duckling set-up

[Rainier]

I put a brooder inside a pool. Inside the bottom half of a small plastic dog carrier put a layer of wood pellets (sold as pet bedding) and then shelf liner on top of that. I placed the food and water inside of that. The rest of the brooder has cut straw and a light. I got a shipment of ducklings on Friday. One was DOA, one died shortly after opening the package and two are still alive. They seem to be doing really well. Sleeping, eating, pooping and all. They are running all over the brooder and wagging their tails!

Anything wrong with what I set-up? I'm new to ducks and these are the ducklings I've wanted since last spring! They are Ancona's.



First home I put them in a turkey baking pan lined with paper towels with food and water because I wanted to keep a very close eye on them the first couple of hours.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I put a brooder inside a pool. Inside the bottom half of a small plastic dog carrier put a layer of wood pellets (sold as pet bedding) and then shelf liner on top of that. I placed the food and water inside of that. The rest of the brooder has cut straw and a light. I got a shipment of ducklings on Friday. One was DOA, one died shortly after opening the package and two are still alive. They seem to be doing really well. Sleeping, eating, pooping and all. They are running all over the brooder and wagging their tails!

Anything wrong with what I set-up? I'm new to ducks and these are the ducklings I've wanted since last spring! They are Ancona's.



First home I put them in a turkey baking pan lined with paper towels with food and water because I wanted to keep a very close eye on them the first couple of hours.

I'm sorry you lost 2 of them but happy to see 2 made it they do so much better if there are at least 2, your set up looks great, Can they get in an out of the dog kennel okay? lip isn't to high? I don't know if you have a thermometer in their brooder but it would be a good idea to keep an eye on temps don't want them too hot or too cool. Those babies are precious Congrats on your new ducklings..

I always feel compelled to give new duckling mamas or papas this link on caring for ducklings just in case..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

 

[Rainier]

Thanks for the link.

I was pretty worried about the surviving two. I gave them water with chick boost in it and chick starter (non-medicated) first thing other than a really quick cuddle. My DD's (17 and 18 years old) bought them for me for early Christmas present so I was really surprised by their arrival. When I first gave them the food they gobbled it so fast and didn't go get water at all even though they were right next to each other. I left the water in with them and took the food away and mixed the chick boost water into the food until it was a runny mush and then gave it back to them. They still gobbled it up but I was more comfortable with them eating it that way. I kept them in my room in that turkey cooking pan until they stopped stuffing their faces and were eating at a more controlled rate. I gave them the chick boost water until today when I switched them over to plain water. The dog carrier is flat on the floor of the pool and the cut straw was placed all around it so they have a bit of a boost up to the carrier but no problems getting in or out. My desk is right next to their brooder and since I'm in online grad school I spend a LOT of time at my desk, so I check on them continually throughout the day. I put a second container of water in there because the smaller guy was having problems getting his little head in the other water container. First thing they did was climb in it but they also stuck their whole heads in the water, which I know they need to do so I'm leaving it in. The second container is swallow enough that they can stand in it and they get out of it easily.

I do have a thermometer in there but it's hard to see and tends to get buried under the straw. I let my chicks tell me if it's to hot or not by how they act. Huddled under the light and next to each other to cold and spanned out or panting to hot. Not sure if that would work with the ducklings but thought it would. Although with only two I expect they will huddle with each other a lot.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the link.

I was pretty worried about the surviving two. I gave them water with chick boost in it and chick starter (non-medicated) first thing other than a really quick cuddle. My DD's (17 and 18 years old) bought them for me for early Christmas present so I was really surprised by their arrival. When I first gave them the food they gobbled it so fast and didn't go get water at all even though they were right next to each other. I left the water in with them and took the food away and mixed the chick boost water into the food until it was a runny mush and then gave it back to them. They still gobbled it up but I was more comfortable with them eating it that way. I kept them in my room in that turkey cooking pan until they stopped stuffing their faces and were eating at a more controlled rate. I gave them the chick boost water until today when I switched them over to plain water. The dog carrier is flat on the floor of the pool and the cut straw was placed all around it so they have a bit of a boost up to the carrier but no problems getting in or out. My desk is right next to their brooder and since I'm in online grad school I spend a LOT of time at my desk, so I check on them continually throughout the day. I put a second container of water in there because the smaller guy was having problems getting his little head in the other water container. First thing they did was climb in it but they also stuck their whole heads in the water, which I know they need to do so I'm leaving it in. The second container is swallow enough that they can stand in it and they get out of it easily.

