Diapering a Duck – really!?

Let’s face it, having a pet duck is not common. And I get asked A LOT about how messy ducks are. Consequently I spend quite a bit of time talking about ducks, poop, and diapering a duck. Yes, there is such a thing as duck (and chicken) diapers.

I often get asked whether I diaper my own ducks. My short answer is ‘it varies’. As it varies greatly, I thought it worth writing about it here. So let me tell you a tail… (yes, the choice of spelling is intentional 😉 )

Of Time and Diapering

Much depends of course on whether your duck lives outside or comes inside. I have and have had some ducks that lived inside almost full-time, and some outside almost full-time. When my ducks are outside, I don’t diaper them. It’s only if they come inside. And even, then I don’t always diaper. Each circumstance is and was different, and each duck reacts differently to being diapered.

I learned about diapering a duck with my first imprinted duck, Maggie. Imprinting means she thought I was her mother and didn’t quite know that she was a duck. She grew up in my cottage, so was quite at home there, and it is where she slept at night. (Yes, in the house with me.) She wandered at will, even flying up on to the sofa.  She had a real passion for soft cushions, particularly if in her favourite colour red.

Messy is as Messy does

Now, ducks are messy creatures. They are like dogs when it comes to eating their food. They eat with great gusto. They slurp up their water, often dribbling it around on the floor, and then (and here is where the dog comparison veers off a little) they might bathe in it.

There’s lots of wing flapping, feather fluffing and the odd moult, when feathers end up all over the place. So what I am trying to say, is even without the poop, ducks are messy.

Now, it’s going to get a little graphic here. For those of you with a shy disposition, skip ahead now.

Let’s Talk Sh$t

Ducks can’t control their bowels. They have no sphincter, so when they have to go, they have to go. And consequently, and what really makes them different from dogs (or cats) is that you can’t toilet train them. This is what puts most people off having a duck, or chicken, as a pet. (So, if you can’t handle the poop, you should not have a duck. Simple.)

There is some respite at hand. Enter the Duck Diaper. Some lovely soul came up with a way of diapering a duck using a harness system. It holds a piece of sanitary pad, in just the right place, thus saving the furniture and lots of washing up.

All Change

I had a diaper for my Maggie. However, she HATED to wear it. She’d spend the whole time it was on trying to get it off. Normally such a vivacious character, diapering her changed her character completely. And I found this difficult to bear.

I generally only put it on her when she was inside and I had company. That is, when I felt there was a real need. Because it did quiet her (as she is too focused on trying to get it off), this was actually useful when I had visitors, as otherwise she did enjoy being the centre of attention.

Naked Duck

Typically though, when it was just me in the house, she would go ‘naked’. It was my preference, so Maggie stayed as, well, Maggie. But then how did I deal with the mess?

Luckily, she, like all birds, was quite routine orientated so I knew where she liked to hang out when she was inside. I’d put down towels (preferably red or pink) as these are easily washed, where she normally liked to stand or sit, e.g. on the sofa.

I sometimes put down incontinent bed pads on the floor, but as Maggie liked colour, and was more willing to sit on red or pink, towels were the regular go to. All ducks prefer softness underfoot, so by putting something soft down on a hard surface, it will entice them to hangout there.

Feeding and Mess

I also learned to feed Maggie only outside. Like most pets (and humans), what you put in has a definite time frame to when it comes out. So feeding times, and location, for my ducks are definitely planned. And I certainly don’t let my ducks in the house after they have eaten lettuce – that is an ewwwww in the making. 

Maggie didn’t eat once she came in at night, just water bowls dotted about. It made night time messes easy to manage. (The little there was ended up on a (red) cloth on her bed that was changed/washed daily). And stone floors are a wonder, along with wet wipes, for the odd accidents. Easy.

Diapers need changing

When diapering a duck remember, like a child’s nappy, you have to change it. So having a think about when and how long you wish the diaper to be on is worth planning. Normally you will have to change after about an hour, though like children, it depends when and what they have eaten. And, like babies, the smell may also tell you when it is time.

As Maggie spent a good portion of her day outside, I let her go au natural and do what nature intended. If she wandered in during the day, towels were placed in strategic places I knew she liked to hang out. This gave both of us more freedom. I didn’t have to interrupt my work or tasks to diaper her. Come evening, when the cottage door was closed, the diaper sometimes went on – depending on my mood and what I was doing. Bedtime and it came off and Maggie would head upstairs to her cushion and sleep.

Creating a Routine

Understanding and/or creating a routine with your pet duck, like a dog, is very useful. Ducks prefer routine, they are even rather OCD about placement of things like their food or water bowl. Understanding your ducks routine helps you plan when/if you wish to diaper.

I learned Maggie’s routines and life was much simpler because of this. Like most animals, she ate, washed, slept and played. When dusk settled she came in the house, washed up, fluffed her feathers and settled in for a nap on the sofa, recovering, thank you very much, from her exhaustive forays of the day.

Later in the evening it was play time. Ideally Maggie enjoyed when Gigi (cat) was about as they could play tug and pounce or they’d roll balls to each other.

When it was bedtime, Maggie would climb/hop upstairs, have a wash and settle herself on her bed. She slept through the night (more or less) if she had been running about all day. If she had been inside napping during the day, she slept less in the nights. 

Then, come dawn, Gigi would come up to play with her sibling and the two ran around trying to make as much noise as possible to wake me and the day began anew. Who needs an alarm clock when you have a duck and cat as pets.

Diapering a Duck

If you would like to see a Duck (or chicken) Diaper, or if you are in need of one, I recommend checking out Etsy where there are a number of good diaper makers. (Not just for ducks, but chickens, pigeons and even geese, too.)

And Dean Crowley and Marv Duck, over on Instagram, have the best show and tell video on diapering a duck…

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A post shared by Dean, Crowley, Marv, PJ and Zeke (@dean.crowley.marv.pj.zeke)

For further information on Pet Ducks ~

Can Ducks be Pets – Tales & FAQs

What’s it Like to have a pet duck?

Can you train a duck?

Let’s talk duck poop

Pet Ducks and Flocking

Being a duckling mother

Of ducks and imprinting

Duck sex season is here

If you enjoy or wish to support my writings, visit my Nourishing Pumpjack & Piddlewick page.

More Ducks

I also have a selection of duck gifts available for you or those you know who love ducks. Some vintage, some our own designs, all unique.

Simply click on the photo to see more, and/or purchase.