Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: daveinmanc on November 18, 2007, 18:55
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hello all :D
just wondering is there a thread or series of threads relating to feeding ducks, i.e the do's and dont's ???
just wondering if things like boiled rice are ok? seen a few threads where people mention tinned dog food etc which i would never have thought of :shock:
should i just have a look through the search facility or has anyone got a link to a list or site that's particularly good ??
thanks in advance . . . . ..
dave :D
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Hi Dave
Have a look at this
http://www.domesticfowl.co.uk/feed.html
hey are easy to feed but I mainly use Pellets and corn mix, fres greens lettuce especially a fave and mealworms for a treat
sandra
x
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brilliant link sandra, thanks
what about the rice though?? is it ok to feed them rice or is wheat/pellets and greens a better source of nutrients for them ?
ta
dave
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My chickens love rice but never given it to the ducks so don't know sorry
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its ok for treats ,,,, :wink: not all the time ,once aweek or so is fin .they are birds that need to eat seed grass etc so feed them as close to that as you can :wink: they love barley :wink: soaked or hard :)
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so most of the 'hard seeds' are ok as they are most of the time but ocasionaly soak them?
i've also heard people mention corn on the cob, take it this should be soaked/taken off or should it? just cant imagine how they'd strip it off but would have thought it'd be fun watching them try??? lol
:shock:
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a treat i gave mine ( they in the freezer now ) is barley that allowed to germinate ,maize is great for them corn on the cob keeps them occupied as well as the rats :lol:
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but do you soak the corn munty or is it hard???
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i just use a dish ( large or a poly sheet throw the barley on it with some watter n let it germinate .natural ,,,,,
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my ducks and chickens go mental for fresh corn on the cob.
i snap them into three and just sit back and watch them, its hilarious and keeps them amused for ages.
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Its a good idea to feed grain in a bucket of water dave :) :)
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thanks people . . . . . :D
already got a nice long old belfast sink lined up for the job, i know they need the water along with the food to actually aid feeding as thats what they do in their natural environment, god knows i must have fed enough of them when i've been fishing lol :D
now another quick one . . . . . . does anybody actually put feed/water IN the house itself or is that a bit unnecessary ? my own thoughts would have been to keep them separate so they get into the idea that the house is to sleep/nest and the food is always outside or would you put water in there to save them having to go out for it all the time ??
ta people :D
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already got a nice long old belfast sink lined up for the job
I'd be worried that they might fall in & drown. Especially young 'uns. :(
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also . . . . . finally finished turning over the garden with the flymo tiller and the grounds looking so much better for it . . . . . hard work with all the thistle and nettle roots, half bricks, coal, stones etc etc etc lol. . . . but we've got there . . . . .
location for the duck house is going to be at the side of the shed to the left in the piccie below, i figured it'll have cover from the elements, and if butted up to the shed nowt will get in it from that side, there's the back of the house to shield from the weather again and there's cover from the right side too and that part of the garden gets sun from about 11 in the morning but also offers shade so a good all round mix ?
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/mands%20garden/Photo-0120-1.jpg)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/mands%20garden/Photo-0122-1.jpg)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/mands%20garden/DSC00378.jpg)
aslo got the 'house' finished and got it outside in my garden so i can measure up n get the run attached and fitted, the pics were taken at night with the aid of a halogen inspection lamp and just for the record . . . . . . its actually coloured 'cedar' and NOT pink in case you're wondering lol :D shown the pic off my phone to someone the other day n they said . . . . erm how come you've painted it pink . . . . . . . to which i replied . . . . . did you know they're doin 2 fer 1 at vision express . . . . .
(http://[img]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/duck%20house/Photo-0118-2.jpg)
(http://[img]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/duck%20house/Photo-0117-2.jpg)
(http://[img]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/duck%20house/Photo-0116-2.jpg)[/IMG]
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WG.
its not a deep one, more long and narrow, a bit 'trough' like . . . .
and we weren't thinking of buying really young chicks, more along the lines of young adults, i may be wrong but dont they term the as POL's ? point of lay? or pullets ? sorry if my terminology is wrong, all i mean is, we weren't intending on getting very young birds for now
dave
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Don't know if its right or wrong but its the way I do it and my ducks have a routine :!:
I put them supper in a trough at night about a handful per duck of rolled barley and pellets, I always make sure they have water too as they must have it if food is available. The bucket is always empty in the morning. I am sure I am making myself work though as it prob makes for more night mess but they look forward to supper now so I am not changing it.
Dave regardless of weather your ducks will be outside for as many hours daylight as they can till you put them to bed at night, I have never found mine inside till they are asked to go to bed by me, so food and drink indoors in the day is not necessary in my opinion.
The sink sounds good as its heavy but its also slippery and if you have small ducks how are they going to get in/out/ Do you intend sinking it in the ground a bit? even so they will need some way to get out maybe a ramp. I expect you are thinking of it as a drinker, they will see it as a bath (all water comes under this catergory I am afraid) :? and try to swim in it. If it is drinking water it will need changing at least once a day so sink in ground option will make it a pain to empty and believe me they make it dirty in no time. :(
Watch out as has been said to make sure they are "Waterproof" and ready to swim or if they got stuck they could drown. My ducks were about 14 weeks before they were waterproof.
Looks an interestiing property is it a barn conversion, how much land do you have, oops sorry being a nosy woman :oops: Looks like there is plenty of room for a small pond :wink:
Sandra
xx
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nosey's fine by me lol :D
its a cottage, probably started off as one but now its two in semi style, the back garden is the one in the pics, there is more space at the back of a big shed you cant see in the pics and this may be coming down soon anyway so more space again eventually. then there's the drive and the front garden but i think they'll only be around there under supervision until its completely secure. bags of room for a pond and i'm going to start on one this week that will be moveable but solid. that belfast sink will have a ramp or a couple of wide steps up to it so they can get in easily, i'm sure i'll come up with a system for draining/feeding /washing with it while keeping it above ground. full of ideas me . . . . . well, they tell me i'm full of summat anyway . . . :shock: