are ducks like dogs

[acu-mom (Jessica)]

My dh doesn't want a dog because he feels like it would be hard for us to get away. We live in alaska and have to make long trips (2-3wks) to the east coast to visit family.
My 5yo daughter would love a pet. I was thinking ducks (cause we can eat the eggs too!). But from what I'm reading it might be difficult to leave them for that amount of time too, right?
They need their water changed several times a day?? I can't think of anyone we could ask to do that while we were gone.
Any ideas??

[Oubliette8]

Would someone be able to watch the pet while you were away? You know, give it food and water, etc? I don't know about ducks, but fancy rats are VERY much like dogs. I'd recommended two males- rats do best in pairs or groups and will keep each other company while you're gone. Males are also larger than females, thus easier for little hands, and tend to be more cuddly. They can even learn tricks. Ours would run to the side of the cage to greet you and loved to have their ears rubbed. The only drawback is that they have short lifespans (although that may be an advantage as well, depending on how you see it) and they can be prone to cancer, females more so than males, and pet shop or feeder rats more so than those from a responsible show breeder (yes, they have rat shows).

[MamaMonica]

Their water can go three days without being changed and you can get feeders that will hold enough for a few days . You would have to have someone lock them in at night unless your duck yard was predator safe.

[mamadelbosque]

Any pet is going to be hard to leave for that long of a period of time. Snakes are about the only thing that pop into my head that could go that long w/o feeding/watering/etc. Maybe a turtle of some sort too.

[BeckyBird]

I have ducks. Specifically, wood ducks and call ducks. Ducks are the messiest creatures on the face of the earth!! But I love them anyways )

I go on weekend trips sometimes. If you wanted to go out for longer trips, this is what I would recommend:
Buy several kiddie pools for the ducks. Fill them all up before you leave. The ducks WILL mess up the water in all the pools, but that should be enough water for 2-3 weeks. Also, find out how much food they eat in 2-3 weeks, and fill up the feeder accordingly. The only problem with this plan is, what do you do during winter when the water freezes up? I don't think you would like to go on a long trip, with water heaters plugged in the pools. I know I would worry the whole time.
Of course, you can always dig a small pond, and then there would always be water for the ducks. I don't know what your land or situation is, but leaving for a few weeks can be done. As long as you provide enough water and food for them.

That being said, if you have access to somebody with an incubator and duck eggs, this is what you want to do....get a duckling fresh out of an incubator, a few hours after it hatches. It will imprint on the first thing it sees, which hopefully, will be a person (preferably you or your daughter!) Then, hold the baby every day, sit on the couch and watch tv with it, keep it indoors in a heated box/cage, so it feels like part of the family. Ducks are very loving if they are raised with people, and you might even find that you can take the duck with you on your trips. Do a search on "call ducks"--they are just the cutest, sweetest little ducks you'll ever see. They are tiny and would be small enough to carry on trips with you.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...s/P1040548.jpg
Here's a pic from a few years ago. Look how tiny the duck is--and he's full grown!

[Tizzy]

The biggest issue with leaving a pet of any kind is if something happens.
So you fill the feeders with enough feed for a week or two, but what happens if an industrious creature comes and cleans the feeders out mid-week? What happens if a predator shows up? Or if a small animal dies in their pool of water and contaminates it? So many things can go wrong.

Best bet is to ask a neighbor and offer to look after their place when they go away also.
We have a nice little network around here and it's really reassuring to know that one person is checking in on things every day and another 2-3 are keeping an eye on the place for any other troubles