Duck-Keeping Questions - advice needed! :)

[ClemenDucks]

Hi everyone, it's Clementine! So basically I am a noob to duck-keeping and I have some questions. If anything i am doing is wrong, let me know (politely) ! O: I will first start with housing; I have one male and one female Pekin duckling, temporarily living in a 110 quart clear storage bin with a lot of holes drilled in the top. Which brings me to my point, does anyone have tips on how to build a duck pen? I am hoping to add on to my ducks probably next spring or maybe even this one. The coop needs to be big enough to house 5, maybe 4 ducks (at the most 6, but probably not) because I eventually want to have that much . Ok so next i will get to feeding. They are being fed Purina Premium Brand Poultry Feed Flock Raiser. http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/Products/FlockRaiser/default.aspx with a combo of some kind of antibiotic mix as well (I'm not 100% what it is called). They also occasionally get a worm when we play outside

.. I also have a question about hens and ducks? They will kind of be sharing a yard so is that okay?? Also ducklings look kinda funny when they are growing their feathers, right? On their wings, look kind of red or i'll see some patchy spots so i just want to make sure that this is a normal part of growing! They are about 2 weeks old. Finally, if I do end up getting another duck or two, what kind of breeds would you recommend? Thanks for taking the time to read this! All advice is helpful ^_^ Have a great day!

 

[Amiga]

Here is a good reference for you

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

I am going to guess you are keeping them too warm with not enough ventilation. I would replace the lid with some half inch metal hardware cloth with duck tape around the edges to keep it from scratching and cutting any of you.

Glad you are here!!!

Eventually, with one boy and one girl there is a risk he will mate her too much, so getting more girls is a good plan, longer term.

And a drake with chickens is a risk to their lives, based on some stories I have read here.

I would drop the antibiotics a.s.a.p. unless there was a diagnosed health issue - could you tell us more about that?

I need to dash off to care for my own duckies, who are annoyed that I am spending time on the Duck Forum this morning!

Poor long-suffering duckies!

 

[ClemenDucks]

Here is a good reference for you

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

I am going to guess you are keeping them too warm with not enough ventilation. I would replace the lid with some half inch metal hardware cloth with duck tape around the edges to keep it from scratching and cutting any of you.

Glad you are here!!!

Eventually, with one boy and one girl there is a risk he will mate her too much, so getting more girls is a good plan, longer term.

And a drake with chickens is a risk to their lives, based on some stories I have read here.

I would drop the antibiotics a.s.a.p. unless there was a diagnosed health issue - could you tell us more about that?

I need to dash off to care for my own duckies, who are annoyed that I am spending time on the Duck Forum this morning!

Poor long-suffering duckies!

Thank you for that great link! I'm going to be trying to take off the lid for most of the day, I have some wire that I can put on soon. There is a heat lamp, but it doesn't seem very hot. So how many new ducklings should I get? The breeds (I kind of want to add another type of duck to my current ones) available to me are available are the Blue Swede duck, Buff duck, Cayuga duck, Chocolate Indian runner, Golden hybrid, Khaki Campbell duck and the Rouen duck. I want something that can bond with people and will still lay. I'm planning to get 2 females. Does that sound okay? I am not quite sure what the antibiotics are; my mom told me that they would be good for them. I was a bit skeptical about feeding it in the first place so I am going to stop I am really attached to my drake, Donald so it would be too hard for me to re-home him so I need to compromise; could I just have the chickens out for some of the day and the ducks out for some of the day? (@ seperate times) And also, the ducklings can be around the chickens while they're ducklings still, right?