used to you and will get freindly. They take snailes and slugs from my hand and I can actually stroke and pick up Octavia quite easily. I think my ducks love me and I defintely love them. I think my next project will be goats. Just not quite sure how I am going to persuede my husband!!!

Summary: Ducks are easy to keep and provide great entertainment and delicious eggs