Ducklings to go in outside brooder

[Jon_Dong]

Hi All,

I'm currently hatching 6 Indian runner ducklings and they need to go out in the garage as soon as possible when they hatch. I have a big storage chest that will give them more than enough room but my concern is the weather.

The temperature has now dropped to 1 degree and the garage is not heated. I can easily set up heat lamps for them but i wanted to make sure that this would be sufficient to keep them happy.

The brooder will be about 4ft by 2ft and has a lid so i'm hoping they will be fine at night.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Jon_Dong

 

[chickens really]

I keep my Ducklings in the house brooder till about two weeks old and then move to my Garage Brooder with a heat lamp on one end they sleep on...Then as they start getting feathers I start turning the heat off during the day but turn it on at night..They they get moved outside to the coop and run but locked in at night...

 

[Jon_Dong]

I keep my Ducklings in the house brooder till about two weeks old and then move to my Garage Brooder with a heat lamp on one end they sleep on...Then as they start getting feathers I start turning the heat off during the day but turn it on at night..They they get moved outside to the coop and run but locked in at night...

Thanks for your help. I dont think my partner will be happy but they will have to stay in with us for a few weeks. Should be hatching just before xmas.

 

[chickens really]

I move them out once they get real stinky...Best wishes on the hatch....

 

[Amiga]

I had Runner ducklings - 11 of them - in the house for three months. Smell was not a problem. If water is managed well, and brooder cleanup done often enough, there is no unpleasant aroma. Often, wet feed is what is smelling the worst.

Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks recommends that for the first week, the ducklings be kept at 90 degrees Farenheit. Lower the temperature 5 degrees per week after that.

Duckings need good ventilation, and need to be away from drafts. Heating can be a challenge due to flammable bedding, and I know someone whose heat lamp shattered when ducklings splashed water.

You can make a watering station that will keep bedding much drier. There are several examples in the archives. A plastic bin with one side cut down (make sure to smooth over edges to avoid cutting their feet), sawdust pellets to soak up water, and a chick waterer on top of the pellets works well.