Wood Duck Questions

[Chukar Breeder]

Hi, I am interested in getting a pair of wood ducks and was wondering if I could get some advice. I have read some about them and also about raising other ducks on this forum and others. My questions:

1. How big should I have a little pond for a 1-2 pairs? I am going to put them in a pen that is 6x24ft. and just build a little pond in there. I know people use kitty pools but are there any other suggestions?

2. I know that I have heard that people have kept ducks with chickens in the same pen I would like to put 2-3 pairs of partridges will this work if it does I would only have 1 pair of wood ducks in the pen? (ps (reeves) I know that you are not going to like this question)
3. What other kinds of ducks live well together with wood ducks?

4. Any other helpful advice would be apprieciated(sp)

                                                           Thanks,

                                                                Chukar Breeder

[Reeves]

 

[CharlieHorse]

Plastic Ducks go well with Wood Ducks as they will both float in the same water.

 

j/k, no help from me!

[jk]

I feel like you already know the answers to all of these questions CB, as I and many others ahve already answered them on other sites for you... so I don't really have anything to add... as you already know the answers to these questions.   

[Chukar Breeder]

I know JK I just want to see if anyone had other suggestion I also want to get more information on brooding and taking care of them. Is 1 foot in depth deep enough for a pond.

                                                  Thanks

[jk]

1 foot is just fine for the depth of a pond...

Brooding:

I usually brood in box style brooder with wire on top for around the first 3 weeks or so and then I will switch them to a wire floor brooder (I would prefer them not to be on wire but it's the cleanliness reason that I have them on wire at that age. They make a HUGE mess...). I like to move them into an outdoors pen around 6-7 weeks because it is usually just fine outside for them unless you have a late hatch and they don't make near as much of a mess in a larger pen. I use a gamebird starter for the first couple of days just to get them off to a little better start and then I switch over to waterfowl starter/grower for the rest of the time until they are mature enough to switch over to the waterfowl pellets. I mix grains in as well (scratch grains). If you are wanting to raise them yourself then the best tip I can give you is get ready to do lots of cleaning!  . I just sell eggs now due to the cleaning part... they take quite a bit more work to raise because they are messy but when they get to adulthood and in a large pen they really are cleaner than any of my chickens... they don't waste feed by knocking it out of feeders and they are much cleaner than larger species of waterfowl like Muscovies or Mallards.