Baby Duck Advice Please

[Patchesnposies]

Our Cayuga cross duck has been sitting a clutch of eggs for a number of weeks, I figure they are due to hatch in the next week to ten days. I am not sure what to do for the ducklings once they arrive. (We have candled the eggs and many are good and she seems to roll out the ones that aren't.)

It has been warm during the day here in New Mexico, but getting down to the low 50's at night and it could easily drop further, or maybe even warm up, it is unpredictable this time of year.

Do we need to take these little guys into the house? Or let Mama do her thing and just provide shelter?

There are a lot of other chickens, ducks and geese where she chose to put her nest and I know they will need to be seperated from them.

Any advice on how to care for this new fall batch of babies would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Deb

 

[ricklo]

We took our 4 Muscovy ducking out after they were born and dry and keep in house under a lamp for 1st day then moved mama to a pen with her empty nest and put the ducklings in with her and everything was fine.They were there about amonth and now on their own since mama is sitting on 8 more eggs.

 

[feathersgalore]

Mama duck can take care of the ducklings as long as everyone else leaves her alone. The other birds may attack the ducklings and she can't hold off them all. I'd either bring them in or separate mama duck from the others.

 

[Dodgegal79]

I always put them in their own pen for a week or two until the babies are bigger. She will keep them warm.

 

[cayuga26]

I would agree she can rais them just fine, but it would be a good idea to seperate her and the babies from the rest of your birds till there older

 

[Patchesnposies]

Thanks everyone!

I will make Mama and babies their own little pen and let Mama do the rest!

I appreciate the responses!

Deb