Cayugas

[emjay]

Looking at buying some Cayuga ducklings.

A few questions.

Can you sex them as ducklings, or is it a case of 'hope for the best'.?

Is it the same as chicks, can you use the red heat lamp?
or does it need to be a white heat lamp?

Generally, how long do they need to be under heat?

Duckling feed? medicated, non medicated, ??

Best type of brooder?
Bedding in a brooder?

anything else you can tell me that would be helpful.

I raised two batches of chicks in a brooder with no issues, so want to have the same outcome with ducklings.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

they are tuff as nails, you can raise them anyway you like, best brooded just like any other chick, 95 first week lowered by 5 per week til 2 months old or so.
any kind of brooder works, mine are 3 x 8 large brooders, with just wire bottoms, no litter at all, if you use litter, make sure it's not something they can't eat and get compacted with (that's why I dont use litter on any thing I raise)
I've used both red and white lights depending on what the local feed store had at the time, no problems either way.

The medicated feed thing is a myth now a days. the chemicals once used that harmed ducks back in the day in medicated feed are no longer used, it's just a mild coccidiant now, I used medicated feed for everything here, doesnt hurt a thing and have used it for over 27 years now on every kind of domestic and migratory waterfowl you can think of, over 100 species. Never once had a problem with it.

They can be vent sexed as day olds if you have a good eye. If not, by 2 weeks, it's obvious when vent sexing.
If you cant vent sex, by 2-3 weeks, grab them up, henswill already be load squawkers even them, males are fairly quiet and like all mallard based birds will havea raspy voice where hens will get loud quacks.

Hope that helped you a bit.

 

[emjay]

Quote:
thankyou. your advice very much appreciated. what age can you let them swim?

so shavings not a good idea for ducklings then?

 

[duckyfromoz]

Shavings can be used for ducklings. I always keep them on towels for the first few days until they have learnt where the food is and are eating well. After that - they may nibble on the shavings but rarely do they actually swollow them. I find shavings are the easiest of bedding- as its disposable - biodegradable- and no mess for your washing machine.

They can swim from just a few days old- but only in a shallw dish- with warmish water- and make sure they are dried off and have a nice warm brooder to return to afterwards. Their down gets waterlogged very quickly until they start to grow feathers.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yes, they can swim at birth and will get an oil coat and have better feather quality in the long run if you allow them some swimming water.
When mother hatched, she gets her oils on the ducklings as soon as they dry off, in an incubator brooder deal, the ducklings have to do it themselves so it takes a couple weeks to get enough on them to waterproof them, so yes do like the above post says there, you'll see them preening and spreading the oils with each trip to the water. Water triggers them to do this, dry brooding results in less preening and dry feathers.

As for the bedding, yes you can use it if you like, personally, I have way too many to indoor brrod anything, got 4 of those 3 x 8's full year round with some kind of chick.
I never use bedding, just wire bottoms, but if you are using the box style home brooders, yes use something, but be sure it's something they can not eat, wood dust and small shaving are often picked at , and yes in many cases, they will get impacted and die from it if you arent careful, seen it a hundred times.

I often used newspaper when I did it that way, change it daily and be sure it doesnt get soaked. If it doeschange it then or they'll eat it too.
Wood chips would be your best bet, they are too big to eat, and cause little to no problems.

 

[emjay]

yay. I've got 5 Cayuga ducklings reserved for me for this summer (or whenever they hatch). They are also from Holderread lineage. yipppeee. Just like my W.H.

Can't wait. !!