ducks by 4/30, am i doing it right?

[raymondjames]

Hello. My order of all females 2 WH and 1 White crested is coming in 2 days! so excited. just want to make sure im doing it right

Brooder: well ventilated rodent cage

Heat Source: Overhead red heat lamp

bedding: ripped newspaper

feed: Non-medicated Purina Flock Raiser SunFresh recipe (if there is a better option, note my dealer only sells the Blue seal and Purina poultry feed) then at 18 weeks Layena SunFresh Plus Omega3 (our chicken layer feed)

water: tap water, will contain small amount of sugar first day because they'll be tired

feeder + waterer: waterer is a plastic 1 quart chick waterer, feeder is the normal trough with the holes in it

Is my food the right type? Purina recommended it for ducks/geese. And when can they swim? I hear they cannot if artificially raised (check) but have also heard/seen art raised ducklings swimming. What should I do about that? Overall do i need to change my setup? im gonna buy the stuff today and have it ready when they come

so excited

(there should be a duck version of that emoticon)

 

[Mum]

Your cage may not see them passed the two/three week stage; duckling grow f.a.s.t.!

Ripped newspaper may make an ok/recycled bedding, but, it will get very smelly, very quickly. You may find that you need to change it a couple of times per day!

Swimming should be postponed until at least 2 weeks. Duckling down is like a sponge and will soak up water in the blink of an eye. If the water temperature is too cool, they will tired, chill and die.

Water: ducklings drink water, but they also clean their bill and nostrils with water, so it needs to be open/deep enough for them to get their bills into so they can clean themselves adaquately. Personally, I use a 500ml water bottle with a square cut out of it for their head to get into; the bottle is weighed down with some marbles to provide stability.

You don't have to provide sugar in the water for the first day; fresh (yes, even tap) is good enough. The food sounds ok, but I am not familiar with US brands/feed so I refrain from comment.

Good luck with your delivery and babies: it is a very exciting thing to do

 

[Apyl]

How big is the rodent cage your using? By the end of the 1st week they will double in size, by time they are 4 weeks old they are about 6 inches tall. I have 7 mallards right now, I had them in a large guinea pig cage for about 2 weeks then they went outside to the coop with the heat lamp. As for swimming give then 5 minutes swimming time in the tub or sink everyday for the 1st week starting the first day you get them, then up it to aout 10 minutes, and by 3 weeks longer if they want it.Make sure the water isnt cold, I use slightly warm water until they get moved outdoors. I use a 1 quart plastic waterer for the first couple weeks then moved to a 1 gallon waterer. I have the long plastic trough feeder with holes but by time they are 4 weeks old they wont fit their beaks in the holes anymore so I switched to a 1 gallon chicken feeder. They need water deep enough to put their beak in so they can wash their sinus's out after eating. Make sure to leave them room in the brooder without the heat lamp, they dont need as much heat as chicks and they need a break from the heat. Oh and Flock raiser is just fine all my ducks and chicken are on flock raiser right now until they reach laying age. And sugar isnt needed in the water.

 

[Missy60]

Sugar isn't needed in their water, but it sure made it easier to get them drinking. We got a starter kit that had a feeder and waterer it also had some basic care instructions with it. The first time I filled the waterer up and took it to them they weren't really interested in it. I remember the sugar and went back and added it and man they loved it. The paper said it also helped with stress for the first day.

 

[raymondjames]

Thanks for the advice. But the rodent cage is big. The biggest size (could probably fit one or more full-grown chicken) Petco had. I remembered last time newspaper smelled like crap all day and because I hear ducks are wet poopers I covered it with hay which I learned is a great bedding, especially for extreme poopers (chick(ens), ducks, etc)

Turns out theyre coming wednesday I guess I thought "ship date" was the "arrival date". so still got some time.

 

[Lute]

Don't forget the Niacin (vitamin B3). The flock raiser is good for ducks but it still won't have enough niacin in it. It's easy to supplement into their water. 500MG per 8 gallons of water should be plenty. Just make sure you get regular Niacin. Not the time release or the no-flush stuff. You can pick it up in Walmart for about $10 in the vitamin section.

 

[Apyl]

Don't forget the Niacin (vitamin B3). The flock raiser is good for ducks but it still won't have enough niacin in it. It's easy to supplement into their water. 500MG per 8 gallons of water should be plenty. Just make sure you get regular Niacin. Not the time release or the no-flush stuff. You can pick it up in Walmart for about $10 in the vitamin section.

I've never added niacin to my Flock Raiser, but I did buy liquid Vitamin B just in case and never had to use it. I also did some looking around online and found adding niacin was not needed when using Flock Raiser.

"Purina Mills Flock Raiser SunFresh Recipe is also designed to meet the more demanding needs of broiler or meat-type chicks, raising them successfully from hatch to either market or maturity. Purina Mills Flock Raiser is a 20% protein product made from the same high-quality ingredients as Start & Grow. It is higher in energy to support the faster growth rate of meat-type birds. Well-supplemented with vitamins and minerals, this product also works very effectively for growing turkeys (eight weeks and older). It is fortified with high levels of niacin so that it can also be used for waterfowl. Purina Mills Flock Raiser SunFresh Recipe provides an entire mixed flock of chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese with top nutrition, all in one bag."
http://redbarn1.com/catalog/product/24/flock-raiser-sunfresh-recipe

"Purina Flock Raiser is a good duckling option, but not all feeds that say “duckling” on the label are adequate"

Read more: http://www.grit.com/animals/livestock/raising-ducks.aspx?page=2#ixzz1tR7tjkSP

Dave Holderread even suggests Flock Raiser without extra niacin.

This is deffinitly one of those situation were alot more research is needed than just going by whats suggested on a message board.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've never added niacin to my Flock Raiser, but I did buy liquid Vitamin B just in case and never had to use it. I also did some looking around online and found adding niacin was not needed when using Flock Raiser.

"Purina Mills Flock Raiser SunFresh Recipe is also designed to meet the more demanding needs of broiler or meat-type chicks, raising them successfully from hatch to either market or maturity. Purina Mills Flock Raiser is a 20% protein product made from the same high-quality ingredients as Start & Grow. It is higher in energy to support the faster growth rate of meat-type birds. Well-supplemented with vitamins and minerals, this product also works very effectively for growing turkeys (eight weeks and older). It is fortified with high levels of niacin so that it can also be used for waterfowl. Purina Mills Flock Raiser SunFresh Recipe provides an entire mixed flock of chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese with top nutrition, all in one bag."
http://redbarn1.com/catalog/product/24/flock-raiser-sunfresh-recipe

"Purina Flock Raiser is a good duckling option, but not all feeds that say “duckling” on the label are adequate"

Read more: http://www.grit.com/animals/livestock/raising-ducks.aspx?page=2#ixzz1tR7tjkSP

Dave Holderread even suggests Flock Raiser without extra niacin.

This is deffinitly one of those situation were alot more research is needed than just going by whats suggested on a message board.

I agree with Apyl, I have used Flock Raiser since starting with ducks almost 9 years now, never had a health issue. although when we had a house duckling last year i did sprinkle brewers yeast[ health food store] on top of his food. be sure to get crumble when buying for ducklings and chicks the pellets are too big for them. and don't forget to post pics when they arrive. Offer them water as soon as you get them home, and as already stated sugar is not needed.