Baby Ducks in the Winter

[Sam Pritchard]

hey everyone!

I have had experience with adult ducks for about a year now but after losing all but one bird of my flock- I need to rebuild and get her some friends. Ducks are hard to come by up in New York- so i ordered 5 baby ducks to come next week! Man am I excited for some babies. I've raised baby chicks but when it was warmer. So does anyone have expletive with raising baby birds in the winter? Particularly ducks since they are more cold hardy. I obviously will keep them inside till they have their full down- from what I heard it's about two months- right? But after they are fully feathered can I put them outside in their run and coop? Or should I wait till they are older because it'll be end of January at that time- coooold. I know they will be messy so I wanna know the earliest time you think. Plus my loner duck needs friends asap. Should I slowly introduce them to outside temps after two months- hang outside during the day and back inside at night? Or would that just mess up their system too much with the cold extreme to pure indoor warmth. I'd love to hear people's experiences or advice.

 

[Amiga]

Hi!

My Runner babies arrived a month early - in February. In New England. Yeah.

So they were inside for three months. It was some work, but I loved it, had no problems with odor. And now, thanks to BYC, I know more about water managemnt and if it ever happens again, it will be much easier.

Seems to me water management is key. Ducklings splash so much! So a watering station helps.

My Runners (plus) stay in the walkout basement nights and during extreme weather. I have their two gallon pot of water sitting on sawdust pellets in the bottom half of a plastic dog crate. Thirteen ducks. All I have to do is empty, rinse and replace the water and scrape an inch or two of wet pooey sawdust off the top and it is fresh and ready to go. This is for adults.

For ducklings, I would use a chick waterer with at least a three gallon reservoir, and lay a towel on top of the sawdust to prevent them from trying to eat the sawdust pellets.

Regarding temperatures, ducklings are not fully mature till more than seven months of age. My Runners were adult height at five or six months, but spent another six months filling out. I moved them outdoors in May, because it was a late, cold spring that year.

Storey's Guide recommends 90 degrees F the first week, dropping five degrees per week after that. At two months, that is eight weeks, eight times five is 40, so they would still need it to be around 50 F. I feel that the less stress ducklings have until they are fully grown, inside and out, the healthier they will be, so I am not keen on pushing their temperature limits (just for the record).

 

[Sam Pritchard]

Thanks for the reply! Good to know- I'll probably keep them in a lot longer then expected. If anything we don't use our garage. It'll be colder but certainly better then outside. Around two months I'm thinking I move them into the garage. And watch the weather- possibly let them outside on nice days but always in at night till it warms up.

Hi!

My Runner babies arrived a month early - in February. In New England. Yeah.

So they were inside for three months. It was some work, but I loved it, had no problems with odor. And now, thanks to BYC, I know more about water managemnt and if it ever happens again, it will be much easier.

Seems to me water management is key. Ducklings splash so much! So a watering station helps.

My Runners (plus) stay in the walkout basement nights and during extreme weather. I have their two gallon pot of water sitting on sawdust pellets in the bottom half of a plastic dog crate. Thirteen ducks. All I have to do is empty, rinse and replace the water and scrape an inch or two of wet pooey sawdust off the top and it is fresh and ready to go. This is for adults.

For ducklings, I would use a chick waterer with at least a three gallon reservoir, and lay a towel on top of the sawdust to prevent them from trying to eat the sawdust pellets.

Regarding temperatures, ducklings are not fully mature till more than seven months of age. My Runners were adult height at five or six months, but spent another six months filling out. I moved them outdoors in May, because it was a late, cold spring that year.

Storey's Guide recommends 90 degrees F the first week, dropping five degrees per week after that. At two months, that is eight weeks, eight times five is 40, so they would still need it to be around 50 F. I feel that the less stress ducklings have until they are fully grown, inside and out, the healthier they will be, so I am not keen on pushing their temperature limits (just for the record).

m

 

[chickens really]

I brood Ducklings in my House till two weeks old and then move to my Garage Brooder with a heat lamp in one corner for sleeping..I take them outside on nicer days...I began hatching Duckings in January last year..
Just do what works with your Ducklings...

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings.750869/