Disclaimer: If you are visiting this blog to find out how I do things for my ducks and chickens I want you to know I have tried several ideas from others, some worked for me some did not. The ones that did not work for me were not wrong but didn’t fit my little piece of heaven. Take what works for you. If not, please do not put in comments that I am a stupid poopy pants. However, if you want to share what works for you please do, I love learning more ways to care for my girls and guy.
The first year I had ducks I only had two. Hilda and Sheldon. I was amazed that out of the grab bag known as a brooder I got a female and a male. I wasn’t sure what to do for winter water. Living my whole life in Minnesota winters go from balmy 30 degrees to blizzard conditions to 20 below all in one day. With that knowledge, I knew I would be making multiple trips outside to make sure my ducks and chickens had enough water.
My ingenious and electrical inclined hubby did get power safely out to the poultry area that first year. I still had to haul several buckets of water from the house to the poultry area, but it was only a couple of times a day. Not the several water lugging times I had envisioned.
My big concern was, do my ducks need a swimming pool during the winter. I did find many sites that supported that duck do not need a swimming pool in winter. I happy danced. All I needed was a heated dog bowl for the two to drink. I put a bowl on a cement block in the duck run. It worked great. The two would drink water and dab water on themselves to clean themselves. Sheldon and Hilda did make a modern looking ice sculpture I had to chip away but all seemed happy.
Until the day I came into the run and found Hilda having a hot tub in the bowl. I haven’t a clue how she got in the bowl. I think Sheldon gave her a boost. She was happy in her hot tub. She was only missing a glass of wine. The problem with her bobbing in their water dish is duck’s sole purpose in life is to eat, quack, poop, and repeat. Not good drinking water for the two. Now that the two had figured out how to have hot tub parties it would continue to happen.
I left Hilda to bob in her hot tub while I went to fetch a few things. Clean water to refill a bowl. I also grabbed a black rubber feed bowl and straw.
I found a good spot for the feed bowl and filled it with water. Sheldon had been eyeing me from the pen. His gaze returned to Hilda.
I was putting straw around the bowl when both Hilda and Sheldon came to check out the new swimming bowl. They dipped their bills into the water and Sheldon primed himself. The two discussed this new option. A few moments later Sheldon was happily bobbing in the bowl.
The next day I brought out a second rubber feed bowl and filled the two with water. When I finished in the chicken coop, I checked on Sheldon and Hilda. They were side by side in their own little tub. They looked like the couple in the bathtubs for the erectile dysfunction medication commercial.
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Oh my gosh Mona, the way you write is so descriptive I can just picture what you’re writing about. I was laughing so hard when I read your lady sentence!
I loved this. I could picture them. I got pulled away from the wacona writers book, but had been enjoying it.