Anybody wanna guess on how old?

[LilMissChz]

Wow!! Great pictures!! Thanks all for posting them.

 

[Apyl]

Oh how precious.. Thank you so much for all the pictures and the video. My daughter, who is officially the owner of our pekin ducks, loved the video. She said she can't wait to let our ducklings swim. You ducklings are too precious. Thank you again for sharing them with me and my family.

Your duckling can swin now. I've been letting mine swin since they were a couple days old. At first its only for about 5 minutes, then 10, then however long they want.

 

[momd29]

Really? I read some where that they can't swim until they are older due to them not having oil on their bodies that normally the mother provides. I would hate to think that one of these precious babies would accidentally drown because I tried to let them swim too soon. I mean I would NEVER leave them alone in water (thats for sure). Is there anything I should be aware of before allowing them to swim? Anything I should watch out for? Thank you for all your advice.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Ducklings can swim hours after they hatch. One of my Hens took her 9 hour old babies into the water to swim. Ducklings that I hatch or brood in the house get to play in a pan of water for a minute at a time when they are 24 hours old. Once they are two days old I give them up to 5 minutes, next day they get to swim for 5 minutes in the sink and I up the time every other day for the first couple of weeks. Once my ducklings are 2 weeks old they have free access to a shallow swimming area.
Right now I have 2 Scovey gals that are 2 months old, they head to the deep swimming water right after their breakfast and only come out for a snack mid day then out again at 5:30 in the evening when they come back into the pen for the night. They love the water even more than my grown Pekin, Scovies and Mallards LOL

My Scovie Gal Cocoa hatched 19 babies yesterday and she takes them into the water pan in the sunporch for a couple of minutes every half hour or so.

Just be sure to stay with the ducklings when they're in the water to be sure they aren't shivering or struggling..it helps if you can put something in there for them to rest on out of the water as well.


Michelle

 

[momd29]

Oh wow, Thanks everyone for the awesome advice. I will have to try that and let my little pekin ducks go for a swim for a few minutes. I'm sure they will enjoy it. I really appreciate all the helpful advice.

 

[CorinneP]

Pekin are one of my all time favorites and very friendly .. Love my pair I would also guess 1 week

 

[Apyl]

Oh wow, Thanks everyone for the awesome advice. I will have to try that and let my little pekin ducks go for a swim for a few minutes. I'm sure they will enjoy it. I really appreciate all the helpful advice.

Make sure to take pics, their first swims are very comical. They will drive and go crazy having fun in the water. Just when done dry them up a bit and put them under the heat lamp to finish drying up.

 

[Hippychick01]

I thought that they risk drowing d/t feathers are "downy" and not water repellent yet?????/