Duck Questions

[Bridger Davis]

I have a few questions on ducks and would really appreciate any answers! Thank you for your time if you can answer any!!!

So I planned to get 6 ducks, 2 magpie, 2 Pekin and 2 Cayuga. I was wondering if the magpie and Pekin would get along because of the size difference. Also, what age should they be put outside? By the time they are ready to go outside it will be about 75 degrees during the day. And while they are in their artificial brooder, would a normal heat light be ok or do I need blue? I also have a dog that doesn't seem to notice the wildlife in our backyard. Do you think she would be good with the ducks?
Thanks!!

 

[Debs Flock]

Hello & welcome to BYC!

Are you getting them as ducklings? If they're raised together as ducklings they should be fine, however, the potential issue is if you have a Pekin drake trying to mate with a significantly smaller female. He could hurt her.

If memory serves, you start the brooder out at 90 degrees and reduce by 5 degrees weekly. They can have outdoor time supervised beginning very early. I started taking mine out (weather permitting) at around 7 days old. Now as far as housing them outdoors permanently, you wait until you've reduced your brooder temp to the average daily temp outside or they are fully feathered, whichever happens first.

The light doesn't have to be colored, but I've read that they do better at night if the light is red.

Dogs are very unpredictable when it comes to other critters. I would never leave the dogs unsupervised in the presence of ducks.

Best of luck!

 

[auroaSfarm]

I didn't let my ducks out fully till they were 7 weeks old. Also do you have them fenced? Or free ranged?

 

[Bridger Davis]

7 weeks... ok...

yes they will be fenced in a generous area unless the dog gets along with them, then they may be alowed into the entire yard. Fingers crossed on dog getting along w/ them!!

 

[Bridger Davis]

Hello & welcome to BYC!

Are you getting them as ducklings? If they're raised together as ducklings they should be fine, however, the potential issue is if you have a Pekin drake trying to mate with a significantly smaller female. He could hurt her.

If memory serves, you start the brooder out at 90 degrees and reduce by 5 degrees weekly. They can have outdoor time supervised beginning very early. I started taking mine out (weather permitting) at around 7 days old. Now as far as housing them outdoors permanently, you wait until you've reduced your brooder temp to the average daily temp outside or they are fully feathered, whichever happens first.

The light doesn't have to be colored, but I've read that they do better at night if the light is red.

Dogs are very unpredictable when it comes to other critters. I would never leave the dogs unsupervised in the presence of ducks.

Best of luck!

Yes, they will be raised as ducklings and they will all be hens so there shoudl be no danger w/ drakes.
The part about housing outside totally makes sense! Thanks for the help!

 

[Bridger Davis]

I had a few morre questions.....
With the artifiial brooder, ( pardon my spelling ), would the ducklings do OK with straw as litter/bedding? Also, I have gotten many different opinions on food. Does anyone have a diet schedule or something that shows the ducks at different stages of their life and what they need to be fed at that stage? Thank you so much if you can help answer my enless questions.

 

[Debs Flock]

Straw is fine, but not very absorbent. I think most people use pine shavings.
(No cedar allowed.)

General guideline...starter feed with 20% protein for the first 10 weeks, switching to a 15% grower weeks 10-18, and a 16% layer after 18 weeks. They must have access to water when they have access to food.

 

[chickens really]

I feed mine duckling starter till 8 weeks...Duck grower till 4 months and then Duck finisher...i also add scratch grains , oat and barley crumble once on grower..I provide Oyster shell to layers in separate bowl...Veggies and grit if needed..

 

[Bridger Davis]

Thank you so much for your comments! BTW, where do you get your duckling feed? I can't seem to find a duck specific formula.

 

[Pyxis]

Thank you so much for your comments! BTW, where do you get your duckling feed? I can't seem to find a duck specific formula.

If you can't find specific duck feed, Flock Raiser is fine, as is regular chick starter, but you will need to add niacin to their feed if you go with a chick starter since there won't be enough niacin in it for them. You can buy Brewer's Yeast and add it to their food to get the niacin content up.