Ducks? Sure why not??? OR ... What Was I Thinking?!

A year ago this time I was scanning my facebook feed when I noticed a local page had a post about a duck.  "Is this your duck?" it said, with a picture of a blonde colored duck huddled on someone's deck.  I followed the thread of comments, none claiming the duck, mostly just what to do about it.  It was clearly a young domestic duck.  For some reason, what I'm now claiming was temporary insanity I commented that I was close by, had a flock of chickens and I'd be happy to take the duck.  Less than 30 minutes later and armed with the information that the original owner had stepped up only to admit they didn't want the duck anymore, I was headed through a torrential downpour into the local town to pick up my new flock member. 

Ducky, as she was so "originally" named after that adorable Land Before Time movie... sat quietly in the crate on the way home.  She was friendly and curious and admittedly I knew nothing about ducks, besides they need water, like to swim and they quack.  I brought her in the house nestled the crate next to the dryer in my laundry room, provided her with some chicken feed and fresh water which she promptly inhaled like a person coming off a 3 day fast and I went and started researching duck care. 

Things I learned in the next few hours of reading:
Ducks need a constant source of fresh water not only to swim in but to help them get their food down and also to keep their bills and nostrils clean.
Ducks don't like to be alone.  Having 1 duck is a bad idea, at the very least you should have 2 ducks.
Ducks are often friendlier and make better "pets" than chickens.
Ducks can be messy and while they can be housed with chickens, its better if they aren't.
Ducky is a Buff Orphington duck that is likely around 5 or so months old. Pertaining to her sex? Hard tellin'
Ducks can eat the same food my chickens eat (which is organic layer) and they can also have fresh fruit, crushed egg or oyster shells, grass another other things they forage from the yard and meal worms are a favorite treat.

I slowly introduced Ducky over the next few days to the flock and unfortunately it was not love at first sight, or second site or any site after that.  She didn't like the chickens, the rooster kept trying to mount her.  Not an overwhelming success... so I created a separate space in the coop for her, a run in the yard that was all her own and went about figuring out how I was going to get her a friend.  The end of her 2nd week with me I went to a livestock swap about 30 minutes from home.  I came early and wandered around all the different crates and cars and tents and didn't find a single duck.  I'd given up and was heading back to my car as a Subaru wagon was pulling in... as the car passed I noticed all these little duck heads sticking up in the back.  I turned around and approached the people as they were unloading their animals.  There was a crate of ducks of all shapes and colors and sizes and in that crate was a Ducky look-alike.  The woman guaranteed the duck was a female and was about 5 or 6 mos old.  I exchanged a $10 for my new duck, gently placed her in the same crate that Ducky rode home in and started back up the mountain with "Daisy" quietly riding in the back.  When I got home I gave Daisy a good once-over which I absolutely should've done PRIOR to purchasing her - fortunately she was 100% healthy and pest free and I immediately introduced her to Ducky.  This was love at first sight... they head bobbed, they talked, they head bobbed some more, they nuzzled and then they hopped into the baby pool and had a swim. 

Its been a year now since Ducky & Daisy were added to my little homestead.  Ducky is broody so Daisy has decided to join her in sitting on some eggs - which happen to be 3 infertile duck eggs and 2 fertile chicken eggs - we'll see what happens. 

What I've learned in the last year:
Ducks are MESSY!  They absolutely are better off in their own coop (which I built and moved them too a few months ago). 
Female ducks are NOISY - maybe not every breed but my girls definitely are.  They quack like crazy when they see me.  Typically that was the only time (morning when they get let out, when they see me and evening lock up) however, now that they've decided to sit on eggs they are NOISY ALL THE TIME.  Constantly warning me, the chickens, my dogs, the cat and whoever else they consider a threat to STAY AWAY.  I wont allow them to sit on eggs again.
Ducks love watermelon, or any other type of melon, grass, meal worms (alive and dried), and they need grit and calcium just like hens.  Duck feed is best but when you can't get it, a good chicken layer food will be fine.
Ducks need A LOT of water.  My girls have a little bit of water in their coop to keep their beaks clean and help swallow their food and a large kiddie pool in their enclosure.
Duck water has to be clean!!  Since ducks need water all year around you must come up with a way to keep it clean and keep it from freezing.  I added a small electric trough water warmer to the kiddie pool and it kept the water from freezing all winter and it can get to -20 at night where I live.  Regardless of the season the water in the kiddie pool needed to be changed every 3 - 4 days for just 2 ducks.  Easy access to a fresh water source is imperative.  Fresh water in the coop is necessary daily.
The kiddie pool will get gross and will grow algae, so a good scrubbing with a little bit of bleach every month is important.
Ducks are cold hardy, even more so than chickens due to their thick down under coating.  I've never lost a chicken to the cold but the ducks are more apt to want to go outside even in the coldest weather.  Their feet do get cold and can get frost bite so use caution in the winter months.
Most domestic ducks cannot fly - so they are at constant risk from predators as they have no real defense.  They should be kept in safe enclosures.  Leaving them outside 24/7 should be avoided at all costs. 
Ducks are super friendly and fun to have around (except when they're broody).  If I am being honest though, I will never own another duck.  While they're adorable and their eggs are great for baking and eating and higher in Omega 3s than chicken eggs, ducks are a TON of work and I wouldn't go into this venture light heartedly.   As I was later to find out when Ducky's original owner contacted me online - the woman stated that her husband had decided to bring 2 ducklings home to their kids before Easter as a gift.  As the ducks started to get bigger they had to be moved outside but since these people had done no research they didn't know how to care for the ducks, raise them or house them.  Once the ducks looked mature around 4 - 5 mos they put them outside... to fend for themselves... thinking the ducks would probably "rather be wild"?!?!  They didn't even realize the ducks couldn't fly.  One duck was taken by a predator and Ducky eventually wandered to a neighbor's deck for protection and probably in hopes of a good meal.  Ducks are not an "easy" pet.  They require a ton of work and effort.  Please don't be like these folks.  Do your research before you invest in any animal.