[Glen]

OK, in short my daughters school has hatched some Ducklings and we have been offered a couple. Ive never kept them before and am looking for your advice on the basics (feed, housing, water, health, foxes etc).

One thing i have been told is they will live happily in the same hutch with our rabbit? Is this true?

[Kate and her Ducks]

Don't know about rabbits but get them, they are great!!!!

There is loads of info about. Know it's a bit of self publication but here's some:

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=20427&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=keeping+ducks

[Vember]

Totally agree with Kate  

You might find the ducks give the rabbits an odd peck  
Suppose it really depends on the size of the ducks when grown as to whether they'll be ok in the hutch


Sarah

[babe]

two ducks in a bunny hutch...... mmmm think not.

where are you going to install the spa bath and massage shower :roll:  

[poultrygeist]

Besides that, rabbits smell and they also snore. And like to watch TV late at night. :roll:

The ducks won't be happy. :?

Get them a nice hutch of their own with a little pond and they'll love you forever. And the rabbit can slob about all it wants then.  

Rob

[Glen]

Going to have to give this some more thought. My wife wont have a pond in the garden and as the gardens not so big another hutch would be cramped!

[poultrygeist]

How big is the garden Glen ?

They like a bit more room than chickens I think.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Lots of people keep their ducks with a paddling pool if they don't have a pond but they do need something to splash about in. Mine cope very happily in my little garden.

What sort of ducklings are they?

[Glen]

Aylesbury (i think ?), what chance is there of them flying off? I used to work with hand reared parrots so i know how to clip wings if needed.

Sorry, gardens about 40' square.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Well that's bigger than mine (I think, kind of do metric).

Aylesbury are a bigger breed and there's little chance of them flying anywhere. Even my light and flighty Campbells go no further than a couple of meters in the air. I think you should get them as ducks are just fab and I am completely biased.

I would say think carefully about how you can protect them from predators. Lots of us have had fox attacks recently in what we thought were relatively safe places and that is heartbreaking. I lost two of my gorgeous girls recently and it was horrible. Foxy has started a great sticky about fox-proofing runs.

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=25998

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=25895&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=duck+carnage

[poultrygeist]

plenty of room then  

Aylesbury are quite a large breed I think. Kate'll tell you.

Rob

[Glen]

I will post a couple of pics tomorrow of our garden and of the area i was thing of housing them on. You can advise if it suitable then.

Thanks for all the links tho, i have some serious reading to do!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Even if it is not suitable you can trust us to find a way of making it that way!

Am currently nursing my sawed thumb (don't ask) so more than happy to be directing others rather than sorting out my own problems!

[poultrygeist]

You'll have to get one of the bath plasters to put on it then  :roll:

Or amputate ?  

Rob

[Glen]

Am currently nursing my sawed thumb (don't ask) so more than happy to be directing others rather than sorting out my own problems!

Sounds like a story worth sharing, LOL!

Thanks for all your help guys, i really want to get a couple of the little stunners but wanted to do it right!