Baby Pekin is chirping

[AppleChicks]

110* is way to high a temp for poultry babies. 85-90 first week then 5* lower each week after till their brooder is same temp as house temp.

A chicken waterer will not work after first week ducklings need to be able to dunk their heads to keep their nares and eyes clear.

I'd give your ducklings a soft stuffed animal to cuddle with it really does make them feel secure.

On this thread there is a pic of a homemade duckling waterer,
plus other good info https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings.750869/

I have been making homemade duck waterers with 2 liter soda bottles and gallon water jugs after seeing that thread. They work GREAT! I highly recommend. I also did the "mama heating pad" instead of a heat lamp. I got 3 ducklings and they never needed it, they just cuddled for warmth. They are in our house which is 68-70 degrees.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you make it available for them in case they wanted to get under for warmth? MHP that is.

 

[AppleChicks]

Did you make it available for them in case they wanted to get under for warmth? MHP that is.

Yes, they never used it. I was kind of bummed! I did such a good job making it for them They would however peck away at it happily I kept it in there, and on, until this past weekend. They were thrilled when I took it out and they got more room to run around. Now when I put them outside for play time I will boil water and pour it into a glass pyrex baking dish, put the plastic cover on, and wrap in something fabric that I plan to throw away. I put that in the crate with them outside so they can cuddle against it if they want. Again they don't use it, they just peck at it and cuddle together if they want warmth.

Maybe because they are jumbo pekins? They are fat little things, when they lay down on their chests their soft little fat spills out of the sides I love it!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well now we need some pics of the chubby ones.

Are you fattening them up for din din

 

[AppleChicks]

Well now we need some pics of the chubby ones.
Are you fattening them up for din din

Boys will be dinner, we are getting chickens in July and I don't want to deal with boy ducks trying to mate my chickens. I *think* I have 2 females and one male. The one I think is a boy has been bigger the whole time, I call him big boy The girls are Delilah Bell, she is the friendliest, and Daphne.

*This is just their "play pen" so they can join me in my office during the day. They have a larger brooder in the living room where they sleep.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable. Are you supplementing with Niacin to help with their legs since they grow so fast?

 

[AppleChicks]

They are adorable. Are you supplementing with Niacin to help with their legs since they grow so fast?

Yes, actually you can barely see the sliver of the brewers yeast tub in the picture I mix it in their feed and added dried worms to the tub when there was about half a cup left. I shook it around and it coated the dried worms, so even their treats are supplemented now! And they started getting frozen peas this week, which they love

The first week they were just kind of blah. Cute, and fun to watch, but didn't want to interact. Now they know I am the bearer of treats and they are very social. They will run over when I talk to them, chirp back to me, take treats from my hand, and let me pet under their chin, and on their neck and chest.

I swear they tripled in size the first week. They are growing SO fast! Their legs seem to be doing fine so far, they are waddling around just fine and love swim time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like your doing awesome with them.

 

[AppleChicks]

Sounds like your doing awesome with them.

Only because I poked around on here before getting them