are artificially hatched baby ducks allowed to swim with only down fethers?

[Crackerz123]

I know that if you have baby ducks that are artificially hatched they will not have the oil that all sucks have in the wild. The mother duck will rub her oil on them. Someone told me that if a baby duck swims without this oil for the first three weeks to a month, they can get waterlogged and die. Is this true? If it changes anything I have mallards.

I s there an artificial oil I can put on them so the little guys can swim?

Thank you, Crackerz123

 

[Habibs Hens]

yes its true

I allowed mine to swim in a bath tub

but made sure I dried them with a towel really well

 

[sherrik9]

I start mine at about 7 to 10 days old. I use the water catch tray from a big planter. I guess it is about 3 to 4 inches deep and about 10 inches across. have paving stones around it in a couple of places and some rocks and small bricks inside. Today was the first day for the newest group and they are already diving in the water. They are call ducks. They really don't get water logged at all.