Does anyone keep ducks?

[nightglow]

Does anyone keep ducks? I am trying to learn about them and I have a couple of questions that I can't seem to find a good answer for. Many duck forums I have found seem to be about hunting ducks, or they are for pet ducks but they look abandoned with many threads unanswered.


My question is basically, how much room per duck (8 pounds/3.6 kilograms) would you need to keep grass healthy and not create mud? I always see estimations for the coop pen which isn't meant for all day and it can be moved but not the roaming area that is for all day.
And is a coop house better for nighttime or could a small shed be ok for nighttime too?

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

I don't keep ducks, but I bet the r/duck subreddit could answer your questions. They even have a guide to duck care

 

[nightglow]

I don't keep ducks, but I bet the r/duck subreddit could answer your questions. They even have a guide to duck care

Oh wow thank you!! This is perfect and much more detailed than what I could find lol.

 

[Disneyfangirl23]

I know you shouldn’t feed them bread now. Which is what I did when I was little XD

 

[tiffanistarr]

Obligatory please don’t house your ducks inside your house. They are not good house pets and should be outside. Also, ducks are HIGHLY sociable animals and need companionship with other ducks. Also, think about why you are getting a duck. Most people get them for eggs, meat, sanctuary. Don’t get a duck just to have a duck and be different. Ducks are not domestic pets like dogs or cats they are still very much wild waterfowl. If you’re still dead set on getting a duck as a pet please consider their wild needs and give them an area as natural as possible to accommodate their needs.


The reason you are seeing most info about coops instead of general yard space is because most people keep their ducks in a coop or what’s also known as a duck run. You can easily find the amount of space needed for those with a quick google search. You can let your ducks roam the yard depending on how big your yard is and is it fenced in. If it’s not fenced in a small fence might be wise to help from rogue escape ducks and predators. You can also find that stuff by search.

Ducks need a little bit more room than chickens do due to their wingspan.

If your goal is to let them run around the yard they need to be watched often and ALWAYS put back in the coop/run at night to avoid predators getting to them. You can find easy coop builds or shelters online.

Also water buckets for drinking and ponds or pools of water for swimming.

The amount of food required sometimes depends on if the ducks are just pets or used for breeding or meat. They will need fresh food daily and and make sure to clean all their waters because ducks sometimes like to put their feed into their water so their coop and areas will need a fresh cleaning everyday.

Ducks also crap a lot so if you have a garden that’s great! If you don’t then you’re just gonna have duck crap all over

 

[nightglow]

Obligatory please don’t house your ducks inside your house. They are not good house pets and should be outside. Also, ducks are HIGHLY sociable animals and need companionship with other ducks. Also, think about why you are getting a duck. Most people get them for eggs, meat, sanctuary. Don’t get a duck just to have a duck and be different. Ducks are not domestic pets like dogs or cats they are still very much wild waterfowl. If you’re still dead set on getting a duck as a pet please consider their wild needs and give them an area as natural as possible to accommodate their needs.


The reason you are seeing most info about coops instead of general yard space is because most people keep their ducks in a coop or what’s also known as a duck run. You can easily find the amount of space needed for those with a quick google search. You can let your ducks roam the yard depending on how big your yard is and is it fenced in. If it’s not fenced in a small fence might be wise to help from rogue escape ducks and predators. You can also find that stuff by search.

Ducks need a little bit more room than chickens do due to their wingspan.

If your goal is to let them run around the yard they need to be watched often and ALWAYS put back in the coop/run at night to avoid predators getting to them. You can find easy coop builds or shelters online.

Also water buckets for drinking and ponds or pools of water for swimming.

The amount of food required sometimes depends on if the ducks are just pets or used for breeding or meat. They will need fresh food daily and and make sure to clean all their waters because ducks sometimes like to put their feed into their water so their coop and areas will need a fresh cleaning everyday.

