Brooder temps for ducklings hatched 5 days apart

[Sbalonick]

Question: we are getting 4 ducklings from our daughter’s horse instructor. 2 have hatched and we have them in the brooder at home with us already. We are waiting on the other 2 to hatch. If I am to decrease the temp in the brooder every 3-5 days and there will be more than 5 days separating them from hatch date - can they still share a brooder? And if so how would I decrease the temp appropriately? I’m about to decrease from 95/90 to 90/85 for first 2 and don’t have 3rd and 4th duckling yet.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Are you using a heating lamp or a brooder plate?

 

[Sbalonick]

Heating lamps. Per a prior thread and issue I was having maintaining the brooder temp it was suggested I ditch the plate and use lamps. They’ve been working quite well!

 

[CluckerFamily]

I personally don’t use a thermometer to calculate the temperature in my brooder for the chicks or ducklings. I base it all on their behavior and adjust the temperature based on that.
This was my first time with ducklings last month. I ended up purchasing four ducklings and then four days later, the lady contacted me to say they had only one ducking hatch for the other batch and wondered if I would be interested in purchasing that duckling also. She did amazing with being added to the group and the temperature wasn’t an issue; she actually slept on top of the others to be closer to the brooder plate.