ducklings are weird

[Maze]

Are they running out of food? You should make sure the bowl is never empty. I wet the food and they really like that.

You definitely have to clean the brooder every day. Ducklings are messy! Can you post a picture of your brother set up?

Haha yea! Ill do that tmmr (as it's 2 am where I am and I don't wanna wake them up.) their brooder now gets clean every day! (They're on puppy pads) And deep cleaned once a week (aka take out heatlamp, wash it with mild soap and then put it back) also what do you mean by water? I'm using chick starter atm so it just turns into a soggy mess. Im gonna start using duckling starter as my dad bought it for the quails yesterday, would that be waterproof? They always have food and water. (I have a waterbottle that I use to refill their water every day, food bowl is filled 1 cup every day. Most gets wasted unfortunately )

 

[Maze]

Are they running out of food? You should make sure the bowl is never empty. I wet the food and they really like that.

You definitely have to clean the brooder every day. Ducklings are messy! Can you post a picture of your brother set up?

There currently in a large plastic box btw. I heard wood is way to hard to clean. Their waterbowl is now a deeper lid from a container instead of a chick waterer (I don't think that's how you spell it.) and the food bowl is the lid of the chick waterier

 

[Maze]

Are they running out of food? You should make sure the bowl is never empty. I wet the food and they really like that.

You definitely have to clean the brooder every day. Ducklings are messy! Can you post a picture of your brother set up?

Here's a pic of their brooder!!

 

[Maze]

Also, is there any reason for my smaller duckling to be abnormally quiet.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Haha yea! Ill do that tmmr (as it's 2 am where I am and I don't wanna wake them up.) their brooder now gets clean every day! (They're on puppy pads) And deep cleaned once a week (aka take out heatlamp, wash it with mild soap and then put it back) also what do you mean by water? I'm using chick starter atm so it just turns into a soggy mess. Im gonna start using duckling starter as my dad bought it for the quails yesterday, would that be waterproof? They always have food and water. (I have a waterbottle that I use to refill their water every day, food bowl is filled 1 cup every day. Most gets wasted unfortunately )

Yes, it should be wet but not soupy. You don't have to do it, but's easier for them to eat it that way. Just make enough that lasts them the day (or half day if you have time and will remember to make a new batch). They will fling a little bit but as long as you don't make it too soupy it shouldn't make too big a mess.

Why did he buy duckling starter for the quails? The quails need a gamebird starter (even higher protein).

If it makes you feel any better, I got ten Indian Runner ducklings last week. Three of them are now about 2/3 the size of the other seven, if even that. My previous batch of Muscovy ducklings, one was also a "runt" - somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3 size of the rest - but they are around 4 months now and everyone is fine. Sometimes there are just some that develop slower. Sometimes they catch up and sometimes they stay smaller. The most important thing is to watch for signs that they aren't feeling well and to ensure they aren't being bullied in any way.

Does she splash around and bathe normally when you give them a tub of water to play in?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Here's a pic of their brooder!!

Very cute! Can you try to get some pics of their faces? Front and side view so we can verify whether they really seem to be the same breed? I have a feeling one is either a different breed or a mix.

 

[Maze]

Yes, it should be wet but not soupy. You don't have to do it, but's easier for them to eat it that way. Just make enough that lasts them the day (or half day if you have time and will remember to make a new batch). They will fling a little bit but as long as you don't make it too soupy it shouldn't make too big a mess.

Why did he buy duckling starter for the quails? The quails need a gamebird starter (even higher protein).

If it makes you feel any better, I got ten Indian Runner ducklings last week. Three of them are now about 2/3 the size of the other seven, if even that. My previous batch of Muscovy ducklings, one was also a "runt" - somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3 size of the rest - but they are around 4 months now and everyone is fine. Sometimes there are just some that develop slower. Sometimes they catch up and sometimes they stay smaller. The most important thing is to watch for signs that they aren't feeling well and to ensure they aren't being bullied in any way.

Does she splash around and bathe normally when you give them a tub of water to play in?

He bought the duck food for the quails cuz it's 20% protein and we went to a diff feed and seed store and that's all they had. (Usually they're on turkey starter but I think there's a petstore in my town that sells a gamebird food) Um sometimes she splashes but like usually it's just her friend swimming, and like after around 5 mins she goes for a swim. Tysm for.letting me know about the food thing!

 

[Maze]

also another question, if they both turn out to be boys, can i still have them in the same backyard as my chicekns? my chickens are fully flighted and the ducks will not be (just due to there being a lagoon near my house fulled with wild ducks and i dont want my pets to run away) *im suspecting them both to be boys due to the larger ones raspy quacks and the smaller ones not quacking much* theyre both calls, so theyd be quite a bit smaller, but i also have silkies. (theyre slow aswell and dont fly at all unlike my 3 other normal girls) i could be able to build a pen area for them but as im only a teen my parents might get angry and go "LET THEM OUTTT. YOU CANT KEEP THEM INSIDE ALL THE TIME, THATS MEAN" or smth like that (they already have their own pre-made coop inside the run thinggo. i think im gonna extend it a bit more cuz the doorway is narrow)

 

[JacinLarkwell]

also another question, if they both turn out to be boys, can i still have them in the same backyard as my chicekns? my chickens are fully flighted and the ducks will not be (just due to there being a lagoon near my house fulled with wild ducks and i dont want my pets to run away) *im suspecting them both to be boys due to the larger ones raspy quacks and the smaller ones not quacking much* theyre both calls, so theyd be quite a bit smaller, but i also have silkies. (theyre slow aswell and dont fly at all unlike my 3 other normal girls) i could be able to build a pen area for them but as im only a teen my parents might get angry and go "LET THEM OUTTT. YOU CANT KEEP THEM INSIDE ALL THE TIME, THATS MEAN" or smth like that (they already have their own pre-made coop inside the run thinggo. i think im gonna extend it a bit more cuz the doorway is narrow)

No. Drakes have penises, roosters do not. Chickens are not designed to be bred with one

 

[Maze]

No. Drakes have penises, roosters do not. Chickens are not designed to be bred with one

Soo, they shouldn't be in the same backyard? Meaning I shouldn't really free range the ducks? Tbh I thought it would be more of the chickens bullying the ducks BC their small size but alr! I'll work on figuring out how to make them a pen!