candling/hatching question

[nchls school]

Ok I'm gonna bug yall with one more question! When I got my ducks, they were a few days old. I got them from Tractor Supply. I brought them home and put them in a large clear storage container with wood shavings and a heat lamp. When it's safe to take this one out of the Bator do I just do the same thing?? Yes.Also, I don't take it out until it's dried and fluffed up right? Yes.

 

[tbevans]

So I went to my parents to have dinner and came back to this....

 

[tbevans]

S SOON AS I POSTED THE PIC IT HATCHED!!!!

 

[WVduckchick]

e congratulations!! Great news! Post a pic when you can please

 

[tbevans]

Is the brown "goop" coming out of the egg normal??

 

[tbevans]

 

[WVduckchick]

Normal!!

Too cute

 

[tbevans]

Whew!! I was kinda worried about that! OMG!! I'M SO FREAKIN EXCITED!! IDK how I'm gonna sleep tonight! LOL!! I'm goin to tractor supply in the morning to get some duckling food, all I have on hand is what I feed my grown ducks. Anything specific I should pick up?? I can't remember everything I gave my grown ones when they were babies..I know that sounds horrible, but I have a terrible memory and 2 small kiddos that drive me nuts sometimes! haha

 

[nchls school]

AS SOON AS I POSTED THE PIC IT HATCHED!!!!

That's great. So glad the duckling hatched for you.

 

[Orca5094]

Omg, YAY!!!!!!! Best thing to wake up to ever!

As for the food, if they have actual duckling pellets/crumbles that is best, but most often they don't and we have to make do with chick crumbles. That is fine for ducklings, so long as it is non-medicated AND that you supplement the food with niacin. Ducklings need much more niacin than chicks do, so chick food does not have enough. You can get straight up niacin in many stores in the vitamin section, or you can dissolve B-complex vitamins in the water if they don't have just niacin. You can also use brewer's yeast as it is also a good niacin source.

Make sure the little one has a water dish it can only get it's head into to clear out it's nares, but not get it's whole body in so that it doesn't end up all wet and get chilled. Chick waterers work great for ducklings this small, but you'll have to upgrade soon as they grow so fast. I use plastic food containers with lids that I just cut the appropriate sized hole into so they can get their heads in, but not their bodies. Make sure you upgrade those as the duckling grows as well.

Once dry and more active (by tomorrow), be sure you dip the little one's bill gently into the water so it can learn to drink. It should automatically drink some water and then will know where to get water from. You might have to play in the food a little with your finger to get it to come over and play with that too and learn what is good to eat. You can also give them a little bit of finely chopped hard-boiled egg for a little extra boost if it doesn't start eating right away. Finely chopped kale is also good. I think it works great to have all those different colors to get their attention in their food at first, they seem to start eating faster. Don't give the hard-boiled egg after they are a few days old though, then they will be getting too much protein which can cause problems later on.

That's all I can think of for now. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! And enjoy your new little one! ^-^ How long until the next ones are due?