Excited

[katharinad]

With that many you will need a kiddie pool, with a cardboard ring around it, as a brooder. Good news is that it is summer, so they should be out of the brooder in 2.5 weeks. BTW I never go by the thing where they reduce 5 degrees each week until you are down to 75 degrees. I watch their behavior. They move away from the light they need less. They huddle they need more. Out of experience you can go from 90 to 80 in one week. Never start at 95 either. Ducks are so hardy it can be amazing. Also I do not use heat light bulbs. They can explode if water gets splattered onto them. I start of with a regular 90 watt light bulb from 2 feet above and reduce the wattage a they need less. Works like a charm.
Be prepared for the mess coming soon, because 30 are a true work load. Right now I have 9 almost full grown ducks and they are plenty of work as is.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

Thanks katharinad- I was planning on a swimming pool brooder out in the barn just need to get another board up so the pen is secure and I am guessing that won't happen until tonight- which means that they will be inside for tonight. I can see that they are MESSY- are they supposed to look like they are having a seizure while eating or drinking? They have already decided the water hole is a swimming hole and I had to laugh, take pictures and then kick them out of it. I gave them a chick waterer and now they are flinging the water everywhere.

 

[drdoolittle]

Wow, 30 ducklings? I ordered 14 earlier this summer, and kept them in the bottom half of a very large dog crate in our big bathroom for the first 2 weeks. After that, I moved them out to the garage and into a huge water trough------and then they outgrew that!! They are so much fun, though! I really enjoyed watching the changes they went through. Good Luck!!

 

[katharinad]

They are problably fine with your current setup for the next 3 days. Best is to put a cookie sheet lined with a papertowel below the waterer. You don't want them to swim right now. Well controlled swim is fine, but not the dish play swim in the brooder. Also do make them a food mash for 3 days instead of dry food. They have never eaten before so it is very hard on them. They need to learn to eat and then drink while eating. I usually grind the food and mix with water for them to eat. It make sit so much easier for the few first days. The real mess will start in about 3 days when they start to eat and poo more. Here are some pics of my setup in the kitchen. The most I ever had in that box was 11.

I use a shipping crate, lined with plastic, peewee type pads, cookie sheet, cotton towel to sleep on, and dog crate doors on top to keep the cat out. Works like a charm.

 

[javajanie]

mommyofthreewithchicks, what kind of ducks did you order?

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I ordered 10 Jumbo Pekin- one died in shipment. =9

10 Mallard ducks - got 12 but one died in shippment= 11

and 10 Welsh Harlequin- received 11


They are much bigger than I expected well except for the mallards- I suppose I should have thought that one through.

katharinad- Food mash sounds like a good idea- just so I have the right idea it shouldn't look like soup but like mashed potatoes- right? Do you still offer water with this? And I do believe I will take the info for the cookie sheet as I think I need to change the bedding already.

They also don't seem to enjoy being held so I am having the kids sit on the floor when holding- and man are they FAST!

How often do you end up checking on ducklings?

 

[HiddenHill Heretic]

Congratulations!!!!! I have just gotten my first eggs from 50 ducklings I got from Metzer I got on April 13th. I think it is easier to raise a bunch of ducks at the same time, though I think intimacy with your ducks may be forfeit. They seem to work as a single mind, if one is fearful, all feel the same. On the flip side, once one or two begins to warm up, many may follow. Today I got 7 eggs, my largest # in a day so far. It seems not so long ago they were day olds. Good luck and treasure these first 2 weeks... The imprinting done now will prove invaluable in the future.

 

[MysticalMom]

I want runners!! Too much cuteness in the thread. I know I said I would NOT ever brood anymore ducklings but you all I know I was lying to myself.

 

[katharinad]

The mash is a thick soup. The ducklings don't care, they slurp it up and make a mess while at it.

I still offer water on the side. I would also give them vitamins/electrolytes in their water for the first 10 days. That way you don't have to worry about deficiencies. After that I give it weekly until they are 12 weeks. As adults I give it once per month, or twice per month when they lay eggs. I buy it in powder form and it stores nicely in a mason jar. I personally love the one form GQF. https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=231

 

[secretquail]

ok, so I only have one duckling, but for the waterer, I cut a hole in the lid of a butter tub, that way, Lucky can reach his head through and splash, but most of the water stays in the butter tub. Maybe you could try something like that on a larger scale? Good luck with 30... my loner is enough of a mess right now!