Does my roughly one month old muscovy duckling still need a heat lamp above it?

[Brandon96]

Hey all.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I've been taking care of this one abandoned muscovy duckling for the past month. We know it's basically about a month old at this point, considering we saw it hatch with its other siblings (their mother literally put her nest at the side of our house!) on April 15th last month. It's grown quite large since then, so now I just want to know if I still need to continue using this heat lamp above it, or if it's at the age where it can regulate its temperature on its own.

https://imgur.com/a/zMZ8of9

What do you think?

 

[Aapomp831]

At less than 1 month old, its best to provide heat as just an option. As long as it has a cool section of the brooder to go to if it gets too hot, I would leave the heat lamp for now. Then again, idk where you’re from, where in your home your brooder is and what the temperature of that room is... these factors all come into play.

 

[Brandon96]

At less than 1 month old, its best to provide heat as just an option. As long as it has a cool section of the brooder to go to if it gets too hot, I would leave the heat lamp for now. Then again, idk where you’re from, where in your home your brooder is and what the temperature of that room is... these factors all come into play.

Oh, I live in South Florida, and the room temperature is usually at 74.

 

[Aapomp831]

Oh, I live in South Florida, and the room temperature is usually at 74.

Oh, I live in South Florida, and the room temperature is usually at 74.

Oh wow! Then I would say it’s more than likely fine, as long as it doesn’t get too much colder at night. I live in NC and it is still getting into the 30s and 40s at night, and I have 19 chicks outside in an aluminum shed. They are 3 weeks old, and they have a heat lamp hanging but rarely huddle underneath it (except at night). I just let them tell me, and judging by their behavior I can see nobody is too cold. I never worry about the temperature rules after the first 3 days... I just let my babies tell me what I need to do.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That little one should be fine without heat if room temp is 74*. Such a precious duckling. What are your plans for this little one that looks to you for care?

 

[Brandon96]

That little one should be fine without heat if room temp is 74*. Such a precious duckling. What are your plans for this little one that looks to you for care?

Well we basically plan on keeping it until it's big enough to go out on its own.

For the record, I live out on a lake house where we've been frequently feeding the wild muscovy ducks that live out there corn and pellets. They come up into my backyard and everything. So we're hoping that once this little one is big enough, it'll remember us and keep coming back here for food like the rest of 'em.

 

[SolarDuck]

Just so you know, a lot of people don't realize this but all of the Muscovy ducks in Florida are not wild animals. They are invasive domestic ducks that have established populations. That being said, it is actually illegal to release one into the wild, even if you rescued the duckling from the wild.

 

[getaclue]

Personally, I'd give it one more week under the heat lamp. SolarDuck is correct, and it's illegal to release one into the wild in Florida.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just so you know, a lot of people don't realize this but all of the Muscovy ducks in Florida are not wild animals. They are invasive domestic ducks that have established populations. That being said, it is actually illegal to release one into the wild, even if you rescued the duckling from the wild.

Well letting it out into their backyard isn't really releasing it into the wild.