I do have a thermometer in there but it's hard to see and tends to get buried under the straw. I let my chicks tell me if it's to hot or not by how they act. Huddled under the light and next to each other to cold and spanned out or panting to hot. Not sure if that would work with the ducklings but thought it would. Although with only two I expect they will huddle with each other a lot.

Sounds like your doing an excellent job. Did you contact the hatchery about the 2 that died? are they sending replacements? Please keep us updated on how they are doing and of course with plenty of pics. It's really up to you but I usually give vitamins for first week daily then every other day second week after that 3X a week till they are 10 weeks old. Just another way to make sure they are getting the extra niacin they need since chick feed doesn't have enough for ducklings, you can also use Brewers yeast sprinkled over their feed.

 

[Rainier]

Sounds like your doing an excellent job. Did you contact the hatchery about the 2 that died? are they sending replacements? Please keep us updated on how they are doing and of course with plenty of pics. It's really up to you but I usually give vitamins for first week daily then every other day second week after that 3X a week till they are 10 weeks old. Just another way to make sure they are getting the extra niacin they need since chick feed doesn't have enough for ducklings, you can also use Brewers yeast sprinkled over their feed.

I got them from a private breeder and asked for a credit rather than a check back. I will not be getting the replacements till spring and will be adding four to the order haha duck math is already happening!

The babies are blue and lilac colors. The blue is the smaller of the two. I'm going to get some brewers yeast because the only niacin I can find is the type you are not suppose to use in ducklings .. flush something or other. The chick boost I was using doesn't have extra niacin in it. The other thing I wasn't sure about is them dunking their heads in the water with added chick boost in it. I do have Ploy-So-Vi (no iron), Rooster Booster and then the chick boost. Would the others work better than brewers yeast?

 

[Rainier]

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable Look forward to seeing them when feathered out those colors sound so pretty. We do have an Ancona Thread too.I'm not familiar with Rooster booster [I've heard of it] or chick boost it that something like save a chick? I use Poultry Nutri Drench it has niacin in it but Brewers yeast would be best. when I use it on ducklings I mix 1 tab of BY to 1 cup of feed. Poultry Nutri Drench is a good one to have on hand when molting. But there are other poultry vitamins that are good too. I mix Brewers yeast into my fermented feed I feed my flock too. You can also use Nutritional yeast, both can be found at natural food stores or on line. Not baking yeast. I'm sure you already know that but we have had members ask if it's okay to use.

Enjoy those babies they grow so fast.

 

[Rainier]

They are adorable Look forward to seeing them when feathered out those colors sound so pretty. We do have an Ancona Thread too.I'm not familiar with Rooster booster [I've heard of it] or chick boost it that something like save a chick? I use Poultry Nutri Drench it has niacin in it but Brewers yeast would be best. when I use it on ducklings I mix 1 tab of BY to 1 cup of feed. Poultry Nutri Drench is a good one to have on hand when molting. But there are other poultry vitamins that are good too. I mix Brewers yeast into my fermented feed I feed my flock too. You can also use Nutritional yeast, both can be found at natural food stores or on line. Not baking yeast. I'm sure you already know that but we have had members ask if it's okay to use.

Enjoy those babies they grow so fast

I have Poultry Nutri Drench (forgot to add that one). I give ferment feed to my chickens and baby chicks but wasn't sure if it was good to give to ducks. Chick boost is like sav-a-chick but it has probiotics in it too. The sav-a-chick at my local feed store did not have the one with probiotics so I got the chick boost instead. At the time I got it, it was for some silkie chicks who were struggling.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have Poultry Nutri Drench (forgot to add that one). I give ferment feed to my chickens and baby chicks but wasn't sure if it was good to give to ducks. Chick boost is like sav-a-chick but it has probiotics in it too. The sav-a-chick at my local feed store did not have the one with probiotics so I got the chick boost instead. At the time I got it, it was for some silkie chicks who were struggling.

I really like Nutri drench for 1 because it can be given straight as you probably know, I do like the idea of probiotics in their vitamins I have some electrolytes that come with probiotics in them. I start all my babies on ff ducks/chicks/ and goslings.

 

[Rainier]

This is what is in the chick boost. Which doesn't address the niacin need.

Guaranteed Analsis (per 10 gram scoop)
Enterococcus faecium 62,500,000 CFU*/10 gm
Lactobacillu acidophilus 62,500,000 CFU*/10 gm
Sodium (1.12 %)
Potassium (0.40%)
Vit A (200,000 IU/10 gm)
Vit D3 (96,400 IU/10 gm)
Vit E (82 IU/10 gm)
Vit C (306 mg/10 gm)

If they dunk their heads in it will it hurt them?