It seems that my fear back in July...see here...was completely for naught. Our worry that we had two drakes on our hands was a false alarm as our little duck dynasty is comprised of only one male, a female and another lady with a ring around her neck, like a male. Go figure.
And although I introduced them to the joys of water at an early age, we suspect they think they're chickens, as they rarely venture past the shoreline of the pond. Living with 20 odd chickens and sleeping on the floor of a chicken coop could have something to do with that. We're not really sure. What we do know is that they make a mess of the water dispenser; we've had to keep both dispensers outside all summer because a wet coop isn't good for the real chickens. We also now know, that a drake and a rooster aren't necessarily a good combination either. Eli is missing some neck feathers, all in the name of protecting the smallest of the chantecler hens.
We're now at a crossroads. The waterers are starting to freeze overnight, and it's time to hook up the electric dispenser in the coop. The flies have vacated until spring, making this the time to decide who's spending the winter in the coop or the freezer. And the days are shorter than ever which means there are fewer hours of free ranging each day and living arrangements are too cramped for a healthy flock.
We thought we had a plan. Decisions were made and it was just a matter of time.
Now, we're not sure sure.
We discovered duck eggs.
And I'm looking for a duck proof water dispenser.
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Sharing with:
Down Home Blog Hop
Wordful Wednesday
Dagmar's Home ~ Wordless Wednesday
HomeAcre Hop ~ Rurality Blog Hop
It is because of the problem with ducks and drinking water in the 'henhouse' in winter that I don't have ducks. The ducks we had, left over from an elementary school project ended up as Peking Duck. Delicious.
ReplyDeleteoh, my! i'd want to keep them all happy and healthy, too.
ReplyDeleteI too have dealt with ducks and chickens living together in the past, and I've learned that it's just not a good combination. I used pallets to build two different duck houses separate from the chicken coop. Ducks are just too wet of animals and will always make a mess, no matter what you do.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're able to find a solution that works out :) Tough decisions!
Erin
http://yellowbirchhobbyfarm.blogspot.com
I have 6 ducks in with our chickens, and although it's not ideal, I have found something that helps out quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteI went to the hardware store and bought one of those pans that goes under a washing machine. It is supposed to catch the water in case of a leak. I put that on the floor in the coop with the water container on top of it. The ducks can make their mess and it is contained in the pan. Once a day I dump it outside when I'm cleaning the water container. It gets messy. It ain't purty. But it does the job and the bedding doesn't get wet.
It's hard to say goodbye to those yummy duck eggs. :)
I love our ducks. They share a run with our chickens, but have a separate house to sleep in. There is no such thing as a duck proof waterer, but those black rubber tubs you can get at the feed store seem to work best for containing the water if you only fill them halfway.
ReplyDeleteI would love for you to come share this great post over at my From the Farm blog hop.
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/11/from-farm-blog-hop-and-4-natural-sore.html
Lisa
Fresh Eggs Daily
www.fresh-eggs-daily.com
Oh dear! Best of luck to you!
ReplyDeleteThey are just beautiful. I LOVE duck eggs....can't wait to raise my own. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have geese too which are even more messy than the ducks -- we put a large pan outside the fence area -- with a small portion of it shoved under the fence with a de-icer in the pan, but outside the fence.
ReplyDeleteWorks pretty well -- good luck! :)
Oh my! Duck eggs! What a dilemma! Both the Lisas have some options that sound pretty good. Let us know what you decide! :)
ReplyDeleteOkay. You have ducks. You asked for ducks. you got ducks and now more ducks are coming. Theres a reason why everyone does not own ducks.
ReplyDeleteAND Next time I even think about wanting ducks I will come back to this post and take it as a warning ;p
xoxox
Duck stories in a row . . . TexWis and then Rural Revival, oh my, I am hooked . . . or ducked.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful ducks photos!
ReplyDeleteGreetings, RW & SK
They are beautiful, the little hen with the unusual neck ring, especially! It is always hard to decide who stays and who ends up on the supper plate, providence made the decision for you! Good luck on the water dispenser... Thank you for coming by to share on Rurality Blog Hop #39!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to have duck eggs, good luck with your decision! We tried keeping guanine fowl and chickens together and it was not successful! Thanks for sharing on the HomeAcre Hop, hope to see you this Thursday for our Thanksgiving HomeAcre Hop! - Nancy The Thanksgiving Home Acre Hop
ReplyDelete