First duckling hatched today!

[petitesphinx]

We had our first baby duck hatch today and three more have little holes in their eggs!

She's so sweet!! A little Runner Duck...

Questions, though! I only have medicated chick starter, do I feed the duckling that? I put a teeny bit of water in a babyfood jar lid becuase I've had chicks drown in anything larger than that. Should I give a larger waterer?


I took her outdoors for a few minutes to let her nibble grass, but she wasn't interested...

 

[bnward5]

oh how cute a little blue runner. medicated chick feed will eventually kill her no good, as I just found out yesterday.

 

[NancyDz]

It's best to get a non-medicated food for ducklings, i use a turkey starter for mine.
Also they need to dip their bills all the way into the water to eat so use a bigger pan of water for them. They cannot eat without water to dip their bills all the way in.



cute Duckling!

Nancy

 

[petitesphinx]

thanks!

 

[Cetawin]

Your best bet is to use purina flock raiser if not available then mix unmedicated chick starter and turkey/wild game bird starter in equal amounts.

Chick starter does not have enough niacin in it for ducks and the turkey starter has too high protein so mixing the two is what was recommended to me by holderread waterfowl farm

Also remember that like chicks they do not need to eat or drink the first 2 or 3 days, they absorb the yolk right before hatching like chicks. So she probably will not show any interest until then.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

So cute!

 

[petitesphinx]

Another duckling was born/hatched this morning! A blonde one!!! I put it in the box with the first one under a heat lamp-it was kinda damp...

It looks like the big brother is pecking it...or dooodling it's hair..I can't tell.


Will they be safe in the same brooder or will they peck eachother like chicks do?