duckling delima

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PetDuck

PetDuck

Songster
7 Years
Jun 11, 2012
687
10
103
Cleveland, MS
Okay so I found two duck eggs laying under a tree.
Just out of courosity i felt them and they were cold.
I went home to read some stuff on the eggs.
The next morning i looked and they were still there.
With no mother in sight i brought them home with me.
I thoughe they would be dead after being in the cold for 24+.
So i made an incubator and put them in and after 28 days i have a Duckling!
(The other egg was infertile...)
He is healthy.
I gave him unmedicated chick feed and he eats all the time!
He has a homemade water that i made out of the bottem of a gallon jug (Cut about 1 1/2 from the bottem to make a pan)
Them a water bottle with slits in the bottem so when he drinks it refills.
And then some pebbles so he cant drown.
He hatched on the 9th at around 9:00.
He has no siblings so i am litteraly by his side 20 hours of the day (I have his incubator right next to my bed.)
He screams if I ever leave the room!

So here are a couple of questions:

How old before he can go outside? (With me by his side of course.)

When can he take his first swim?

When can I start turning his light off at night?

What temps should i have in there as he grows up?

How can i tell if its a boy or a girl at an early stage?

Is there any way to stop the screaming if i am not always in his sight? (And no i am not being selfish i just feel bad for him :()

Thanks alot and I don't know what type of duckling he is.
(I'll post pics later but I think he is a magpie)

P.S. Sorry the thread is soooo long!
 
The duckling is sleeping...
How cute!
droolin.gif
 
Aww Glad you took them in. I think he looks a bit like a blue swedish? I'm new to ducks so i could be wrong.
1) depending on the weather I start to let my ducks outside at 2 weeks. Then they go out permanently at 4 weeks (still depending on the weather). Between the 2 and 4 weeks you go up gradually and let them out longer and longer.

2) Ducklings can swim from day one but it's so stints a good idea to leave it a while. I let mine swim at 3 or 4 days the ducks can't provide the oil they need on their feathers to be waterproof enough and if they are in to long and don't get dry and keep warm they will get chill.

3)During the day I start to turn their light off between 1 1/2 and 2 weeks. Then I turn it off at during the day permanently at 2-3. weeks then at 3-4weeks i turn it off permanently.depending on the weather.

4)Not sure on the temps sorry! I just used what looked ok and if they stayed under the lamp, right under the lamp then I would make it warmer if they stayed away from the lamp and looked hot then I would make it cooler. If they were spread out and looking happy, eating and drinking fine then it's just right.

5) you could vent sex. I won't explain it here but look it up on YouTube

Have fun with your little buddy!
:)
 
A www how sweet. I also commented on another post where someone wanted to carry their duckling around with them. Depending on where you come from and what the weather is like you could wear a hoodie backwards and have it In you hood and they bought something from the shop I was like a little box around their neck. But instead and without having to spend any money, you could get a piece of string and tie round your neck with a box on with a soft floor for your little ducky! Just a thought to make him/her to stop peeping! But by doing this and being by his side all the time later on and now you will have a massive imprinting problem.
:)
 
No problem with imprinting!!!
He is already spoiled rotten!
And I sleep next to him eat next to him watch tv with him in my lap!
(Last night i wanted to watch a show with my dad...
it worked after one hour until he started screaming and crying witch scared the stuffing out of me as i thought one of the cats got him!!!
until i walked in there and he was fine he just wanted me his "Mommy" to sit with him...
lol.png
)

He took his first bath today and LOVED it underline LOVE!!!
He was splashing and drinking and sticking his head under the water and running and chirping!!!
(The water was warm and only about 2 inches deep with a deep end and dry area.)

One of my two cats is very old so he has nothing to do with him.
But the other was looking at him then decided to try and jump in his brooder witch ended up the duckling getting scared and my pulling the cat out...
he.gif

I have been having the door shut and i guess i left it open...
th.gif


Its too wet outside since we had a horrible storm last night to take him outside so i'll wait a couple days for it to dry up before he gets his first taste of the wild.
clap.gif
 
You really should get another duckling if you want to keep him. They aren't really ever happy by themselves. You can't keep it with you 24/7 and they don't ever want to be alone. It would be better for it to bond with another duck early on.
 
What a cutie! I also find myself with a lone duckling. My other ducks are far too old for this guy to hang with, my chicks only want to gang up on him and peck him...no one around has any ducklings. Called every single feed store in town. My goslings come next week so maybe they can hang out for a while. In the mean time- lots of one on one. Tricky when you have to fold laundry or wash dishes... :)
 
zooweemama said:
What a cutie! I also find myself with a lone duckling. My other ducks are far too old for this guy to hang with, my chicks only want to gang up on him and peck him...no one around has any ducklings. Called every single feed store in town. My goslings come next week so maybe they can hang out for a while. In the mean time- lots of one on one. Tricky when you have to fold laundry or wash dishes... :)
Click to expand...
Where did you get your lone duckling zooweemama?
 

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