I'm dying to get a pet duckling. I've read a gazillion personal sites/breeding club sites/hatchery info sites and through these duck archives. I want a little black one, maybe a black east indie, or cayuga. I spoke with someone who let their duck play in the tub all day, which I could do. I guess I just want to know what you pet duck people think about it - I'd rather not use the duck diapers - I've heard ducks can be trained to make a kitty tray their toilet. Please give me your words of wisdom. Thanks.

-- Lyndsey Cronk (Lyndsey@BigMouthGirl.com), February 13, 2002

Answers

Lyndsey, have you been to the Pet Duck Association Website? I think the link may be on the Links page of The Poultry Connection's Waterfowl site? Go to "Janes Cottage" (she is a darling in London), from her site, I am pretty sure, you will find the Household duck site. Now that said I think keeping a creature of the sun and water in the house is silly. It is not fair to the duck. Get a cat or a guinea pig or something. Also on The Poultry Connection you will find some discussions about this very thing. And no, a duck will not use a litter box, unless of course it is confined there. LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 13, 2002.

We keep a few ducks, but they are incredibly messy creatures. As far as I can tell, their favorite place to mess is in the water--it needs changed constantly. Also, they bubble in their water, I guess to clean out their beaks, so they just get it everywhere. We've started ducks in the house, but it sure doesn't take long before they get kicked out.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), February 13, 2002.

How about a rabbit? They can be trained to use a litter box. My friend has one that is confined while she is at work to a large pen but is free when she is home. The bunny goes into her pen to use the litter box by herself and than spends her time running around the house, usually pushing a large beach ball all over or playing tag with the cat.She isn't allowed loose without supervision for her own protection. They love to chew on electric cords. I agree that it is not fair to a duck to keep them in a house, and they can be incredibly messy.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), February 13, 2002.

As far as I can see, ducks pop their squats anywhere anytime. At trough, on land or sea, while napping, while foraging...I can't really imagine training them to do anything either. And anyway, you'd be wasting all that free fertilizer.

-- snoozy (bunny@northsound.net), February 13, 2002.

Well all of you people......I do not agree with any of you. I have had ducks in the house for 14 YEARS! I have a beautiful home in the suburbs. I just clean alot. Yes ducks poop where they want to. But they make incredibly wonderful pets. I have dogs, cats, and birds because I do rescue work. BUT DUCKS ARE THE BEST PETS. I love them. They have personality and lots of love to give. We have a wonderful sunroom. It has a tile floor and is very easy to clean. I put towels down for their comfort. They have their food and water and look out the windows. The windows in the sunroom go from floor to ceiling (about 18 feet high). They watch the squirrels, birds, deer,and my other outside ducks that live in the aviary and shed. My inside ducks have a little dish of water I put out for them in the sunroom to splash in during the winter. Ducks should NOT be expected to swim in the tub all day long. It is not good for them. They need to dry off, preen themselves, rest, sleep, eat. Swimming should just be for an hour or two during their busy day. During the summer, the slider opens to the deck where there is a kiddie pool and they play in the pool and bask in the sun. The only problem with keeping a duck inside is the egg laying. If the duck is a male, no problem. But if you have a female duck, she will keep laying eggs all year long! Because the weather is so nice (in the house) and she thinks it is summer and that is what she is supposed to do! Well this depletes her calcium, and takes alot out of her. An egg a day is alot, even every other day is alot. When the female is outside...the seasons tell her when to lay an egg and when not to. When she is inside with warmth and artificial light her system becomes messed up. If you want more info on this write to me. Since I have been caring for ducks for so long, I can help. I have 14 ducks at this time. Three are full-time residents in our home. Yes they are messy, but we love them and we all help with clean-up. They are the sweetest and most loving pets ever! JoAnn Flynn

-- JoAnn Flynn (goonetune@aol.com), February 14, 2002.

Click For The Pet Duck Association

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

I'd say it's kind of cruel and unhealthy to the duck to keep it indoors out of its natural enviroment. The urge to humanize animals to those extremes is indicative of issues with human relationships. Please consider some thought on that. Rationalizing having ducks in your house, messing wherever they want, whether you clean up after them or not is disturbing. Ducks are pretty messy. I can't imagine that being a good environment for the ducks or the humans.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), February 14, 2002.

"indicative of issues with human relationships" this guy writes???? anyone who posts a response like that to a simple question is the one with issues. keep typing with one hand and stay in your house, loser! we don't need useless "flames" from like you who like picking fights on-line with snotty, supercilious put-downs.

-- hifalutin jerk (somedork@somedorkyplace.coom), February 14, 2002.

Thanks for the info on the messiness of ducks - Spare me the psychology. I have a dog inside too, which goes to a daily doggie play group, plus morning and evening walks. Still, many people think having a dog in the city is cruel too, but I can assure you that my dog is far more of our 'pack' than were the backyard dogs in the suburbian neighborhood I grew up in. I was thinking of adopting one that gets returned to the store after easter, which is quite a problem I hear. Though not natural, my home is probably a better place for the duck than a cage in the pet store.

-- Lyndsey (Lyndsey@BigMouthGirl.com), February 14, 2002.

where ever do you people come from anyway..........sheesh!!! This sure gets old.

Ducks are fun, ducks are messy, people make choices with what they want to live with. Being civil is easy..........try it.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

Guess I offended the BigMouthGirl with my previous post. Sorry........didn't mean to. Just thought the last little dialog was a bit out of place. Blessings to you Lyndsey..........hope you enjoy your duck. If you uncheck the little box when you make a post, you don't get the responses in your e-mail box and then you don't have to respond privately.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

Thanks for all the good information. Sounds like it's doable, but I'm still thinking about it. I'm not sure about the diaper thing since ducks live up to 8 years and can't ever be potty trained.

Here are some of the best/cutest sites on pet ducks I saw:

http://www.t-n-t.org/KBD/text/duckie.html - This guys ducks live with him, his cats and dogs, etc. Very cute site

http://www.ualberta.ca/~publicas/folio/9900/02.18/back.html - This family was adopted by a duck. Best quote: "People think it's really quite insane," says Tanya, "because life is full without a duck. But, it's not as full as with a duck."

http://www.geocities.com/petduckassociation/registryindoor.html - This site profiles various indoor ducks.

-- Lyndsey Cronk (Lyndsey@BigMouthGirl.com), February 14, 2002.