[peggyprice]

OK:  

1.  Will the ducks live happily in the hen house with the chickens (assuming there's enough room)?

2.  How early can you tell their sex?  Storrs Poultry list them at day old, 5-6 weeks and adult; is 5-6 weeks too early to know what you're getting?

3.  Do they eat the same layers pellets as the chooks?  Haven't found anyone listing duck food specifically yet ...

4.  Keeping their pond clean - can you use barley straw the way you would a normal garden pond?

5.  OH says he'd like ducks with pretty markings rather than plain white, I want ducks that look like good old fashioned ducks, and they definitely need to be one of the quieter breeds.  Suggestions please?

6.  Do they need worming/mite treatment like the chooks?

7.  What else have I forgotten to ask?

PS  We're getting ducks!   Yippee!  

[Foxy]

This is a good site -have a look at Black East Indian ducks -so gorgeous!!!

Also I will be merging Bigfoots and the ducks pen together so will lwt you know how they all get on...so far so good though.

I have read somewhere that you can give poultry feed to ducks..just supplement their diet with wheat scratchings- I guess like mixed corn for chooks am looking into myself at the mo -no doubt Kate and Vember will ppoint us in the right direction!

About worming is seems that flubenvet is reccomended but not licensed for ducks this site helps...

http://www.callducks.net/worms.htm

[Kate and her Ducks]

Will do my best to answer as mant of your questions as I can.
Unfortunately not really sure about the first as I don't have chickens. From what I understand as long as they have enough space they will happily get along, largely ignoring each other. Certainly have seen loads of pics of ducks and chooks cohabiting amicably.

2. Ducks can be vent sexes by someone who knows what they are doing at a day old, would have thought that Storrs would have no problems with that. Otherwise it is waiting for voice changes at 6 or so weeks and the development of curly sex feathers in the males.

3. They can eat chicken layers pellets. There are specific duck feeds (Allen and Page Smallholder range do Duck grower and breeder pellets). I haven't found an organic range that does specifically duck pellets. Don't really know what the difference is although ducks need more niacin than chooks but I think that is more important to the chicks. They like all the treats that chooks do like grain, lettuce etc. Mine adore tomatoes

4. I only have a little pond that I clean out. I'm sure that you could use barley straw - wouldn't be toxic to them but might not be quite up to the task of competing with the ducks. Keep meaning to try it.

5. Much as I love my campbells, they don' fit the catagory of quiet although I do think they look like "proper" ducks and they come it khaki and dark as well as white. I have been looking at Welsh harlequins in my daydreaming moments (don't really have space at the moment :cry: ). They are apparently a much calmer breed than the Campbells and I think they are beautiful looking animals (google them). They lay fairly well I hear and better mothers than cambells which afre terrible. Never felt very strongly about muscovies but know loads of people love them. Very quiet and very good mothers.

6. Ducks are much more disease resistant than chooks. Have heard that they can be kept without worming although to be on the safe side I give mine VermX. Haven't had any problems with mites at all.

Sure you will love whatever you get. If you are looking for a book I would recommend "Storeys Guide to Raising Ducks". It is my bible.

[peggyprice]

That's brill, thanks Kate  

When you say 'a little pond' - how big for how many ducks?  And how do you clean it out?

[Vember]

Hi Peggy I get a cheap plastic paddling pool once a year from argos or wilkinsons which eva is cheapest


http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3651968/Trail/searchtext%3EPADDLING+POOL.htm

It all depends on the size of your garden, My Call ducks (noisey little ****ers) Have this one

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3650141/Trail/searchtext%3ESAND+PIT.htm

My ducks would go in with my hens every night if I let them    The only problem I found when they did spend the night togeather was the ducks got pooped on from above

[Kate and her Ducks]

Its one of those moulded rigid ones that I got my friends to help me dig the whole to sink it. Contains 175L of water. It comfortably fits the original 3 ducks but is a bit small now I have 7! They seem happy taking turns though and noone likes sharing with the drake as he tends to get a bit frisky! I empty it by hand (well with a bucket - really would take forever) and use it to water the garden or put it into the water butt for future use if its been chucking it down. Keep meaning to get one of those pump hose things to make it quicker and easier but never seem to gat round to it and it only takes 15-20mins the hard way.



Not elegant but does the job. The edges have been lifted up a little by them dabbling for grubs etc. Perhaps this wouldnt happen with a flexible liner and therefore look neater but its sturdy and was dead easy to install.

[poultrygeist]

Would planting be a waste of time ?

We've just bought a rigid pond on ebay and I'd like to plant it up a little bit (iris, flags, that sort of thing) or at least palnt round it.

Mainly for use by the mallards. Would they just eat/lift everything and end up with a mess ?

Sorry for hijacking thread  :roll:

Rob  

[Kate and her Ducks]

I planted daffs all round mine when we dug it in (it was so pretty in my head all surrounded by yellow cheery daffodils) and they got pretty trampled. Managed to protect some by sticking some metal plant oblisk things that they had to go round. Have manage to save some iris in the same way but its a unhill battle!

[poultrygeist]

Maybe leave it to settle in til Autumn when the ducks aren't here.

Rob

[wendy]

Hi All ive got muscovies and khaki campbells and tufted appleyards,the muscovies are the quietest,,good layers large eggs,they sleep in with the hens,large pen,was an arbour,that previous residents put up honeysuckle and roses over it,i chickenwired it then plastic sheeting and a corrigated roof,nice and warm .get the odd rat going in but hasnt lately.
muscovies do a sort of singing noise,they are cute,got one sitting on eggs at the mo,but dont know if any will hatch,they are fertile coz ive 2 drakes 5 ladies,so might get some babies.about another week i think .
I buy large cat litter trays and fill them up twice a day they use them as baths ,got a big pond too but some wont go in it.
They also like a shower,when im filling the trays they stand and let me turn a gentle hose on them,I love ducks they are so funny much better than chooks who just want to eat all day.
when i dig in the garden i have to push the chooks off the spade before i can lift the soil,hard going takes twice as long to do anything.they only see me pick up the spade and come hurtling across the garden,
and theres no way am i getting up before them to garden.

well off to get a cuppa.
take care all
wendy

[peggyprice]

when i dig in the garden i have to push the chooks off the spade before i can lift the soil,hard going takes twice as long to do anything.they only see me pick up the spade and come hurtling across the garden,
and theres no way am i getting up before them to garden.

     

OH was having exactly that problem yesterday while trying to dig up nettles  

Does anyone know anything about Cayugas?  Though the Muscovies do sound very appealing as well.  And the Silver Appleyards. And the Welsh Harlequins.  And the Black East Indians.  

Oh flip, going to have to get a bigger garden  

Where can you get the various breeds from?  Have just been back onto Storrs' website and the only ducks they list are Aylesbury, Campbell, Call & Indian Runner ... ooh, and I've just noticed they do adult Cayugas       Though I'd prefer to get them younger if I can - would like to see them growing up and would prefer to know their history (given our various chicken experiences to date).