A few questions

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

OK I am a duck virgin lol we have never owned any but DH and the girls are in LOVE with the ducklings at TSC and we have the room for them so why not right? Well I told DH that I know they are alot messier than our chickens and that these will be ALL his but I need some answers on care first...

1. do they have to be in a brooder like chicks? If so how long? I thought of buying a kiddie pool to use as the brooder base and wrapping chicken wire around it to keep them in, what do you think?

2. How old do they have to be before they can go outside for good?

3. Are Pekins good layers?

4. What do we feed them (I mean we are buying them at TSC what brand, type etc... do I buy)

5. I like the idea of using the milk jug on its side as a waterer in the brooder area

6. when do they need a swimming pan?

7. My idea of using the pool is multi purpose as we can use it in their pen later...


Any hints, tips advice will be appreciated!!!!

 

[Amiga]

Shelli,

Good questions, good general plan.

1 - I am not sure exactly what "like chicks" involves - I know nothing about chickens, except that I can tell a chicken from a duck

But a brooder is needed for ducklings, temperatures around 90 F the first week, dropping about five degrees a week till they are comfortable at the surrounding temperatures.

2 - Depends. It is a combination of the weather where you are (and here in New England we can have some freaky cold spells well into May), how feathered out the ducks are, and what kind of accommodations you have for them (the Ritz plus Fort Knox is nice . . . ) Once they are fully grown (you will get some different opinions on this I expect, whether that is two months or seven months or somewhere in between), they should have all their feathers, a well developed immune system, and are quite hardy.

3 - My Pekins, the ones I had many years ago, were good reliable layers. I just had to hunt around for the eggs because of our setup.

4 - I use the Nutrena Duck grower right now, will switch over in a few weeks. I started with Agway, which was higher protein than I wanted, so I mixed in some rolled oats. Look for something formulated for ducks, which will have the extra niacin (compared to chicks) that they need. There is some debate about medicated versus unmedicated, I know there have been problems with some, I use unmedicated.

5 - Try the milk jug! Just make sure no one can drown. Ducklings can get themselves into unbelievable pickles. Use your imagination ahead of time! I strongly suggest coming up with a splash catcher, or you will have loads of sodden bedding to deal with, which can become a health hazard.

6 - I let my two day olds swim in a cake pan, 90 degree F water, about an inch and a half deep. Since then, every few days, they get a swim/bath to keep them healthy and promote their preen gland and preening behavior (the water gets deeper, but no cooler right now). Until they were three and a half weeks old, I watched them (like a mother duck), and if anyone seemed to be just standing there, I picked her up and wiped her down with a dry towel. Those that started preening immediately after their swim I let be.

7 - I like using the pool with chicken wire as a brooder and giving them the pool as a pool later. I used a very large Rubbermaid tub as Brooder I, then the puppy playpen as Brooder II.

I wrote some notes on this topic earlier this week

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=315452

 

[chickboss]

Newbie duck owner also, but will try to answer a few of your questions.

1. Yes to the brooder. I think the general guide lines are about the same with chicks which is to drop the temp by 5 degrees per wk. However, I have five wk old chicks and 4 week old ducks, and when outside the ducks don't even seem to notice the weather if it is a chilly day and the chicks will start to huddle up under their shelter.

2. My book said 4 weeks, but I have others say wait until they are fully featherd. It may depend on what the outside temps are doing. My four week olds will be outside next week, with a light for warmth at night for a bit longer just to be sure.

3. I'm pretty sure Pekins are know for meat production and for making great pets. Other breeds like the Welsh Harliquin, Kahki Campbell, and the runners (maybe some others?) are know more for egg production. I'm sure they will at least lay some for you though.

4.Duck or waterfowl feed (starter) if you can find it. If not chick starter can work as long as it is unmedicated because the medication in chick feeds can kill baby ducks. If you use chick starter be sure to add some brewer's yeast to their feed because they need more niacin than the chicks. After the third week you want to switch them to a lower protien diet to prevent health problems. 15-16%. From nine weeks, if they are not layers or breeding 14-15% is good. If laying/breeding 16-17%. I hope someone chimes in if they have a different experience with feed ratio's per age.

5. Never heard of the milk jug thing. How does it work, I may like it better than the chick waterer that I am using.

6. Do not let them swim until they are older. Baby ducks in the wild get the oil to keep them dry in the water from the mother duck, they do not produce their own until they are older. However, since mine are inside, I have let them have warm baths in the tub, supervised, since they were two and a half weeks old. I then dry them of really well and tuck them under thier lamp so that they don't get a chill.

7. I think the kiddie pool as a brooder and then a adult duck pool later is a great idea.

Good luck, they are sooo much fun! Totally worth the mess.

 

[Hattiegun]

You can make sure part of the brooder is 90 or so, but make sure part of it is NOT....Honestly , my ducklings do not like that way way wamness...I have a playard gated brooder set up now, with a heat lamp at one end and small elec heater on colder days and temps vary from 85 to 73,,, they very very seldom stay in the 85 area.... this gives them a variety of temps tho.. I am new to ducklings and when everyone always said 90, I thought for pretty much in the whole thing at first... wheewww . was up alot the first nite finding out that is not the case.... Mine are not in a drafty area but they are prettty tough little critters. I drape towels over the sides and top to let in or let out to much heat ....

Also gives them more running room

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

Thanks you all, today is SUPPOSED to be the day we take the duck plunge lol I am waiting on my Mom to get home so she can watch our youngest DD while we go out and get everything ready to get the ducklings. I am super excited and yet of so scared of doing something wrong too! lol

 

[chickboss]

How fun!! Your kids are going to love them! Mine do! Would love to know what kind you end up with.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

TSC only has Pekin and Mallards so we are going to go with Pekins, we have them named already lol Carly and Sam (anyone ever seen the tweens show ICarly will understand) lol

 

[baileychic]

Does anyone have a photo or can they explain the milk jug for water--sounds like a great idea!

 

[chickboss]

Quote:
2x I know, I want to see it to.


We are getting Pekins in May. I am excited for them. I think one of ours will be named Ming Ming (from The Wonder Pets). LOL. Gotta love those cartoons...

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

Quote:
2x I know, I want to see it to.


We are getting Pekins in May. I am excited for them. I think one of ours will be named Ming Ming (from The Wonder Pets). LOL. Gotta love those cartoons...

lol I am TRYING to find it lol

All they did was take a half gallon milk jug, cut a round hole on one side that was just big enough for the ducklings to get their head into with out getting stuck and layed it on the side then filled it with water, as the ducklings got bigger they turned the hole on the other side so it was pointing toward the ceiling, gosh i hope I can find the pix lol