Double Yolk Incubation Research Project

[MarlyMonster]

Cedar should never be used with birds. Pine is fine and recommended.
Pee pads are good for establishing strong feet in the first few days.
I used paper towels the first day and pine shavings after that with the ducklings I hatched.

Thank you, I like the paper towel idea! Appreciate the tip a lot

 

[JudysMuscovy]

Thank you, I like the paper towel idea! Appreciate the tip a lot

I used paper towels and also puppy pads - I like both. I can't believe it's lockdown already. Best of luck to those babies.

 

[aart]

Thoughts?

Is that foam?
Do ducks peck at foam like chickens would?
That seems small and walls low.
Again maybe not problem with ducklings.

@MarlyMonster do you have other poultry..and coops and runs to go with them?

Agrees paper towels can be easiest for the first few days, gotta get them to stay flat tho.

Test your temps on brooder floor with lamp on.
I would assume this also applies to duckling same as chicks:

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help...
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

 

[MarlyMonster]

I used paper towels and also puppy pads - I like both. I can't believe it's lockdown already. Best of luck to those babies.

Same here! I’m so nervous!

Lockdown also means stop turning right? I’m freaking out doubting everything I’ve read

 

[MarlyMonster]

Is that foam?
Do ducks peck at foam like chickens would?
That seems small and walls low.
Again maybe not problem with ducklings.

@MarlyMonster do you have other poultry..and coops and runs to go with them?

Agrees paper towels can be easiest for the first few days, gotta get them to stay flat tho.

Test your temps on brooder floor with lamp on.
I would assume this also applies to duckling same as chicks:

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help...
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

Wow thank you for the info! I really appreciate having fixed temps to go by now, and I definitely plan on having a thermometer in. I have these little loggers that collect temp and humidity data which I used in my incubator so just for fun I might as well log the temp of when they’re growing up!

Also, that is not foam ^_^
I figured they’d peck at something like that. This is a large storage bin from ikea that i lined with a plastic shower curtain and sewed it in
This will only be for when they’re really little, I’m getting that brooder ring cardboard stuff from TSC for when they’re bigger, and as floor to meet them off the tiles and from being too cold (it’s in our finished basement) I have those kids puzzle mat things that I’ll lay down and cover with some sort of bottom like newspaper or something.

 

[aart]

Also, that is not foam ^_^
I figured they’d peck at something like that. This is a large storage bin from ikea

Very thick walled. Just very curious as to what is the material?

I might as well log the temp of when they’re growing up!

Using a therm on the brooder floor is just a tool for judging what temp is comfortable for them, along with the behaviors, and adjusting as needed. You're not going to want to leave the therms in there, they'll get nasty.

I have those kids puzzle mat things that I’ll lay down and cover with some sort of bottom like newspaper or something.

Probably better plan for a big tarp underneath everything, ducks are WetMessy!

Do you have a coop ready to go?
Any birds out there now?
Where are you located?
Oops, the questions machine got let loose!

 

[MarlyMonster]

Very thick walled. Just very curious as to what is the material?

Using a therm on the brooder floor is just a tool for judging what temp is comfortable for them, along with the behaviors, and adjusting as needed. You're not going to want to leave the therms in there, they'll get nasty.

Probably better plan for a big tarp underneath everything, ducks are WetMessy!

Do you have a coop ready to go?
Any birds out there now?
Where are you located?
Oops, the questions machine got let loose!

I don’t know how to quote separate parts so I have to do it all at once LOL.

I’m not sure of the exact material but it’s a sort of fabric. They’re the ikea Scubb boxes or something like that. I cut the tag out, otherwise I could tell you haha.

Good point on the dirty thermometer, hadn’t thought of that haha.

I also don’t have a coop cuz my dad had a strict rule that I was allowed to do the experiment but I had to find them a home... Which I did, there’s a family with twin boys not too far from me and they have a bunch of feathery critters and a pond and they will take them once they’re old enough. However if I do manage to actually hatch twins and they both survive I’m keeping one pair for “science” and nobody can stop me
Those two that stay will pretty much live as pets though. While it’s winter they’ll stay in the house for sure and after I’ll have to see, but we have a pond and a little gazebo that I always thought would be perfect for a little duck house so who knows!
Also I’m in Ontario, about an hour and a half north west of Toronto!

Never had birds before, I was actually afraid of anything with feathers until I had to train a chicken for my animal behavior course in college lol

 

[aart]

OhBoy....poor Dad.

 

[MarlyMonster]

OhBoy....poor Dad.

He will live, knowing him he’s the first one to sit behind his desk cuddling with a duckling while working

Quick question, do you know when to stop turning? I’m confused if I’m supposed to just start lockdown or wait till the first internal pip, I’m reading mixed things
Do I stop turning now so they can get into position for pipping?

 

[SueT]

I woud get the bigger brooder set up soon, they won't be 'really little' for very long at all, a few days at most.
A pond and a gazebo!!!!! ---sounds like duck heaven! Of course you need to keep some!
Your dad might just in love with them.....