Ducks are such cute birds that many people love keeping around. If you enjoy ducks quite a bit, then you might have recently decided to start caring for them as pets.
Many people are keeping ducks in their backyards by creating special outdoor pens for them. This can be a very good experience, but you do want to try to do things right to avoid problems.
You might have noticed that ducks are a bit messy in certain ways. They poop a lot, and they also spill water all over the place.
For this reason, you might not want to give them water at night. You want the ducks to stay in the pen without getting water all over their bedding at night.
Do ducks need water at night or is it fine to just give them water in the morning? Keep reading to get more information about this topic.
Ducks Don’t Need Water at Night
If you don’t want to keep water dishes in the duck pen during the night, then you don’t have to. Ducks will be fine overnight without water assuming that you’re giving them enough water during the day.
Granted, ducks do require quite a bit of water, and they also love to play in the water. Water is quite important for ducks because they need it to do many different things.
For example, ducks need to submerge their heads in water so that they can clean their nostrils and eyes. If they aren’t able to do this, then they’re going to have problems.
This means that during the day it’ll be important for ducks to have consistent access to water. The fact that ducks submerge their heads in the water is the reason why they wind up making messes so often.
It might be a bit of an annoyance to have ducks spilling water everywhere, but it is what it is. It shouldn’t hinder you in any way so long as you’re looking after the ducks and keeping things clean.
The reason why some duck owners choose not to give the ducks water at night is so that they won’t get their bedding wet. Otherwise, you’d likely need to change out the straw or hay all the time due to it getting wet.
When straw and hay get wet, it’s going to cause problems with mold. You won’t be able to ignore this if you want your ducks to live in a healthy environment.
How Long Can Ducks Go Without Water?
You might be wondering just how long ducks will be able to go without water. It should be fine for ducks to be without water for approximately eight hours.
This means that your ducks should be able to sleep through the night just fine. You’ll be able to wake up in the morning and provide them with fresh water as normal.
Ideally, your ducks should get plenty of attention throughout the day. You’re going to want to provide them with fresh water twice a day, and it’s also good to feed the ducks during this time.
Some duck owners go with a different system that gives the ducks consistent access to water throughout the day. This is probably better for the ducks since they will be able to clean their eyes and nostrils whenever they feel the need to do so.
It helps to keep ducks from experiencing many health problems. You could have a system that allows the ducks to dispense water, but you could also just fill some type of trough that the ducks can use.
Ducklings need to be approached a bit differently than adult ducks. A duckling is going to need constant access to water and food until it’s around six weeks old.
You don’t want to endanger the life of the duckling by trying to withhold food or water for any amount of time. For this reason, you might need to change how you approach this topic if you’re caring for ducklings.
How Much Water Do Ducks Drink?
Ducks can drink a lot of water each day. On average, one duck is going to drink one liter of water daily.
You’re going to use a lot more water than this, though. This is because ducks submerge their heads in the water to wash their eyes and nostrils.
It’s good to ensure that the ducks have access to drinking water. You’ll also want to have water dishes that are deep enough for them to submerge their heads.
Some duck owners choose to place kiddie pools on their properties instead. Ducks will like this since they’ll be able to swim around a bit in the water.
Of course, this means that the water could wind up getting dirty. Keep reading to get a few tips about how to keep the water clean for your ducks.
Tips for Keeping the Water Clean
Keeping the water clean is something that you can do easier if you have separate areas for playing. The ducks are going to want to play in the water, but that’s going to make the water dirtier.
Try to have some dishes that are a bit too shallow for the ducks to submerge their heads in fully. This can be a spot where the ducks will be able to drink water.
Then you can place troughs or other deep basins of water at certain points on the property. The ducks will be able to wash their eyes and nostrils by submerging their heads at these locations.
You can place a kiddie pool in an area that is a bit of a distance away from the drinking water and the duck pen. Allow your ducks to play in this area during certain times of the day.
Of course, it’ll be wise to change the water out from time to time. You’re also going to want to clean the dishes and troughs that you might be using for the ducks.
So long as you’re being proactive, it should be possible to keep your ducks happy and healthy. You just have to put in a bit of work to keep the water from getting nasty.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t wish to give your ducks water overnight, then it’s going to be fine to have them go without for a little while. Ducks should be able to go eight hours without drinking water and it’ll be okay.
If you’re caring for ducklings, then you might not want to do this. Ducklings should have constant access to food and water since they’re so small.
You need to be careful when caring for ducklings until they’re around six weeks old. If all of your ducks are adults, then you don’t need to worry so much.
That being said, it’s important to give your ducks access to water during the day. Ducks need water to drink, but they also require water for hygiene purposes.
Ducks submerge their heads in water to keep their nostrils and eyes clean. If they aren’t able to do this, then they might wind up experiencing certain health problems.
Do your best to give your ducks access to drinking water and water that they can use to clean themselves. They’ll also appreciate an area where they can swim since ducks love playing in the water.
It’ll take a bit of effort to keep things clean, but it’ll be worth it. Yes, ducks are messy, but they can be so much fun that you’ll be able to overlook all of the work that you have to do.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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