Duckling Brooder Setup Pictures Wanted!

[Maddog_photog]

I'm glad you took the time to do yourself some research.


Holderread is nationally known as one of leading breeder's in waterfowl, but his book does contain some misinformation, that is in his personal opinion that ducks could be kept on wire, In my personal opinion, I believe ducks should be kept on a soft, clean bedding material because in the wild, that's what they'd likely be on, and I think as us duck owners we should take the responsibility to replicate wild ducks living conditions to ours, of course, you can't apply all of it, but a clean, soft bedded, spacious would be best. I have personally seen birds being housed on wire, they did not look healthy, and had quite of existing problems when I saw them.

I'm aware that Metzer suggests that, but have you ever took the time to actually see how some of their birds look? I'll save you some time.

View attachment 2229598

https://www.metzerfarms.com/GrowingDucklings.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=25897202

View attachment 2229600

http://www.liveducks.com/diary/metzer.html


These birds do not look happy/healthy, lots of them have wet feather, along with sticky eye, likley due to their opioion that a deep water source is not needed.

I'm not really sure who's being judgemental here?

Thanks for these visuals, @Isaac 0
I’m gonna hug my Pekins, Chowder and Waddles, a little harder tonight.

 

[LT71689]

I got my two Pekins on the 11th of June and was told a big plastic storage tote would do them fine for a few weeks. I started them in one of those in my guest shower with a heat lamp clipped onto the side of the door so I could move it around for them. Their food was just a small ramekin and their water dish was a short ziplock container with holes punched in the lid.

Being trapped in a solid-walled bin in the bathroom was giving my girl Melba some serious separation/attachment issues though and I knew they'd quickly outgrow their tote regardless of what the farm they came from told me so I built a 4x8ish pen thats in my kitchen/dining room where they can see all the daily action instead of me having to poke my head in constantly and Melba screaming her head off when I left. She still gets a little needy but not as bad, and we've both really benefitted from having the extra space to move around and space out all the poop and wet bedding. The instructions I got was to "top up bedding or replace as needed" in their tote bin - as needed was every night, it was soaked and gross by the end of each day.



They moved into the bigger pen about a week and a half in. It's just a cheap pine base with mdf bottom, with heavy duty plastic stapled to the pan to waterproof it. The chickenwire cage pops right off - the dowels are sunk into the sides so it all comes apart easy. It's a little awkward to handle (I'm only 5' tall) but all very lightweight. If/when I need to I can pop the cage off and wiggle the pan outside to hose it down. (It didnt hurt that I'm a DIYer and had all the tools I needed handy. without that it would have been a bit of a pain to do but I got it all put together in about a days time)

They moved up in the size of their ramekin, and kept the small waterer while I waited to empty out a half gallon jug to switch to, which I laid on it's side and cut an oval out of, their heat lamp (which they didnt care for) is clipped on the corner, and I built them the little house out of scrap I had lying around. I wasnt sure if they'd even like it but after a few days they warmed up to it



And then they very quickly outgrew it so we leveled up again last week



And we upgraded the water jug last night



They usually only play with them when I'm sitting on the floor next to the cage talking to them, but they've got a couple bird toys hanging on the edges that they cant tear apart, and a pair of microfiber towels because every time I bring them out to clean the cage they go straight to the kitchen and chew on my dishtowel.


I originally thought of transitioning them from the plastic tote to my giant bathtub like a lot of folks do because it's summer and I'm not taking any hot baths any time soon, but that still posed the issue of them being trapped in the bathroom all day with limited interaction.


They'll be 4 weeks tomorrow. They've got diaper harnesses in the mail so I can start having them out in the house without putting down every bedsheet I own to protect the floors, and we go out for a swim almost every afternoon/evening. When they were smaller I was taking them across the street to the park for grass time every other day but they've kinda outgrown that. We don't have a yard so I set them up on our deck. I got one of those under-the-bed plastic totes and punched some drainage holes in the bottom, filled it with dirt and grasses/clover (Melba flooded it the other day so it's not as filled in as usual. She's figured out how to hop up on the edge of the pool and let all the water out) and got them a kiddie pool they love.



