Kirsten These are my recommendations and tips for caring for your new Buff ducks!
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BASIC NEEDS:
- Quality duck pellets.
- Fresh drinking water.
- Predator & weather proof enclosure for night time.
- Predator proof fenced yard for daytime foraging.
- A pool or pond for cleaning themselves and splashing in.
FEEDING YOUR DUCKS
Your ducks will require a high quality feed which includes niacin and other vitamins specially formulated for ducks. Ensure the feed is unmedicated. They can eat unmedicated chicken pellets but may require additional niacin supplement (which I will address later in this article).
PROVIDING A DRINKING SOURCE
Ducks should have fresh water to drink aside from pond access alone. Please provide a deep container that they can dunk their heads into and clean their bills out. They will dirty the water up regularly so you will need to clean the water tank out each day to maintain their health.
We use plastic totes or containers made from old recycled tyres for our ducks to drink out of (See video below).
At night time I usually do not put food and water in their enclosure as it attracts vermin. By doing so also helps to keep the floor and bedding somewhat cleaner and dry.
HEALTH CARE
The health of your ducks is so important. Here are my basic recommendations for all round health of your buff ducks.
VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
I always keep some type of poultry vitamins on hand in my duck first aid kit. Generally speaking though, if your ducks are healthy and fed quality feed with vitamins included you shouldn’t really need to use poultry vitamins. Please read the label for dosage instructions. The vitamins can be added to their drinking water. We use either Anitone or Vetsense Avi-Vital on our farm.
PARASITES & WORMS
I find ducks generally are less prone to mites, lice or worms due to swimming regularly. However, I usually treat my ducks with Ivermectin (Ivomec) a few times a year regardless. I use Ivermectin topical treatment for cattle. The general dosage is 1ml per 10kg of body weight. It can be applied to the skin on the back of the neck and under wings using a syringe. I generally apply 0.3ml for a 3kg bird. Weigh the bird prior to administering so ensure the correct dosage. Consult with your vet if you have any concerns.
NIACIN (B3) SUPPLEMENTS
If feeding standard chicken pellets you may need to supplement Niacin (B3). You can achieve this by sprinkling and mixing brewers yeast in with their food. If they are eating a quality duck pellet however you should not need to do this.
Ducks grow so fast and are more prone to leg problems due to Niacin (B3) deficiencies. A quality duck & goose feed may be more expensive but you will end up spending more on supplementing brewers yeast or poultry vitamins later down the track if they do get niacin deficiencies.
Alternatively when treating a niacin deficiency you can put a 500mg B3 vitamin dissolvable tablet from the chemist into a 1- 2L tank of drinking water.
Please Note : Other pages suggest to dilute further, however if using short term to treat I have always used a higher dose as they don’t always drink it, and spill an awful amount. I have seen fast improvements with this method. Please consult with your vet otherwise.
Foods which can be fed to ducks and are a good source of niacin (B3) include:
- Peas
- Fish (tuna, salmon, sardines or live feeder fish)
- Pumpkin
- Sweet potato (raw or cooked)
- Sunflower seeds
- Nutritional yeast sprinkled on food
Signs of a niacin deficiency include:
- Shaky on their feet
- Unwilling to walk or having trouble walking
- Starting to sit back on their haunches
- Growing slowly compared to those their own age
OTHER RECOMMENDED HEALTH ITEMS
- Epsom salts (can be used to soak when treating bumblefoot, being egg bound, leg problems etc)
- Bandage & tape
- Iodine antiseptic powder for minor injuries.
- Oxymav B antibiotic for respiratory illness
- Plastic syringes for administering vitamins or medicines
Please consult with your vet or poultry health professional before treating conditions such as injuries, illness or bumblefoot as I will not be discussing how to treat these conditions here.
HOUSING YOUR DUCKS
Buff Orpington ducks can not fly and are very slow when it comes to escaping predators. Ensure their night time enclosure is predator proof, ventilated, whilst also being covered and protected from wind and bad weather.
