Duckling Bald Bellies?

[wafflechicken]

I'm (not intentionally but this seemed to be the best option) raising some ducklings in the bath. There's a platform for them to be dry on and some water for swimming (as well as, obviously, a feeder and waterers)

I noticed today that many of the ducklings are essentially bald on their stomachs but bristly like a moustache or beard growing in. I assume the bristles are the more adult feathers but is it normal that they're bald with bristles instead of some down with bristles coming through?

They seem active and normal enough - playing in the water, jousting with each other, eating and drinking (and pooping - my GOD ducklings, you poop more than you eat!) and such. I just am worried because I didn't think they'd go totally bald on the undercarriage and wondering if I'm doing something wrong or should do something about it.

 

[Amiga]

Ours still had a good bit of down on their bellies when the adult feathers started coming in.

Let me see if I can find a photo.

 

[wafflechicken]

Thanks for the comparative pics Amiga.

Time out for squee - those are all Runners, aren't they? Runners kill me. The whole "I'm growing my bill and it's going to make me look like a sippy bird until my body grows into it" looks awesome.

But really, thanks. I'm wondering if maybe my dry perches, while dry, aren't enough to let them dry OFF. Like I said, they seem ok but if it's not quite normal - which it seems like it's not - then I'll give them some absorbing stuff to make things more comfy and more normal.

Thanks again!

I'm hoping I can put them outside soon but the temps are like 50's and, while they've not had a heat lamp in at least 10 days they're inside and I'm not sure if outside will work.

 

[Amiga]

Those indeed are my runner girls.

I like seeing the one on the left - Vier, I think - sitting back.

Moisture can be a big problem with ducklings, so see what you can do. I have a bunch of projects that ought not be very hard or take very long, each of them, but they queue up behind one another and so many of them have to wait. I write that before suggesting you might want to try bumping the priority of drier bedding up toward the top of the list.

70%cocoa uses a rabbit hutch with wire mesh bottom, and puts a towel over the wire mesh. Might you be able to find or borrow and clean out something like that to set into the tub? Spilled water would drip down through the towel. Just a thought.

My runners were in the house brooder for three months. Yup. Three. Here's some more eye candy, from a typical visit during brooder cleanout.




We are keeping mom company while she washed out our waterer. The acoustics in the waste basket and toilet are grand!!!

 

[wafflechicken]

I can't tell what's more awesome: your runners or your commentary.

But back to mine - am I right in thinking that dry space and an occasional bath is better than a constant bath and (apparently, though I thought they'd have a chance to dry) a dry platform?

I guess I kind of thought they'd need ever-ready baths after a few weeks of living. But they seem just as happy with a tub filled with towels to dry their bellies. So can I turn the folded towels inside out and buy myself a day (to keep their copious poops contained) or do they need a full bath every day?

Obviously food and water would be available to them always.

 

[Amiga]

Not sure I picture your plan, but a bath every other day should work out.

Ideally, a way to dunk their entire heads (without risk of drowning) helps prevent eye, sinus and ear infections.

Have you read jdywntr's thread in the Stickies about raising ducklings?

 

[samuelsonfarm]

I will weigh in on this one with the little experience I do have. I have 13 four-week-old ducklings (my first time with ducks). We have had 3 different brooder situations for them. They started in a plastic rubber maid container which lasted about 10 days. I started to notice bald spots on their tummies at that point. With their massive amounts of poop and their messy drinking habbits, they were not fully drying and cleaning off, even though they had at least 2 trips to the bathtub and time to preen afterwards. Then we moved them to a kiddie pool during the day in our living room which gave them more space to move around and gave them a chance to get used to being around us. Then after they figured out how to hop out of that (about 2 weeks old) moved them into a rabbit hutch with wire bottom lined with straw on 1/2 of it, and food/water at the other 1/2. Their tummies looked cleaner and drier then. They grow SOOO fast. At 18 days we started taking them outside during the day to get sunshine, and to keep at least some of the poop/water mess outdoors. Their tummies were still pokey and weird looking, but improving nonetheless. Now they are outside free-ranging, access to 2 different kiddie pools, or inside their coop with run at night. Their tummies are totally fuzzed in and they stay so much cleaner. I attributed their bald bellies to their inability to get themselves clean and dry due to their close quarters. Now that they have more space and a cleaner place to live, they look beautiful. They are getting all kinds of crazy feathers and fuzz, they're just adorable! Hope this helps. I'd love to see pictures of your little ones

@Amiga....how the heck did you do 3 months brooding indoors??!?!?! You must have been cleaning poop and filling water CONSTANTLY....they are so messy and stinky! After just 3 weeks, I was loosing my mind.

 

[Amiga]

Three times a day, brooder cleanout and water refill. I did not have a great system for water, but it was okay. There were splash catchers from day 3.

We used towels for bedding due to allergies and the fact that my runners did indeed eat shavings, though I caught them quickly and did not lose anyone.

The circumstances of my life - I was blessed - allowed me to devote a great deal of time to the ducklings. It was one of the best seasons of my life.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

Towels are the magic ingredient to successful living indoors... Once I gave up on shavings, life improved dramatically. How many ducklings do you have? Depending on numbers, you could try using one of these:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...=35628326496&device=t&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

You can give them some tub time when they need it...

 

[Amiga]

Towels are the magic ingredient to successful living indoors... Once I gave up on shavings, life improved dramatically. How many ducklings do you have? Depending on numbers, you could try using one of these:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...=35628326496&device=t&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

You'll never guess what I used.

Brooder I was a four or five foot long Rubbermaid tub, with hardware cloth on top to keep cats out (just in case anyone accidentally left the door open to the Brooder Room, and to support heat lamps).

Brooder II was the puppy playpen, with 6 mil plastic lining the bottom and up about a foot on the sides (poo goes horizontally and vertically).

Brooder III was 2 puppy playpens.

I still use these things, by the way, to make temporary separating walls and small outdoor runs.