Ducklings Swimming

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

How old do they have to be before they can swim in bath tub?

 

[pax12]

3 days

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

ya they can swim today!!!!

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Early, but you do need to keep an eye on them. Make sure they can get out if they get tired. For me, I dry them off before putting them back in the brooder. Not sure that you have to, but their brooder is wet enough as it is and it gives me a chance to handle each one.

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

Ok it will just be in the sink so they can splash in water

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Baby ducklings that have been hatching in an incubator should not swim until they have some feathers. I wouldnt let it swim before 2 weeks of age. Just give them a very shallow dish that they can walk around in the water.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Quote:
Yeah - I call it swimming, but it is really a old glass pie dish that has about 1 inch of water in it.

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

I did not hatch them they came from a hatchery.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
yes, but they were still hatched in an incubator, not under a duck, therefor, they dont have the oils needed to float, and not get waterlogged.

 

[fowlmood]

When my ducks were about 3 days old I started them out in a paint roller pan with water. It only held a little bit of water in the 'deep' end and they could easily walk out of the water if they needed to. I kept them in the basement by the wood stove where it was warm but I also dried them off with a towel before putting them back in their brooder box. By about two weeks old they would play in the bathtub each evening. I only put enough water in so that the smallest duck could still walk on the bottom. As their feathers came in better I would increase the amount of water in the tub so they could all swim.