Had an odd scare after bath time today!

Sooooo our now 14day old ducklings (5 buffs and 3 indian runners) had one of their first real swimming lessons today during cleaning time, I had room temp water in a large tote with a large roosting rock in the center, I put them all in with some greens to munch on while I cleaned the coop....they were having fun, but I think the water may have been to cold....it seemed OK but when I put them back into their brooder, some of them started to fall over as if their legs just wouldnt work....some seemed OK and went to preening themselves right away, but a few were seriously just stiff and falling over and I was freaking out! I grabbed towels and warmed them up, one runner had a particularly hard time regaining its balance/strength in her legs....I felt so bad.....went up and had dinner, checked on them after that, they were all fluffed up under the heat lamp resting in their hay. PHEW.


I guess from now on....should I warm the water more than room temp for swimming???? were their legs tired from all the paddleing?

I always used the recommended air temperature as a guide. So, at two weeks, 90 minus 2 times ten is 80 degrees F, and I would let them be in 80 degree water. Hypothermia can kick in at what seem to be mild temperatures, to us. But their tiny bodies simply cannot maintain heat in water that is less than optimal. And their own internal temperature, at least at maturity, is around 104˚F.

Glad they are okay.

I understand needing to be in two places at once, but I would find someplace other than water for them during brooder cleanup.

While they are in water before being fully feathered, they need a lifeguard constantly watching over them.

Thank you, I was afraid of that :-( I feel so bad, newb problems! ugh they werent jokeing when they said there is a large learning curve, even for the seasoned animal owner....ive raised and owned everything growing up, rabbits, horses, dogs, cats, hamster etc.... everything BUT poultry/birds....really wish I would have as I had WAY more time on my hands as a kid in 4H to learn things....its a lot harder to find the time these days as a mother of two to sit down and just DO ducks, but im determined to make is a success!
The first few times I just had the tub filled with light shavings/hay but thought why not swimming lessons? The tub was right there next to their brooder so I was watching them and they seemed fine until I put them back.....warm water next time....maybe use a stock tank heater and take it out when theyre in there?

Let the bad feeling pass. Everyone seems okay. I think we have all dodged some bullets, raising our ducklings. And sometimes, we make a mistake, or miss a detail, and it ends badly.

Most of the time, though, it is a life of joy and wonder. Life as I knew it ended the day I opened that box of ducklings. A much better life grew out of it.

I had the luxury of time at the point I chose to raise ducks. As I have reconnected to humanity, I have more challenges in managing the ducks. And that is fine.

Ducklings will get themselves into the most preposterous difficulties. Mercy.

Thanks for clarifying that the tub is right next to their brooder. In that case, if the water is warm enough, and brooder cleanup only takes five or ten minutes, that sounds better than what I was picturing (our tub is down the hall from the brooder). Still, some littles can only handle five or six minutes of such excitement in the water before they need to be pulled out for a rest and a dry-off.

I used a kitchen thermometer (waterproof) to mind the water temperature.

Great idea on the thermometer.... we have a finished room in our poleshed which is like the mens "crisis/hunting" center, which I turned into a brooder room this Spring LOL but no heated water down there as of yet, but seems to work good, suppose to finally be in the 70s today! Hopeing to open the windows and air it out a bit