As exotic and unusual pets become more and more common, we need to consider everything. And that includes the relieving of bladder and bowels of our pets. For example, pet ducks are wonderful pets since they’re intelligent, very social, and will help keep your backyard free from bugs. But can you potty train a duck and do ducks poop everywhere?
Ducks and Pooping 101
Can ducks control when they poop? Unlike humans, ducks don’t have sphincter muscles, so they can’t control when or where they poop. A baby duck can poop up to every 15 minutes, and adult ducks poop as often as once an hour.
That’s a lot of poop to be cleaning up, especially since the consistency can be hard or very runny. Also, we want to enjoy our pets, not spend all day cleaning up after them.
So that begs the question – can you potty train a duck? Here are some pointers on how to potty train a duck:
Can You House Train a Duck?
The simple answer is no. You cannot potty train your duck. But if you have patience and dedication to spare, then there’s a chance that you can keep the duck poop to one area of the house.
If you don’t have the time or the energy to attempt to potty train your duck, there are other options out there that work just as well. That also includes litter training your duck.
Unfortunately, ducklings have the same problem as adult ducks and will go to the bathroom more often due to their small size.
Can My Duck Wear a Diaper?
Yes, your duck can wear a diaper. Diapers need changing on adult ducks every four hours and duckling every one to three, except when sleeping. Since baby ducks grow so quickly, they need their diapers changed more often.
Even if you don’t have pet ducks but do keep a flock, it’s essential to learn how to diaper a duck. This is in case of illness or injury when you might need to bring it indoors for observation and recovery.
Duck Diaper Safety
Duck diapers are good and safe for both you and your duck. You use a harness and then regular baby diapers, panty liners, or paper towels for the inserts.
You’ll want to get a specialized diaper harness meant for ducks as their bones are lighter weight instead of using something like a dog or cat harness. You also want to make sure it’s not too tight as their ribcage expands when they breathe.
How To Make a Homemade Duck Diaper
There are plenty of duck diaper tutorials out there. If you have a duckling, then cutting up an old sock or two will be perfect. But you’ll need to think ahead as they grow quickly. Below is a tutorial for an adult duck diaper.
What you’ll need to get started making a homemade duck diaper are:
- Duck’s measurements
- Material of your choice
- Elastic
- Sewing machine if you have one
- Thimble
- Needle
- Thread
- Scissors
The first thing you want to do is measure your duck since they, like humans, all have different proportions. You’ll want to measure from the base of their neck, under the body, to their vent or poophole. You’ll also want to measure around their tail and their neck.
You’ll then want to cut out your fabric. Make sure that it wraps around the duck’s tail and up to their necks. You can use two different types of materials, a soft one against the duck on the inside and a sparkly or colorful one for the outside if you want.
You’ll also want to add elastic around the pouch, so it helps your diaper fit snugly to your duck. This is where the sewing machine comes in handy as hand sewing elastic isn’t much fun.
Cut a slit for the duck’s head to go through, or if you won’t, use a buckle or velcro for easy access.
Sew the edges together so they don’t fray. Also, sew around the neck hole so that it doesn’t fray either. If you have more than one duck, they’ll try and nibble at it.
And that’s all it takes to have your very own diaper duck. You can jazz it up and bring it out to your heart’s content.
As for making sure the harness fits, you should be able to put two fingers underneath any part of the harness.
How To Put a Diaper on a Duck
What you’ll need to diaper a duck:
- A duck diaper harness
- Absorption material like baby diapers, panty liners, or paper towels
- Scissors – if you’re using diapers or panty liners
- A towel
- Your duck
- Treats
If you’re using diapers, getting the right size is very helpful. A 4-6 lb. Welsh Harlequin duck typically takes a size four diaper. If you have smaller ducks, go for a smaller size, and for bigger ducks, go up.
While panty liners and paper towels are good, baby diapers work best as they’re designed to absorb and protect a baby’s sensitive skin from going to the bathroom. The best absorbing one out there is Pampers Cruisers, as they have the best absorption rate.
If you are diapering your duck on a slippery surface, you’ll want to put down a towel so they don’t slip and fall. If it’s your first time diapering a duck, the towel will also help for an easier clean of any messes they might leave behind.
You want your absorption insert to fit around the bag portion of the harness just in case there’s any shifting as your duck moves around. If you’re opting for a diaper, simply cut off the wings and snip the diaper in half so that you have the front and back portions. One diaper effectively gives you two duck diapers.
Do not expect your duck to be fond of diapering, but you can totally get them to tolerate it by giving them loads of treats. Eventually, they’ll start associating being diapered with good things and not kick up too much of a fuss.
Wrapping Up
To sum it all up, if you’re wondering whether you can potty train a duck – there’s no reason not to allow your pet duck to roam your home or have to be cleaning up poop constantly. There may not be a way to fully potty train your duck, but you both can be comfortable and spend lots of time together.