Ducklings Now?

[duckyfromoz]

I cant recommend hatching too early either...as apposed to hatching late in the season.

Its spring here now in Australia and I am worn out. Having baby ducks everywhere in the house for the last few months has really taken its toll. I am looking forward to a few more weeks when they can be outside permanently from three weeks old. The heating bill was outragious.

Although I have an older hatchling laying already- I have only just started setting eggs for my own " keepers" for next year. I have loved a house full of quackers- but wont be doing it again next year.

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
Haha. That's what I keep saying too. And you see how well that's worked out for me!

 

[slackwater]

I have one last batch of chicks hatching next weekend, and then I'm done for the year. NO WINTER BROODING for me anymore! I did it last year and it was MISERABLE. Granted, they're not ducks, but still...

And, not sure if you care 'bout the color of your runners, but I have a multi-group from Metzers that will probably be laying in the spring

They are July babies.

 

[Wifezilla]

If you hatch ducks now, you will have eggs by spring while others are just getting ducklings. Yes, brooding in Winter can be a pain, but if you have the space it can work. I used an easy to heat closet off the back porch once my ducks hit 5 weeks. Before that they were in the house.

Colorado Winters do have bad days, but our winters are rather mild overall. I would NOT try Winter brooding in Wisconsin though...LOL

 

[katharinad]

We are in the crazy fall cycle. Daytime 75 degrees, and down to 25 degrees at night. Yup that is 50 degrees difference. Quite normal for the Oregon mountains. Snow can be 3"-36" for the entire winter. That is powdery snow, we never get the wet stuff. It is so dry up here that the show evaporates. Two years ago we had a monster storm with 6 feet of snow. Our front porch was sinking, because the first guy didn't build it right. My husband had to remove snow from the roof to take off the weight. He fell off twice in to the soft snow below. The dog learned two days later that they can walk over the fence to wherever they wanted to. Want to see some crazy pics of it? http://www.davitt.com/winter/