Find out about living space for ducks
The pond
In the wild, ducks live close to ponds or lakes. These bodies of water are a source of well-being and a source of food.
If you want to adopt ducks, you will need to reconstitute their natural environment as closely as possible. The first question to ask is whether it is compulsory to have a body of water. It is recommended, because the body of water is a factor of well-being for ducks. In summer, for example, it lets them have a dip and cool off. However, the body of water must be big enough. If this is not the case, it will quickly become dirty and illnesses and infections will appear. For these same health reasons, regularly change the water.
A comfortable shelter
In addition to the water, it is preferable to install aclosed shelter in which you can put troughs, feeders and laying areas, because yes, ducks lay eggs. This will allow the ducks to protect themselves from predators, but also to shelter from wind or rain. Around this shelter, it is also necessary to install an electric fence or a barrier that is sufficiently deep and high. Little reminder: ducks fly.It is therefore not sufficient to just install a barrier; you will also need to cut their flight feathers. The flight feathers are the long wings that allow the duck to fly. Rest assured, this is painless for the animal. It is necessary if you do not want to see your ducks fly away.
The vet's advice
“The presence of a pond is also useful in terms of food.In everyday life, ducks filter the mud. More specifically, they look for silt. This is a substance where little freshwater crustaceans live, which ducks really like. Naturally, duck food does not consist only of these little crustaceans; they also need additional nutrients. The majority of duck species are seed-eaters.Like for other seed-eaters, there are all-in-one food mixes that comprise pellets and seeds: wheat, maize, oats, sunflower or peas. You can also make your own mixes adding bread, for example.