Ducks also crap a lot so if you have a garden that’s great! If you don’t then you’re just gonna have duck crap all over

They would be outdoor domesticated ducks (too big to fly) and they would be fed what they need for laying non fertilized eggs. We are only learning about ducks, as stated. Not getting ducks . We'd only get three females to start if we decided to and we aren't looking for a bunch of ducks nor piles of eggs lol. At most only 5 if that.

I know you can find measurements for pens, but I'd rather them not be in a pen because it seems so many people have pens that are nothing but a mud pit. Pens seem small anyway. I'd rather them be in a fenced in yard all day with grass not falling behind. I don't agree with free roaming animals. "Coop" which we'd use a small shed is for sleeping at night locked. Coops seem too small.

I did eventually find a forum thread this afternoon that isn't about hunting ducks or having ducks as pets and doesn't seem abandoned. There was a few conversations about duck space and mud, so I did eventually get an estimation to where grass growth should keep up, which is what I was looking for and doesn't seem to be talked about that often from what I could tell yesterday with all the googling. But someone who have kept ducks could probably get their thoughts on the matter of grass growth with ducks around.

 

[Chrysopal]

Way back when our family lived on that three acres of quiet country land, with all those evergreens surrounding our peaceful gardens, white water lilies growing on our heart shaped pond near the rocky fire-pit, and my tire swing hanging from the big maple tree. I remember swinging under auburn leaves upside-down watching all the bumble bee's. Each morning my mama woke bright and early to feed the chickens, and her baby ducks followed her from the front yard coop to the backyard barn. Eventually, those ducklings grew to adulthood, fully feathered as they should. Autumn leaves fell from that frost bitten breeze. As winter froze our heart shaped pond those ducks flew far away somehow somewhere warm. Not very long after her ducks, Cally and Sally flew from their nests is when our chickens were taken away. Screams in the middle of the night woke my Papa in a fright, for he knew not where such a screatching sound could come from. The next morning is when we all knew. Mama marched without those ducklings who flew, straight to that coop to lift a rotten wood latch, she swung that door open and stood there in shock. Blood and feathers covered each wall, our chickens nests turned upside down, and no one had any answers to who could do such a thing. Hours grew as she wept such a tragic loss of whom were named our poor Lady Cluck, Swiffer Pants, and Red Neck. After her tears had dried, My mother approached Papa and said sweetly yet stern "The raccoons must have gott'm." He so dearly responded, "What a shame." Years flew by without any ducks or clucks, until one summers day when her Cally and Sally had flown from far away. As they swam through tall cattails and basked in warm sun, we see with their bond they'll fly far away from their home at that heart shaped pond.

*names have been changed due to privacy concerns

 

[tiffanistarr]

They would be outdoor domesticated ducks (too big to fly) and they would be fed what they need for laying non fertilized eggs. We are only learning about ducks, as stated. Not getting ducks . We'd only get three females to start if we decided to and we aren't looking for a bunch of ducks nor piles of eggs lol. At most only 5 if that.

I know you can find measurements for pens, but I'd rather them not be in a pen because it seems so many people have pens that are nothing but a mud pit. Pens seem small anyway. I'd rather them be in a fenced in yard all day with grass not falling behind. I don't agree with free roaming animals. "Coop" which we'd use a small shed is for sleeping at night locked. Coops seem too small.

I did eventually find a forum thread this afternoon that isn't about hunting ducks or having ducks as pets and doesn't seem abandoned. There was a few conversations about duck space and mud, so I did eventually get an estimation to where grass growth should keep up, which is what I was looking for and doesn't seem to be talked about that often from what I could tell yesterday with all the googling. But someone who have kept ducks could probably get their thoughts on the matter of grass growth with ducks around.

Yeah, i would wager to say most are about hunting which is definitely not what you’re looking for lol When I was younger we had chickens, ducks, pigeons, and seasonal geese. We let all our birds be free range during the day then kept them in the run at night. We lived out in the middle of nowhere on some flat acres in the middle of the woods so it was safe for them. That also greatly decreased the amount of mud pits they just looooove making. Ducks are definitely sweethearts and very fun to observe. If you’re yard is small or if you live in a neighborhood there are tons of articles and resources for having ducks in the suburbs or even the city!