Romantic ideas of pet ducks

[snoozy]

Every so often on this forum or on the poultry forum some neophyte will ask about "house-training ducks." Such innocents are educated with great forbearance, but l would like to re-iterate: ducks cannot be house-trained. I came home to find that the mudroom door had been left open, and my three free-ranging ducks had wandered in and left their calling cards in a couple dozen spots. Yeccchhh! Thank goodness I have a bare concrete floor -- can you imagine carpeting soaking up duck splats like a sponge?....Well, don't. Fortunately I had extra rolls of paper towels.

Okay, I'll stop whining now.

[Danaus29]

ROTFLMAO! Been the victim of curious ducks myself. Fortunately they were still small but big enough to jump out of totes or wander into the basement as adults.

[BethW]

LOL. There are days when I wonder why I even allow my ducks in the BARN. I'm completely speechless at the thought of one in the house, diaper or not. They may be cute, but...no. Just no.

Sorry about your mess.

[Beaners]

I don't know, I think teenagers are probably equally destructive.

One of my friends has been pushing me toward ducks instead of chickens as my first (outdoor only) fowl. If I keep them out of the house and out of the garden will they be a good choice?

Kayleigh

[sidepasser]

Ducks are great except they will nasty up their water very quickly. I prefer chickens myself.

[hiswife]

we have a client with a pet duck that they successfully housetrained. I thought it was weird personally!

[whiterabbit454]

Originally Posted by hiswife

we have a client with a pet duck that they successfully housetrained. I thought it was weird personally!

how did they do it?

[Home Harvest]

Beaners, after looking at the mess in my 15 yr olds bedroom, I should probably relegate him to the barn. Well, at least his mess can be picked up.

Ducks are probably the messiest fowl. I wouldn't dream of letting mine free range, much less into the house. They got out of their pen this spring, they got into my fishpond. Destroyed the plants, muddied the water. It is just now recovering.

I let my chickens run free, but not the ducks.

[hiswife]

not a clue, I'll ask the next time they come in. I do know they had it from a day-old, had gotten it as a dyed "peeper" for Easter (poor thing!)

[snoozy]

Originally Posted by Beaners

I don't know, I think teenagers are probably equally destructive.

One of my friends has been pushing me toward ducks instead of chickens as my first (outdoor only) fowl. If I keep them out of the house and out of the garden will they be a good choice?

Kayleigh

Yes, go for it. Despite yesterday's mess, I do like ducks, and they are absolutely the easiest farm critter to have. No worries if it's pouring down rain -- that's their element. Indispensable in this area because the slug is our state bird, I think. And they have no nasty habits such as pecking each other's eyes out, like chickens...

[Aintlifegrand]

LOL.. I love my Ducks but no way would they come in the house...in fact I don't think they wouldn't even want to be in there..they love the outside... and you are right.. let it rain and they just get positively giddy with excitement..lol

[Alice In TX/MO]

Keep ducks and chickens separate due to dirty water issues. Ducks like to swish and swallow.

[Macybaby]

I decided if I ever get ducks again, I am only going to feed them outside.

They can drain a 5 gallon water container in no time, and of course that means most of it is soaking up the bedding. . .

I really like ducks (yummy too) but they can really make a mess.

Cathy

[airotciv]

I love my ducks but not in the house. But we have had close calls. If I had been a few minutes later we would have had ducks in the house, a few times. I try not to leave any door open when out of the house. Never know when you could have a visitor.

[Maura]

I like ducks, but they free range- mostly on the pond. This means that it is impossible to get them behind electric fencing after dark. The chickens can be easily trained to roost where you want them, for us that means behind the electric fence.

[Grandmotherbear]

Egg ducks like khaki campbells or Indian runners can give you 350 eggs a year according to my reading. Far better than egg chickens which were cited at 280 to 290 eggs/year.
This is per reading only. My town doesn't allow non psittacine birds.

[Jennifer L.]

Ducks have the cutest personalities, but having one in the house would be like having a cow from a free stall barn loose in your living room . . . Not something I want! And a bird in diapers is a PITA. But I suppose if you have the time and inclination there are worst things you coudl spend your time on (cleaning up constantly).

Jennifer

[james dilley]

I like Ducks ,But outside when they are feathered out! The barn is going to be Expanded for A outdoor brooder! that will be in A month or so!!

[Shinsan]

Grandmotherbear, it's also a fact that duck eggs are the world's most widely consumed eggs.
"My town doesn't allow non psittacine birds."
Why not.... do they only eat parrots' eggs?

[bigfoot2you]

I have 6 mostly grown ducks.........they are the cutest things..........BUT MESSY!!! Holy Smoke are they messy........I never would have believed they can poop sooooooo much!!! I hope they taste good!

Bigfoot