Rouen Ducklings

[Addeline]

Hi

I just bought 4 Rouen Ducklings 4 Weeks Old

From a lady who no longer could care for them she took them to the vet and got there shots against
disease and had them sexed the vet said they they are All Females


They are all spoiled they no when i am getting there food and water they come running they like to be held and petted and they eat from our hand They are already getting there feathers at 4 1/2 weeks old they are still in our home in the bathtub


Wondering how i can tell if we might have a Drake if the vet might have made a mistake in sexing them?

How long should i keep them inside before i should put them in our barn?

Can they start getting fathers at 4 1/2 weeks old?

 

[Amiga]

Please read the first post on this sticky- https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

At this point, their voices will change soon and the loud ones are girls and the quieter ones are boys.

It's not so much a matter of inside/outside, it's temperature and safety.

At 4 weeks, they need to be around 70 degrees F, even at night. They need good, fresh bedding, with fresh food and water 24/7. They need to be protected from drafts and from larger animals and predators.

 

[Virus]

They do start getting feather at that age. Once they pretty much have all their adult feather you can put them outside and at once they get that feathered out you can tell their genders.I don't have a rouen drake but I have a mallard drake and their feather colors are very similar so here's a pic of a drake with juvenile feathers.

Males colors will suddenly change where the neck and chest meet, their head feathers will be lighter than their chest feathers. They also get curled feathers on their tails.

 

[Addeline]

 

[Addeline]

 

[Addeline]

Thank You for your help

I will keep them in for maybe a few more weeks We have a huge warm safe barn they will be free range during the day and we will put them in at night I am feeding them DUMOR Starter/Grower for Chickens, Ducks, Geese,Turkey, Quail, Pheasant and Chukar

 

[Virus]

That's good feed, still watch their feet. Ducklings get a niacin problem very easily so if they start turning inward out brewers yeast in their food to help them.

 

[mommyofpeeps]

That's good feed, still watch their feet. Ducklings get a niacin problem very easily so if they start turning inward out brewers yeast in their food to help them.

New a raising ducklings, I have 2 seven day old Rouens. I looked at the ingredients in their commercial feed and there is niacin in their food. Do I still need to supplement the niacin?

 

[Virus]

New a raising ducklings, I have 2 seven day old Rouens. I looked at the ingredients in their commercial feed and there is niacin in their food. Do I still need to supplement the niacin?

If it specifically says it can be fed to ducklings then they probably won't need any supplements. If you can't find anything about it then you can mix in ultra kibble or game bird starter, both of these are used for wild breeds. You can get them at tractor supply.

 

[mommyofpeeps]

It can be. Thank you for your help