They'll be headed to a farm once they outgrow me, but we've still got a little time left

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

I got my two Pekins on the 11th of June and was told a big plastic storage tote would do them fine for a few weeks. I started them in one of those in my guest shower with a heat lamp clipped onto the side of the door so I could move it around for them. Their food was just a small ramekin and their water dish was a short ziplock container with holes punched in the lid. View attachment 2233723

Being trapped in a solid-walled bin in the bathroom was giving my girl Melba some serious separation/attachment issues though and I knew they'd quickly outgrow their tote regardless of what the farm they came from told me so I built a 4x8ish pen thats in my kitchen/dining room where they can see all the daily action instead of me having to poke my head in constantly and Melba screaming her head off when I left. She still gets a little needy but not as bad, and we've both really benefitted from having the extra space to move around and space out all the poop and wet bedding. The instructions I got was to "top up bedding or replace as needed" in their tote bin - as needed was every night, it was soaked and gross by the end of each day.

View attachment 2233728

They moved into the bigger pen about a week and a half in. It's just a cheap pine base with mdf bottom, with heavy duty plastic stapled to the pan to waterproof it. The chickenwire cage pops right off - the dowels are sunk into the sides so it all comes apart easy. It's a little awkward to handle (I'm only 5' tall) but all very lightweight. If/when I need to I can pop the cage off and wiggle the pan outside to hose it down. (It didnt hurt that I'm a DIYer and had all the tools I needed handy. without that it would have been a bit of a pain to do but I got it all put together in about a days time)

They moved up in the size of their ramekin, and kept the small waterer while I waited to empty out a half gallon jug to switch to, which I laid on it's side and cut an oval out of, their heat lamp (which they didnt care for) is clipped on the corner, and I built them the little house out of scrap I had lying around. I wasnt sure if they'd even like it but after a few days they warmed up to it

View attachment 2233733

And then they very quickly outgrew it so we leveled up again last week

View attachment 2233736

And we upgraded the water jug last night

View attachment 2233738

They usually only play with them when I'm sitting on the floor next to the cage talking to them, but they've got a couple bird toys hanging on the edges that they cant tear apart, and a pair of microfiber towels because every time I bring them out to clean the cage they go straight to the kitchen and chew on my dishtowel.


I originally thought of transitioning them from the plastic tote to my giant bathtub like a lot of folks do because it's summer and I'm not taking any hot baths any time soon, but that still posed the issue of them being trapped in the bathroom all day with limited interaction.


They'll be 4 weeks tomorrow. They've got diaper harnesses in the mail so I can start having them out in the house without putting down every bedsheet I own to protect the floors, and we go out for a swim almost every afternoon/evening. When they were smaller I was taking them across the street to the park for grass time every other day but they've kinda outgrown that. We don't have a yard so I set them up on our deck. I got one of those under-the-bed plastic totes and punched some drainage holes in the bottom, filled it with dirt and grasses/clover (Melba flooded it the other day so it's not as filled in as usual. She's figured out how to hop up on the edge of the pool and let all the water out) and got them a kiddie pool they love.

View attachment 2233774

They'll be headed to a farm once they outgrow me, but we've still got a little time left

They seemed to out grow the house super fast!

 

[LT71689]

They seemed to out grow the house super fast!

If they actually cooperated with each other when getting in/out of it they were still okay...but they of course didn't want to do that, one of them wanted to sleep in the middle of it instead of picking a side or wanted to get up and spin around 6 times or they'd fight for who got out first when I came to rouse them. They both fit on one side of the new one and sometimes cram so far in there that I cant see them from the opening, but I figured better to go too big than have to make a third one in another week!

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

If they actually cooperated with each other when getting in/out of it they were still okay...but they of course didn't want to do that, one of them wanted to sleep in the middle of it instead of picking a side or wanted to get up and spin around 6 times or they'd fight for who got out first when I came to rouse them. They both fit on one side of the new one and sometimes cram so far in there that I cant see them from the opening, but I figured better to go too big than have to make a third one in another week!

That sounds adorable hahaha and good to know for when my ducklings get bigger. Now I know the one I was going to use may not work...for 2 adults at least.

 

[Isaac 0]

110 gallon water trough with the floor grate from a steel dog kennel for a 'roof'. Pine chips on the floor, chicken feeder (yellow) raised in a flower pot. Brinsea heat plate (HIGHLY recommended), infra-red ceramic reptile heater in the light fixture (75watt; again, HIGHLY recommended).

