Duckling Questions

[DuckDuckMoo]

Ok,first off. How do I post pictures? I want to share my ducklings.

Second, how do you keep water in with ducklings. Mine gobble and play in it and its gone with in 15 minutes. Do you only give them water at certain times of the day or just continue to fill it up? I even bought one of those chick waterer to see if that would help. But no, the run over, play play play, get wet, get everything else wet, and then clean off and do it again. Very cute, but I think they need drinking water more. Any suggestions?

AND, my adult ducks laid there first egg today! Very proud. I know ducks are not good brooders, so when do I take the eggs away to stick them in the incubator?

Thanks a bunch and I have enjoyed everyones information so much I joined, so look forward to talking Duck more often.

Laura

 

[Amiga]

Morning!

To post pictures, go to Uploads, select the photo you want from your computer, click on Submit.

After the upload, there will be a thumbnail and a photo html. Choose the one you want, copy the code, and paste it into your message.

A topic you may be interested in is

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3803795#p3803795

where we chat a bid about brooders and waterers.

 

[DuckDuckMoo]

 

[DuckDuckMoo]

Yeah! It worked, those are my Runners. They just laid their first egg today!!

Those are my newest ducklings. I do believe I have two cayugas, two Ruens, Two White Crested.

These are my Wyandottes

Thanks for the tips everyone!!

 

[duckling 1234]

I can't tell from the small pic, but it actually looks like you have 2 mallards and 2 pekins.

 

[Brickman House]

For a duckling waterer, I use a gallon milk jug, with a hole cut out just large enough for their heads. It doesn't completely eliminate the splashing, but it does help.

For the day olds, I start with the hole cut about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. Don't make it too big-- only about the size of a quarter or so. They can fit themselves into surprisingly small spaces! Once a week or so, I pitch that jug, grab a new one, and cut the hole a little bit higher. After a week, even with 2x a day rinsing and refilling, they're pretty gross and ready to be tossed anyway.

By a month to 5 weeks, which is about when my guys go out anyway, you'll have gone through 4 or 5 jugs, and your hole will be at the top of the jug (and quite a bit bigger than when you started!)

As far as incubating eggs, I ate the first few weeks' worth of eggs my girls laid, and didn't start gathering to incubate until they were well under way laying regularly. Statistics show that fertility declines about 10% in eggs that are a week old, so once your ducks start laying regularly, I would gather no more than a week's worth (depending on how many you want to try to hatch) and incubate them.

 

[gryeyes]

Another thing to do about ducklings and their water is to cut a slice out of a Cool Whip container lid, then snap the lid back on. The photo below shows a cottage cheese container, which was what I used the first week and a half. Had to move up to a Cool Whip container after that.

Pretty easy to dump, clean, and refresh.

And now their feed is offered in a regular chick feeder, the long metal tray type with holes. The dish was only for the first couple of days.

 

[DuckDuckMoo]

I LOVE those ideas. Going to make my own. THANKS!!!

 

[T Hi]

You guys are AWESOME!!

', ' I love the cottage cheese and cool whip idea! Do you use anything to weigh it down? Do they tip easily?

I am still looking for some runner ducklings here in Washington but am getting all my essentials together so we are sooooo ready!!! Just waiting to find some!

 

[Amiga]

With my runners I put the ricotta cheese tubs in a pie plate so that WHEN they are tipped over, the water is caught. It gives them something to dabble in. At three weeks old, we are beginning to feel more grownup and as the equivalent of teenagers, I think we are getting bored and looking for things to do. . . . hoo boy. I need to find some tennis-ball sized washable balls or something for them to noodle.

It's too cold here to let them out to play during the day, but once the weather really opens up, we are getting some outdoor time. In another six weeks or so they should have their feathers and be able to handle the cool nights here. But I don't want to push them and lose any of them.