I have had pet ducks now for almost a decade. And learned a lot in that time. More than most sane people want to hear about, so don’t get me started on ducks if we are in conversation. One of the areas that is not well known, or at least understood is about ducks and water. There are in fact a lot of myths, untruths and unknowns. So let’s debunk a few and explain some truths.
Ducks and Ponds
Ducks need water. That is a fact. They need it for several reasons, though surprisingly not for swimming. A duck doesn’t actually have to swim, though he does like water for bathing. What he does need it for is eating. And simply the fun of playing in puddles.
So if you decide to have ducks in your back garden, a pond is not necessary. Delightful, and would be thoroughly enjoyed, but not necessary. Ponds, and importantly here I am talking the large variety, are particularly useful for safety more than anything else. It’s impossible for a fox to get to a duck on a pond. That’s why you may see a duck house floating in the centre. Hawks and other predator birds that are not waterfowl are not overly fond of getting their feet wet when grasping for prey. (Though they will try if there is no better option).
Paddling Pools
But if you are or wish to look after ducks, then simply a child’s paddling pool will suffice. And in fact, I recommend this method. How little, or how many depends on how many ducks you have and how often you wish to change the water.
I have used multiple little pools for my ducks since the very beginning of having them. Some I have sunk in the ground, others not. The ease of having them above ground is emptying, cleaning and if needed moving them.
Being able to move them is sometimes a good thing. They will grow algae if they sit in the sun. By being able to move your little ponds, you can shift them into the shade. (And ducks prefer the shade over sunlight in the heat of summer.) Speaking of summer, of course when it is hot the ducks do need plenty of fresh water to drink.
Muddying the Water
Don’t worry too much if they muddy the water, particularly drinking water. This is actually very important. Ducks need dirt or grit to digest their food. You will often find them putting dirt into their water. If the bowl is not big enough for them to merde in, then it is only dirt and can’t harm them.
In fact, because dirt in water is good for ducks, don’t go cleaning their water bowls every time they dirty them! I change mine every morning, but simply add to the water bowls during the day to keep them topped up.
By the way, I suggest using dog bowls as their water bowls. Can’t be tipped over and low enough for ducks to easily drink from.
All Change
Depending on season, heat, rainfall I typically change the water in the paddling pools every 3 – 5 days. It’s really a case of looking and seeing how dirty it seems. In some seasons they use it more than others, and thus dirty it more, or less.
Sure you could change daily, but I can tell you from experience it isn’t necessary. It’s something you have to base on where you live, how dry it is, and the season. Of note, I re-use my ducks pool water on the garden. It is naturally fertilised, so not only are you not wasting, you are aiding your garden too.
Rain, Rain
As for rain, when it comes to ducks and water that comes from above, they actually aren’t that keen. As a prey animal, they don’t like anything that comes from above. (And that includes our hands.)
If it rains hard, my ducks will look for shelter from the worst of it. Or if not shelter, they will stand tall, trying to be as straight up and down as possible, to be the smallest target for the rain. And you really can see why the saying ‘like water off a ducks back’ is said when they do this.
My Maggie really hated the rain. If we had a torrential rain day, she headed straight indoors. No messing. Just climbed the stairs and went to sit on the sofa. She wouldn’t move until it stopped raining. Unless she spotted a puddle en-route.
Puddles
Water below that forms into puddles is a whole different game. And a fun one at that. Ducks love puddles. They will play, tossing water about. Also wash. And best of all, if you are really lucky to see it, they do the duck happy dance. (It’s rare to catch on camera, last time I managed was 2021! Watch in this video.) They stomp their webbed feet very fast. It looks a bit like when a child has a tantrum. It’s actually to try and get worms to rise, but even when knowing the practicality of it, it is still super cute.
More Ducks?
You will find more duck focused, hopefully helpful information in my Duck 101 posts.
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