Raising Wood Ducks

[scandelischick]

Meet Squeaks and Cheeks

 

[rossfam06]

Please! Don't feed your baby woodies chick starter. It will kill them. I lost all the babies for two years, before I realized that chick starter poisons them.

The perfect food is Mazuri Waterfoul Starter. (I don't work for them)
I buy it directly from them. Their number is 314-317-5179

For the first few days,  crush the little pellets to make them smaller. In a few days, they will eat them whole. You may add small meal worms which they will love, and also dried meal worms, whole or crushed (100 time cheaper). 

Your babies will thrive!

The feed come in large bags, but it wall last a season, and can be fed to any other kind of duck as well.  

Bill

Thanks....that's good to know. I would have fed them non medicated starter or flock raiser.

 

[duckmanjim]

Agree on Mazuri. Also live crickets get them stimulated to eat very well. They love chasing them around the brooder and gobbling them up!

 

[faststell]

I was told that you have to drop the hatchlings off a ladder as high up as you can, into a pan of scrambled eggs mixed with green grass clippings. the hatchlings will bounce a little but that is what kick starts their metabolism. just like in the wild they climb out of holes and nest boxes and drop.

I'm laughing so hard right now. Is this really true? I wouldn't want to hurt them

 

[rossfam06]

I'm laughing so hard right now. Is this really true? I wouldn't want to hurt them

I am pretty sure it is. They nest in trees. So....it's pretty logical.

 

[faststell]

I was wondering if anyone knew where I can get baby wood ducklings when spring comes next year or if anyone could sell and ship them to me personally. I've been looking for them for years because I have mallards right now and I think they would be a great addition to my small flock. (I get baby mallards every year) I've heard that little woodies are very hard to care for but I've researched a lot and I have a lot of free time in the spring/summer so i think I could do it. I also really want them as babies so I could have a better bond with them like my mallards. And my mallard ducklings could be teachers to the little woodies on how to eat. If anyone could help me out it would be highly appreciated, or should I just bite the bullet and get and adult pair of wood ducks. Thanks

 

[RuzichFamily]

For the love of Pete, please don't drop them. They don't need it. Secondly, where are you located? You won't find any reputable breeders willing to ship any ducklings but you could pick them up locally. They need to be adults before being put in the mail.

 

[007Sean]

I absolutely agree with the overcrowding, nothing will kill birds quicker than putting too many together.  Also, don't overcrowd you breeder pen either.  When I first started out I thought that I could have one of every species that existed, all in the same pen only to learn over the years that you are much better off working with only a few birds.  I wish I could use the word successful when it comes to Ruddy Ducks but I only raised 19 out of about 35 hatched last year so I wouldn't call it successful.  The main thing is that without the Mazuri waterfowl starter and the advice from a friend in Connecticut on cabbage and water,  I used to lose them all and now I am raising them.  Every year I learn a little more and I always try to listen when it comes to new ideas from people who have the experience when it comes to raising ducks.  I also try to take those ideas along with mine and tune them into something that works for me.  The main thing that I see missing from this website that was always present on GBWF.org were people who would listen to the guys/gals that knew what they were talking about.  This website has very little of that and there are very experienced curators from some of the most respected facilities in the U.S. that have come and gone on this message board just because they could no longer deal with the stupidity of people with 1 pair of mandarins giving advice on raising Harlequins or Old squaw and then arguing with them over it as well.  Didn't mean to get off subject but I wish people would approach this forum as a learning center and read a little more than they type.  I often see someone with 3000 + posts giving just plain wrong advice because they cant stand to not comment even when they have no clue what they are talking about. 

Absolutely, 100% agree with the last half of your post, Mark

 

[Dearchery]

...

100% agree with the duck starter from Mazuri.  My success rate on difficult species including Hooded Mergansers and Ruddy Ducks went way up after I started using it and I quit losing almost any of the common species.  Buy it then sprinkle it all in their water and they will start eating.  Another trick that I use is that sometimes I will put one two week old wood duck or mandarin in with newly hatched birds and he/she teaches them to eat.  Something about being the same species on such a nervous bird seems to help.  The main thing is to figure out what works for you and then tweak it over the years.  I dont really lose any wood ducks or mandarins anymore but when I first started out I used to lose whole clutches.  Good luck!
Mark


I am looking for a pair of wood ducks. Does anyone have any for sale?

 

[Member 441608]

I'm also looking or some too. I have been thinking about getting some if all works out.