My daughter asked for some ducks for her birthday so we have been looking up information on them and I decided to let her buy some in February. My question is on setting up an area for the ducklings. I have a small stall 6x8 with a cement floor that has a 16x16 foot pen that is lined with chicken wire inside cattle pannels.

1. What would be the best thing to use as bedding on the cement for ducks? 2. Do ducks need special boxes to lay their eggs in? 3. Is the area big enough for 5 pairs? We can let them range all day. 4. Does anyone know of any health related problems that might arise by having them in the same barn as the chickens and the buck (goat)?

Hope everyone is having a nice day. Thanks for any information.

-- miller (smillers@snowcrest.net), December 20, 2001

Answers

I'm definately not an expert on ducks, but I raise several ducks each year and have 12 on hand all year. The area you describe is fine for ducklings and I think it might be large enough for grown ducks IF you let them out during the day. I keep mine in the chicken coop at night with the chickens and let them all free range during the day. As far as litter, there are a lot of choices, everyone has their favorite. Mine is straw, because I have easy access to it. The ducks don't need a special box to lay their eggs. I made a nice one-piece row of wooden nests for mine. Some use them and some lay their eggs right in the straw on the floor. They do like their privacy when they lay. My nests all have tops on them.

You said you are getting 5 pair. If you are going to raise pure bred ducklings, THEN you need to keep each pair separated. If you are NOT going to raise pure bred ducklings, then you don't need that many males. One male would be enough.

I have never had a problem with raising ducks and chickens together. I also have 2 geese in the same coop. I think the main thing is to give them plenty of room, preferably free range during the day (or a very large pen) to supplement their feed and this keeps the coop from becoming too messy. (unhealthy)

Your daughter will love them! You can get them a small wading pool and sit back and enjoy! They are so much fun to watch! Good luck!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

Why we are getting pairs is that the place that we are ordering them from only sell the kind she wants in pairs. I figured that when the boys get big enough then we can put them on the table or in the freezer. That would leave her a flock of 6 ducks and a drake.

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), December 20, 2001.

Shari, sounds like that should work fine. I know you will enjoy having them, they are so much fun! Good luck!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), December 21, 2001.

We need to build a duck house mine are on total freerange. I would prefer to house them at night, because of preditors. We really enjoy them in the yard though,and they crack me up at night when there is a good thunderstorm they (fly) all over the yard enjoying the water. They can get in if they want but love playing in the rain.

-- Sherre R Clifton (BryrPatch35@aol.com), December 21, 2001.

Unlike chicks, ducks make a terrible mess with their water. They blow bubbles in it and splatter it all about. Assuming you will have water set out for them in this area, no matter what you serve it in, put the waterer in something, like a plastic wading pool, that you can rinse out every day, and will keep the litter dry. If you have them outside later on, you can move the water out, too. Our ducks still go back in their brooder in the garage at night, for safety, but have their food and water only outside.

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), December 22, 2001.