Adopting a Black East Indies Duck - many questions. Need Help!

[donnavee]

Not sure how this happened, we just found out we will be getting a Black East Indies Duck tomorrow, gender unknown, about 7wks old. Unfortunately, the owners who hatched him are divorcing and no wants the little thing. So a friend who knows we have chickens ask if we could give it a home. We said sure - crazy people we are.

We have 7 hens and 6 pullets with a 8x10 coop, large enclosed run, and we let them free range much of the day when we are home. We also have a small coop about 4x4 with about an 8x10 enclosed run that we used for the peeps before they joined the big girls. We are thinking this little duck can live there for now. We can put a kiddie pool in there for swim time.

Food: My chickens are all on layer feed now, so can the duck eat that or would the calcium be bad? I have some leftover flock raiser type feed - would that be better or is their special duck food.
Grit: Do ducks need grit too?
Sleeping: Do ducks roost or sleep on the floor? Are they like chickens in that they have a strong homing sense and will return to their house?
Snacks: Do they like scratch and BOSS too?
Long term: Can we eventually hope to integrate this little one in with our chickens or will it always have to be separate? I feel bad that it is a "lone duck", but apparently only one other hatched and died soon after. The current owner says it is imprinted on humans and spends much of it's current time in a kiddie pool.


I'm also told they are great flyers which scares me some since we hoped to eventually give it more room and let it free range with the chickens.

I will appreciate any information and tips you can share. Tomorrow will be a big day.

 

[katharinad]

I think you are fine and overreact. Ducks are very easy going. Ducks need about 16% protein and unmedicated food. Otherwise you may be fine with the chicken feed. Get some brewers yeast, since ducks need more niacin then chickens. The duck can live with the chickens, but be prepared that is will be messy. Introduce them slowly to each other. Ducks do not roost, they just sleep on the ground. Kiddie pool is fine, just make sure it can climb out by putting a concrete block inside of it. Ducks do need grit. Mine are doing without, but they are eating all the dirt in the world they can find free ranging. So I will add it back to their diet in winter. You may have to clip off some feathers to prevent the duck from flying. Just google it, its very easy to do. My ducks love peas, greens, and watermelons. They are quite good at begging for it. Welcome to ducky world.

 

[donnavee]

Thanks so much for the info. The chickens go crazy over watermelon as well. Yeah, I'm probably obsessing a bit, but I want to do the little guy/gal right. How old before I can tell the gender?

 

[drdoolittle]

I don't know if I would keep a duck with chickens only because of how messy the duck wsill make the pen. I would probably get 1 or 2 more ducklings. Ian fed my ducklings chick starter, and then switched to grower/finisher when they began to feather out, and now they get flock raiser made by Purina. They and the geese really love tomatoes, cucumbers and even bell peppers.

 

[sheila3935]

My ducks have their own pen and run and free range too. They go into there pen when the chickens go to theirs We lost one duck to a predator when my hubby forgot to lock them up one night so until we got Laurel a mate she stayed with my 12 week old barred Rocks in their coop. We put her water dish in there but no water for swimmimg until they was let out and the coop didnt get too messy. One really cute thing though was my Rocks dont roost yet they sleep on totes. Laurel would climb up on the totes and sleep with them.