Buff ducks do not like going up high ramps, so it’s best to keep access to their coop on the ground.
We use a metal coop like pictured which has been covered by a tarp. We do not have a high threat of foxes here though and it does not snow. Depending on your location, weather conditions and predator threat you may require something more sturdy. If you only have a few ducks then a wooden house with adequate ventilation may be more suitable.
FLOOR BEDDING
I prefer to use sugar cane mulch as bedding inside the night time enclosure. I find other bedding such as hay or wood shavings gets soggy much quicker. I usually spread a thin layer of Aglime 250 Superfine on to a raked floor before applying the sugar cane mulch on top. The Aglime helps to dry up wet areas, prevents flies and other parasites, and reduces the smell. The brand I use is made of calcium so if they eat any, it won’t be of concern.
YARD & GARDEN
Ducks love to forage for snails, bugs and insects, so please ensure you have a safe secure yard for them to roam without any risk of being injured or killed by predators. If your ducks are at risk of predators and unable to free range, then a large wired run with plenty of room and stimulation should be sufficient.
If allowing your ducks to free range, please ensure they have adequate shade and can return to sheltered areas for protection from bad weather if need be.
Ensure that your ducks do not have access to any toxic plants or items which may cause serious harm.
Check that there are no sharp or rough objects on the ground which could cause damage to their delicate feet and webbing.
Ducks will wander outside the property if they have the opportunity, so make sure the perimeter is secured to prevent this from happening.
Remember that ducks will eat pretty much any plant, so if you don’t want them to eat something, then best you restrict access to it. A pro to this though is that they are wonderful for weed removal!
USING A POND OR POOL
Giving your ducks water to splash, clean and preen themselves is beneficial and will also help prevent them getting a condition known as ‘wet feather.’ It may seem ironic, but allowing them to swim encourages preening which stimulates the oil gland and distributes the oil onto the feathers, making them waterproof. This results in the water running off the ducks back instead of keeping the feathers wet.
Ducks are quick to mess up their pond or pool water so if you don’t have a large and adequate filtration system then a small kids pool which can be emptied out every 1-2 days is sufficient.
It’s important to remember that buff ducks cannot fly and have heavy backsides which limit how high they can jump. They can have difficulty getting out of the pool in comparison to other breeds of ducks. Ensure that the pool has a ramp or a step for them to safely get in and out of the pool. By not being able to get out of the pool they are at risk of being harmed by predators or even drowning.
Another option if you do decide to go down the route of building them a pond, is to use a submersible pump like pictured to clean out the dirty pond water. However you will need access to electricity when using this type of pump. The extracted water can then be used on the garden.
Below is a picture of the pond I built at my old place. Having more ducks now though it is easier for me to just have a kids pool setup which can easily be tipped out.
INTRODUCING NEW DUCKS TO EXISTING FLOCK
You will probably need to keep new ducks separate from the flock for a week or so minimum and slowly introduce them to your existing flock.
If you have sourced birds from a different breeder then it’s recommended to keep separate for longer (around a month or so) in quarantine as a biosecurity measure. During this time you will need to ensure the new birds are not sick or have any health concerns which may be spread to your existing flock.
When introducing the new birds, it’s preferable to keep them side by side so they can see each other but not cause any harm to one another until they are used to being around each other.
I usually keep my ducklings from 4-6 weeks old in a pen (as pictured below) next to my flock until they are around 10 weeks of age and almost fully feathered. Older drakes can harm younger ducks. Even ducks will fight when first being introduced, so it’s best to sit with them and keep an eye on the dynamic of the flock and separate any birds who may be causing harm or getting picked on. If they are not ready then you may need to introduce at a later date.
Thanks for reading! That’s all for now.
Please note that these are all of my own personal recommendations. You may find other things that work better for you and your circumstances. You may need to look for alternative options depending on your location. I do not make any profits from recommending any products seen on this page.
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