Another handy tool has been a handheld pyrometer for checking the surface temperature of the chips below the two radiant style heat sources. 95 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit seem to be the norm. I have a professional grade pyrometer, but one from Harbor Freight should be plenty for poultry needs.

Noteworthy too is the water vessel to the right. Construction is fairly easy and fairly cheep. Three gallon water jug, $14; two-and-a-half gallon bucket, $4;
1/4" elastomer tubing 2 1/2 feet, $2.

Drill access holes using a 2 1/8" hole saw in top edge of bucket just below the handle reinforcement rim. Drill a 7/16th hole in the center of the cap after discarding the gasket. Split the elastomer tubing lengthwise and place over the top rim of the bucket. Fill bucket with one gallon of water. After filling water jug, place cap back on bottle, cover 7/16th hole with your finger and place jug on top of the bucket. You now have four gallons of water available for your ducks, with minimal ability for them to make a soaking mess.

I do not have any pictures of my brooder all clean and pretty before ducklings. Nor do I have pictures of when it is in it's larger pvc/mesh pen, in my classroom, where it usually is. Most of these pictures are when I have ducklings home for the weekend. That said, my brooder is a large, plastic storage container with the side cut out of it using a welding tool. The hole is covered with screening wrapped in duct tape. Years ago, I read an article, on this site, which said that chicks raised in brooder they could see out of where less skittish and more personable. The theory was that if they could see that there was a world beyond the brooder, they learner that every little movement wasn't a threat. Anyway, I tried it for ducklings and they seem to like it. The screen door also turns into a ramp to let them in and out to swim. I only let them swim when they are being watched and increase the depth and length of time gradually. Still, by the time they are a week old, they have access to swimming water most of the day. I do have the advantage of high schoolers watching them all day.
I find the ducklings like having a feather duster to hide under. I use pine shavings but I cover the shavings with rubber shelf liner for the first couple of days. The plants in the pots are pea shoots. They love to grab a nibble as they swim.
(Ignore the two chicks in the first photo, they were late hatchers that I had to keep for a day, the ducklings are in the water.)
View attachment 2229871
View attachment 2229876View attachment 2229878View attachment 2229880View attachment 2229881

Ducklings really like water. As strange it seems, this actually keeps my brooder more dry because they aren't playing in their drinking water.

ours evolved as it went along but this worked well, had some stockade fence scraps from a job kicking around so I used them, did a tarp bottom that I can tear out and replace if needed and it came up the side a bit so water didn't run under and ruin our floor. its 4x6

I’ve got two brooders set up. Brooder one is for my brand spanking new Swedish Blues: DuckDuck & Goose. Featuring (I think) a chick waterer full of food, and a chick feeder full of water! The waterer is ontop of a metal rack I found at Home Depot inside a paint trough to catch water and Lil bb duck poops. The second brooder houses my 10-week old Pekins, Chowder and Waddles, overnight only as I search for someone to help construct a permanent and SAFE duck house. It’s simple: straw on the bottom, and a repurposed gallon water bottle with a hole cut out of the corner for a waterer.

I got my two Pekins on the 11th of June and was told a big plastic storage tote would do them fine for a few weeks. I started them in one of those in my guest shower with a heat lamp clipped onto the side of the door so I could move it around for them. Their food was just a small ramekin and their water dish was a short ziplock container with holes punched in the lid. View attachment 2233723

Being trapped in a solid-walled bin in the bathroom was giving my girl Melba some serious separation/attachment issues though and I knew they'd quickly outgrow their tote regardless of what the farm they came from told me so I built a 4x8ish pen thats in my kitchen/dining room where they can see all the daily action instead of me having to poke my head in constantly and Melba screaming her head off when I left. She still gets a little needy but not as bad, and we've both really benefitted from having the extra space to move around and space out all the poop and wet bedding. The instructions I got was to "top up bedding or replace as needed" in their tote bin - as needed was every night, it was soaked and gross by the end of each day.

