I just took the plunge - 10 Muscovies coming in April!

[Kaessa]

I just ordered 10 assorted Muscovy ducklings from Country Hatchery, due to arrive in late April/early May. I have 2 mallards that were full grown when I got them (the neighbors left them when they moved out). I have never raised a duckling before in my life. Puppies and kittens and cows, but never baby ducks.

I've been reading up as much as I can, and I'm planning on brooding them in the bathtub in our hall bathroom that never gets used. I have a heat lamp, rubber shelf liner, plus shallow pans to use as a waterer and feeder.

What I'm wondering is does anyone have that ONE piece of advice that they wished they'd known before they raised their first set of ducklings? (More than one would be good, too. )

Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just ordered 10 assorted Muscovy ducklings from Country Hatchery, due to arrive in late April/early May. I have 2 mallards that were full grown when I got them (the neighbors left them when they moved out). I have never raised a duckling before in my life. Puppies and kittens and cows, but never baby ducks.

I've been reading up as much as I can, and I'm planning on brooding them in the bathtub in our hall bathroom that never gets used. I have a heat lamp, rubber shelf liner, plus shallow pans to use as a waterer and feeder.

What I'm wondering is does anyone have that ONE piece of advice that they wished they'd known before they raised their first set of ducklings? (More than one would be good, too. )

Thanks!

You better have another very large brooder ready because 10 Muscovy ducklings in a bath tub will be crowed in about 2 weeks or less. They grow very fast and need enough room to not cause them to pick on each other boredom and over crowding with ducklings can get nasty. Not to mention the mess they will make. Don't know if you've seen this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

 

[Kaessa]

You better have another very large brooder ready because 10 Muscovy ducklings in a bath tub will be crowed in about 2 weeks or less. They grow very fast and need enough room to not cause them to pick on each other boredom and over crowding with ducklings can get nasty. Not to mention the mess they will make. Don't know if you've seen this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

Yikes, I hadn't even considered that. I have a spare room with vinyl flooring that I can clean out and set up something in there. Good advice, thanks!

I've looked at that thread, but I will re-read it (probably multiple times).

Thank you!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yikes, I hadn't even considered that. I have a spare room with vinyl flooring that I can clean out and set up something in there. Good advice, thanks!

I've looked at that thread, but I will re-read it (probably multiple times).

Thank you!

That sounds like a brooder room in the making, please come back and let us know when they arrive and of course lots of pics, as you can tell by my sig Muscovy's are my favorite duck. We'll try to answer any other questions you have too.

 

[Kaessa]

That sounds like a brooder room in the making, please come back and let us know when they arrive and of course lots of pics, as you can tell by my sig Muscovy's are my favorite duck. Well try to answer any other questions you have too.

It's a good thing I have until April/May! Time to get all that extra stuff down to the Goodwill.

Baby pictures are a given, I am camera happy. I'm sure everyone will get sick of seeing them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's a good thing I have until April/May! Time to get all that extra stuff down to the Goodwill.

Baby pictures are a given, I am camera happy. I'm sure everyone will get sick of seeing them.

I won't to me their isn't anything any cuter than a baby duck and having 10 well that makes it even more fun. Are you getting sexed or straight run?

Funny about Goodwill I always have a box going out to goodwill it seems. You know to start with you could set your little ones up in a large kiddy pool till around 2-3 weeks old they couldn't jump out and alot of people will even put some dog xpens or plastic fencing around to keep them in. might be something to think about for starts.

 

[needlessjunk]

I did the kiddie pool with fencing and then moved to a bigger kiddie pool when the time came, although with 10 you may have to start out with a bigger one. The one thing I have learned from doing duckings is that once the water situation it under control life is sooooo much easier! I learned with my first 2 pekins that ducks make a mess with water and the second time was much better. If you look through my pics I have a few different waterers. Using a water container with a lid and putting it into a container with pine pellets saved me a lot of mess. Since you have so many coming I would plan on having more than one water and food container. I can't wait to see pics!

 

[Kaessa]

I won't to me their isn't anything any cuter than a baby duck and having 10 well that makes it even more fun. Are you getting sexed or straight run?

Straight run was the only option at Country Hatchery, so that's what I got. I got "assorted", because it was cheaper and I couldn't decide on a color variety. I was only planning on 6, but it cost the same to get 10, so I figured I'd go that route and sell any extra boys. I'm keeping at least one drake, though, so we can have babies later if we want. Mostly this is for the eggs. I was going to go with the Khaki Campbells for egg production, but then I realized that my neighbors would probably hate me with all the noise. Muscovies were my first choice anyway.

We've decided to do the kiddie pool thing with fencing around it once they get too big for the tub, then by the time they outgrow the pool it should be warm enough to put them outside in a pen.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

We start by brooding in a large storage tub. It keeps the heat in nicely, and you can put it just about anywhere. Ducks are social, and like company, so usually, the brooder ends up in the living room. The top has two large holes cut in the top to which we attached hardware cloth, and a third in the front so that the babies can see us. I made a base out of scrap wood, and screwed the tub onto it.

The brooder set up and awaiting a new hatch

In about a week, the ducklings will outgrow the brooder, but can tolerate a little cooler temperature, so we transfer them to a large kiddie pool. We run hardware cloth around the outside to keep them in, and give them an area with a heat lamp that they can use as needed. They will outgrow that quickly as well, and at 2 weeks we take them outside during the day to forage and get accustomed to the weather. As soon as they start to feather in, they go outside with access to a heat lamp, so they can warm up if they need it.


...They outgrow the kiddie pool really fast...

Good luck with your new babies!!!

 

[Kaessa]

I did the kiddie pool with fencing and then moved to a bigger kiddie pool when the time came, although with 10 you may have to start out with a bigger one. The one thing I have learned from doing duckings is that once the water situation it under control life is sooooo much easier! I learned with my first 2 pekins that ducks make a mess with water and the second time was much better. If you look through my pics I have a few different waterers. Using a water container with a lid and putting it into a container with pine pellets saved me a lot of mess. Since you have so many coming I would plan on having more than one water and food container. I can't wait to see pics!

Good idea! I really like the idea of putting it in a container of pine pellets. I'm already VERY aware of the mess they can make, my two mallards make an incredible mess with their water! I had no idea how messy ducks were before I had them.