Duckling brooder

[ChickyChickyChick]

I got four Mallard duckling today, is the way I have their brooder set up correct?

 

[Trimurtisan]

I got four Mallard duckling today, is the way I have their brooder set up correct?View attachment 1871366 View attachment 1871371 View attachment 1871373

Food, water, and warmth.
check, check, check.
Looks good to me.

Can I ask why the one is covered?

 

[Trimurtisan]

If anything, you might want to add some marbles to the water, and I'd put something like a baking sheet or something larger under it. Ducklings are pretty messy with their water. A larger tray would help you not having to replace the bedding as often.

I actually used 2 trays in my brooder. Redundancy with ducklings is never a bad idea.

 

[ChickyChickyChick]

Food, water, and warmth.
check, check, check.
Looks good to me.

Can I ask why the one is covered?

The one with plywood? It's so heat stays in better when its cooler in the mornings plus we didn't have another screen like the left one.

 

[Trimurtisan]

The one with plywood? It's so heat stays in better when its cooler in the mornings plus we didn't have another screen like the left one.

Gotcha! I live in FL so keeping the heat is is something I don't have to deal with.

 

[ChickyChickyChick]

If anything, you might want to add some marbles to the water, and I'd put something like a baking sheet or something larger under it. Ducklings are pretty messy with their water. A larger tray would help you not having to replace the bedding as often.

I actually used 2 trays in my brooder. Redundancy with ducklings is never a bad idea.
View attachment 1871393

Yeah, I have to get them a bigger waterer and tray tomorrow... they drank a quart of water in four hours

 

[Trimurtisan]

Welcome to BYC and the Duck section by the way.

 

[Trimurtisan]

This is something I wrote up based on my experiences. Ducklings in a brooder can be a bit messy, much more than chickens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/keeping-my-wood-brooder-floor-dry.75108/

In regards to a waterer, making one might be the best option in regards to cost and function. The one in the above pic is just a butter dish with 4 holes cut in the lid. The hole require the duck to actually put their bill in there vs just chattering it in the edge of a dish type container.

I might mess this up, but I think it was @DuckyDonna who I got the idea from. Works great too.

Cute chickens too by the way.

 

[ChickyChickyChick]

This is something I wrote up based on my experiences. Ducklings in a brooder can be a bit messy, much more than chickens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/keeping-my-wood-brooder-floor-dry.75108/

In regards to a waterer, making one might be the best option in regards to cost and function. The one in the above pic is just a butter dish with 4 holes cut in the lid. The hole require the duck to actually put their bill in there vs just chattering it in the edge of a dish type container.

I might mess this up, but I think it was @DuckyDonna who I got the idea from. Works great too.

Cute chickens too by the way.

Oh, alrighty I'll try the waterer out, thanks for the advice and thanks for the comment on the chicks!