A little help!! Im a newbie

[yari1331]

Hello!

I just bought 3 pekin ducklings 2females and 1 male, Im really not sure how old they were when I received by mail but its been exactly 8 days since I have them. I have them in a plastic storage box with pine shavings, water and no medicated crumbles starter with 18% protein. Here's the thing, the tag they were wearing on their leg disappear while I was at work so I dont even know know who's the male. One of them is really lazy or I dont know if he have trouble staying up while drinking and eating and a little bit of trouble walking, is that normal??

Also I put a tsp of Quick Chik in a gallon of water and they're still drinking that. Do I have to keep doing that until what age? When Im supposed to change the food? What kind of food do I have to change to? I gave them a little lettuce in really small pieces and they loved it.

Please someone that can help me out!

Thanks a lot.

Sorry for my english, is not my first language.

 

[marcelineduckie]

http://islandseed.com/poultry/ducks/ this page should help a lot it talks about feeding and when to switch to a different type of food, also niacin is very important for ducklings. My baby sits a lot too even while eating and drinking tomorrow we are going to start giving her niacin in her water or commercial brewers yeast powder in her food. It is normal for pekins to lay down a lot they are mainly bred for meat and they grow bigger when not moving around a lot

 

[marcelineduckie]

Also your English is extremely good

 

[Amiga]

Welcome, yari1331,

Here is another link with information on raising ducklings. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

marcelineduckie has made some good points.

For brewer's yeast (not baking yeast - not the kind for winemaking, either), a tablespoon per duckling per day , or about a tablespoon per cup of food. This is based on what I have read here on the Duck Forum and in the book, Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks.

Ducklings often need more niacin (vitamin B3) than they get in chick starter. But not all ducklings seem to have a problem.

Please keep us updated! And your English is fine.

 

[RainMD]

Isn't duckweed full of vitamin B3? Ducks can and do eat duckweed. As a matter of fact, my husband was supposed to fetch some from my mothers pond and hasn't yet :/

 

[marcelineduckie]

Isn't duckweed full of vitamin B3? Ducks can and do eat duckweed. As a matter of fact, my husband was supposed to fetch some from my mothers pond and hasn't yet :/

that's a good tip, I don't know where I will find duckweed but next time I go anywhere with a pong I'm going to look for sure. I think you'd still have to supplement with at least the brewers yeast especially on days they don't get to enjoy that yummy treat. I think you may have answered a question I had about how would duckling in nature get the extra niacin they need ! Thank you

 

[RainMD]

that's a good tip, I don't know where I will find duckweed but next time I go anywhere with a pong I'm going to look for sure. I think you'd still have to supplement with at least the brewers yeast especially on days they don't get to enjoy that yummy treat. I think you may have answered a question I had about how would duckling in nature get the extra niacin they need ! Thank you

You're welcome, but I'm not entirely sure it has what they need there. I just know it is high in protien and is used and a high protien feed for animal, fowls, and humans. If you get a small little handful of it, it will grow like crazy in calm water. It is the perfect way to clean toxic dirty water too (people are looking to use it in sewer plants); I was looking to use it for cleaning the duck pond of its amonia build-up. Its possible the roots put oxygen in the pond too --- I'm getting of track, but yeah, the research on it is interesting. Oddly enough, you can get duckweed on ebay

 

[marcelineduckie]

You're welcome, but I'm not entirely sure it has what they need there. I just know it is high in protien and is used and a high protien feed for animal, fowls, and humans. If you get a small little handful of it, it will grow like crazy in calm water. It is the perfect way to clean toxic dirty water too (people are looking to use it in sewer plants); I was looking to use it for cleaning the duck pond of its amonia build-up. Its possible the roots put oxygen in the pond too --- I'm getting of track, but yeah, the research on it is interesting. Oddly enough, you can get duckweed on ebay

wow that is super interesting, I was just thinking the other day how weird it must sound of me wanting to plant a weed like dandelions In my yard but the duckweed has way more benefits Woah you can find just about anything on eBay haha

 

[RainMD]

wow that is super interesting, I was just thinking the other day how weird it must sound of me wanting to plant a weed like dandelions In my yard but the duckweed has way more benefits Woah you can find just about anything on eBay haha

I love dandilions and encourage them to grow in the soft soil so I can use the roots for tea and the leaves for salad. You are not wierd. Me? I might be getting more wierd by the year

Anyway, if I happen upon the specific nutrient profile of duckweed, I'll put it up somewhere.

 

[marcelineduckie]

I love dandilions and encourage them to grow in the soft soil so I can use the roots for tea and the leaves for salad. You are not wierd. Me? I might be getting more wierd by the year Anyway, if I happen upon the specific nutrient profile of duckweed, I'll put it up somewhere.

haha the best people in this world are thought to be weird strange and unusual! Please do I'll be following your posts so I don't miss out and I love dandelions too more so now that I know I can make tea with them ! I be loving the tea