Whether you’re considering getting ducks as pets or want to ensure you’re taking proper care of the ones you already have, duck ponds are a huge consideration that many folks have questions about.
Can ducks live without water? Or do ducks need to have a pool? These are just a couple of the questions we’ll answer today to be sure your ducks are living their happiest and healthiest life.
Do Ducks Need Water?
Ducks use water for three main activities: drinking, swimming, and bathing. That said, your ducks don’t need to have a grand pond for them to survive or even thrive.
Many people supplement their duck’s water needs with a kiddie pool, and that’s often more than enough to keep them happy. Other families put out large buckets of water that allow a duck to dunk its head in.
Ducks drink large quantities of water, with the average duck drinking as much as one liter of water per day. Since they dip their whole head in the water to drink, they’ll likely need even more than that to be happy and healthy.
Land or Water: Where Ducks Prefer to Live
Many wild ducks spend the majority of their time on the water. You can find ducks in both salt and freshwater. However, ducks devote plenty of time on land or in the air, too. Domesticated ducks spend more time on land than wild ducks, especially if they don’t have a pond nearby.
While ducks can go about eight hours without water, it’s best to make sure they have fresh water at least twice a day. Ducks will drink about one liter of water today, so they need a lot.
And how do ducks drink water? They like to put their whole head in the water, which requires at least a deep dish for them to do so properly.
Specific Breeds: Do Pekin Ducks and Indian Runner Ducks Need Water?
Pekin ducks, like most ducks, do not need to swim in the water to live. They do, however, need water deep enough to submerge their head so that they can drink and clean out their bills.
Indian Runner ducks do not require water to live or even to remain healthy, but they thoroughly enjoy swimming and are usually happiest when they have a pond or a small pool to spend their time in.
Do Baby Ducks Need Water to Swim In?
Baby ducks can start swimming at around just one week old. However, since their feathers have not fully grown in or developed, they do not have the oil they need to increase their buoyancy. For that reason, their water time should be limited and always supervised.
So at what age do ducks need water? Well, ducklings should be supervised until they are at least one month old in the water. At that point, they have developed enough to swim safely on their own.
But if they aren’t swimming, how do baby ducks drink water? Ducklings dip their beak in small water bowls rather than their entire heads like adults do.
Do Ducks Need a Pond in the Winter?
Even during the coldest season of the year, your duck still needs water. Most domesticated ducks will still swim, even when it’s cold enough to freeze the water.
You can keep your water from freezing over entirely by stringing together milk jugs filled with water. They will float around the water, keeping it moving and unable to freeze.
How Ducks Find Bodies of Water in the Wild
In the wild, ducks are naturally drawn to water. So how do they find it? Well, ducks in the wild were born in the great outdoors, and wild ducks make their nest by the water. Water is a natural habitat for ducks, so they’re born knowing where it is.
From there, ducks migrate each year during the winter and the summer. Ducks are highly adaptable and use a combination of visual and nonvisual cues, along with homing, to find their way to and from these places.
Water and Reproduction: Do Ducks Need a Pond to Mate?
Ducks do not necessarily need water to mate successfully, but the presence of water is helpful to the process. If two ducks have water to mate, it must be large enough for both birds to fit inside.
Kiddie pools are great for mating ducks so long as they contain fresh, clean water. This aspect is vital for both the health of your ducks and their future ducklings.
Building a Duck Pond
It’s not necessary to have a pond or a pool, but it does make your duck very happy. If you’re going to have a makeshift pond, it’s best to give each duck six to nine square feet of water. The larger amount of water allows them to swim around a bit.
Furthermore, aim to have a pool that’s deep enough for their entire bodies to dive under. In addition to swimming, ducks also naturally love to dive underneath the water.
Keep It Clean
Ducks prefer to have clean water over dirty water. Can ducks drink dirty water? They certainly can, but that doesn’t mean they should. Not only should your duck be consuming clean, healthy water, but they also like to be able to see when they dip their head underneath.
Always aim to change your duck’s water out every day or two. Ducks may prefer clean water, but they’re very good at dirtying it, too.