View attachment 2233728

They moved into the bigger pen about a week and a half in. It's just a cheap pine base with mdf bottom, with heavy duty plastic stapled to the pan to waterproof it. The chickenwire cage pops right off - the dowels are sunk into the sides so it all comes apart easy. It's a little awkward to handle (I'm only 5' tall) but all very lightweight. If/when I need to I can pop the cage off and wiggle the pan outside to hose it down. (It didnt hurt that I'm a DIYer and had all the tools I needed handy. without that it would have been a bit of a pain to do but I got it all put together in about a days time)

They moved up in the size of their ramekin, and kept the small waterer while I waited to empty out a half gallon jug to switch to, which I laid on it's side and cut an oval out of, their heat lamp (which they didnt care for) is clipped on the corner, and I built them the little house out of scrap I had lying around. I wasnt sure if they'd even like it but after a few days they warmed up to it

View attachment 2233733

And then they very quickly outgrew it so we leveled up again last week

View attachment 2233736

And we upgraded the water jug last night

View attachment 2233738

They usually only play with them when I'm sitting on the floor next to the cage talking to them, but they've got a couple bird toys hanging on the edges that they cant tear apart, and a pair of microfiber towels because every time I bring them out to clean the cage they go straight to the kitchen and chew on my dishtowel.


I originally thought of transitioning them from the plastic tote to my giant bathtub like a lot of folks do because it's summer and I'm not taking any hot baths any time soon, but that still posed the issue of them being trapped in the bathroom all day with limited interaction.


They'll be 4 weeks tomorrow. They've got diaper harnesses in the mail so I can start having them out in the house without putting down every bedsheet I own to protect the floors, and we go out for a swim almost every afternoon/evening. When they were smaller I was taking them across the street to the park for grass time every other day but they've kinda outgrown that. We don't have a yard so I set them up on our deck. I got one of those under-the-bed plastic totes and punched some drainage holes in the bottom, filled it with dirt and grasses/clover (Melba flooded it the other day so it's not as filled in as usual. She's figured out how to hop up on the edge of the pool and let all the water out) and got them a kiddie pool they love.

View attachment 2233774

They'll be headed to a farm once they outgrow me, but we've still got a little time left

Love it!

 

[AquaDuck]

One thing I see some brooders are lacking (not the ones in this thread, but in general) is proper lighting. A single red heat lamp is too dark during daytime and too light at night. Often times high brooder walls are preventing direct light from other lamps or windows.
Proper lighting is important for the development of the eyes, and also so that their internal clock can register day and night.

Didn't find a single pic of ducklings in any brooder of mine (but 1000's of close ups of cute baby birds...) but here's my "brooder room" where I keep the ducklings age 1-3 weeks. It has windows at ground level. The birds love it, and will bask in the sun all day. I live in cold weather climate, direct sunlight like this would be bad for hot summers of course.

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8XWKn1Y7vyYH36aY7
any recommendations on how i can improve this? i think it’s pretty good

I use those mega tubs for the first few days for up to 8 ducklings before moving them to the indoor paddling pool set up - I will be setting this up later as we have KC eggs pipping !!

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

One thing I see some brooders are lacking (not the ones in this thread, but in general) is proper lighting. A single red heat lamp is too dark during daytime and too light at night. Often times high brooder walls are preventing direct light from other lamps or windows.
Proper lighting is important for the development of the eyes, and also so that their internal clock can register day and night.

Didn't find a single pic of ducklings in any brooder of mine (but 1000's of close ups of cute baby birds...) but here's my "brooder room" where I keep the ducklings age 1-3 weeks. It has windows at ground level. The birds love it, and will bask in the sun all day. I live in cold weather climate, direct sunlight like this would be bad for hot summers of course.

View attachment 2244420

What a fabulous set up !

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

One thing I see some brooders are lacking (not the ones in this thread, but in general) is proper lighting. A single red heat lamp is too dark during daytime and too light at night. Often times high brooder walls are preventing direct light from other lamps or windows.
Proper lighting is important for the development of the eyes, and also so that their internal clock can register day and night.

Didn't find a single pic of ducklings in any brooder of mine (but 1000's of close ups of cute baby birds...) but here's my "brooder room" where I keep the ducklings age 1-3 weeks. It has windows at ground level. The birds love it, and will bask in the sun all day. I live in cold weather climate, direct sunlight like this would be bad for hot summers of course.

View attachment 2244420

Looks great!!