On the poultry subject for the day, I read some posts about feeding alfalfa to chickens and ducks, and it seems it is very good for them and something they enjoy, especially when they have no access to grass and other greens. So, I may buy a bale of alfalfa next week and see how it goes.
Ducks are doing well, and have a new water tank to swim in. So far, they just stand by it and dip their bills in. I'm trying to make them a little stone stairway to get up there, even though it is only a foot tall. I'm wondering if these ducks have been swimming before, it is possible they have not. One got in a small fifteen gallon galvanized tank and flapped and flapped like it was scared to death and came flying out immediately. I picked up the female this morning out of the coop and put her in the large tank and she also came out right away. Silly ducks may not know they are supposed to swim.
Alfalfa and ducks
You may actually be happy they're afraid to swim as the water-changing is a constant chore since they muck it up in a New York minute. Here, in California there is a severe drought so I would try to use the water on other plants but it burned quite a few which did not like that much fresh nitrogen. But they should have some access to enough water to clean themselves. We ended up filling a large cat litter box for that purpose.
The last few days I have picked them up and put them in the tank each morning. I have to grab them before I turn them out of the coop. The female liked it the most. The male will jump out as soon as I turn him loose. The female will stay in there awhile and swim around a little while, then she gets out.
I put my ferrets in there a few minutes today too. They are good swimmers.
Yes, the ducks definitely mess up the water. All the watering bowls look like mud now. I'm sure the chickens don't appreciate it.