First Time Duckling Mom

Do you think it's okay to raise ducklings indoors for a few weeks?

  • Sure

    Votes: 5 100.0%

  • Definitely Not

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    5
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Sage.Skadisdottir

Sage.Skadisdottir

In the Brooder
Apr 13, 2018
8
29
44
Hello! I'm Sage & I am raising 4 baby ducklings. I got them one week ago & they are growing so fast! I hope to learn from everyone's experiences about how to raise a healthy flock.

So, a little bit about my babies:
1. I have two white pekins (Sauron & Galadriel) and two mallards (Freya & Thor)
2. Even though they are so young, I feel pretty sure that I've ended up with a male and a female of each species. I used to live in SFL where we had TONS of wild muscovies. I had a flock of 3 mothers and about 24 ducklings that I spend a considerable amount of time watching very closely as they grew. Based on the behaviors of my babies, I have come to this conclusion (but I know I can definitely be surprised!).
3. I bought all of my ducks at TSC.
4. I am raising them indoors for these first few weeks so that I can keep a good close eye on their health & well-being. I have them in their own room that is warm (about 92F + or - in the brood) & well ventilated. I started them out in a single black plastic tote, but have since expanded into making them a 'duck condominium.' I clean their food and water twice a day & lay down dry bedding. I do a complete bedding change & wash everything every other day.
5. I am feeding them Dumor chick starter because it has 20% protein & I've heard a lot of good things about it.
6. Galadriel had a choking scare about 3 days ago that last for about 15 min. She was beginning to panic & had a lot of mucous. It was so terrifying!!! My fiance and I ended up holding her upside down & wiping away the mucous as well as holding her normally & stroking her neck firmly & gently. It seemed to work & we got through it! (I now check on the babies about every 15 minutes like a frantic mother to make sure nobody else it having trouble).

Here's a little bit about me:
1. I live in the Appalachian Mountain Region of East TN.
2. I am in the process of trying to start my own small homestead.
3. I own a house that I am remodeling so that I can sell it and purchase 20+ acres of land for my homestead.
4. I am an active gardener & grow over 100 varieties of flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruits, cotton, hemp, and tobacco.
5. I am 27 going on 80 :D Haha
6. I love to knit, build all kinds of stuff, do photography, produce music (vocalist & drummer), and play video games.
7. I believe in doing things the 'hard way' because I value the practices of older times and being industrious & self-sufficient. This is something I like to refer to as 'folkish.'

I am excited to join the BYC community & to learn from all of your experience as well as share mine along the way :)
 
Hello and welcome! I'm new to BYC as well. I just wanted to post and say that I have some ducklings that are about three weeks now, for the first two weeks one of my rouens (no idea if I spelled that right I call them mallards) had a terrible habbit of trying to eat to much food without enough water so he would struggle to get the food down and kind of choke on it sometimes. The first time it happened I waited a few to see if he would figure out what to do, when it didn't look like that was the case I gently but firmly put the tip of his beak in the water for a split second, he would pull back and I let him, then he would instantly get a big gulp of water and wash his food down and be fine. After the first couple times this happens I learned to watch him when he was without food for a couple moments while I changed it out and so as soon as he would start struggling I put his bill down to the water and after a couple more times of that he figured it out and hasn't done it anymore.

I don't know if that's what happened with your little baby but figured it'd at least help to know your not the only one with a duck who isn't the brightest about eating :p
 
Fayed said:
I don't know if that's what happened with your little baby but figured it'd at least help to know your not the only one with a duck who isn't the brightest about eating :p
Click to expand...

It does indeed help to know that my duckling wasn't simply broken haha! To be honest, I think she may have been choking on a pine shaving because the babies were all playing a game where they pick them up & pretend to eat them.

But definitely good to know about how you taught your duckling to get ample water with his food. I may have to use this trick in future broods.
 
Ah yeah, they sure do like to chew on those pine shavings (makes me super nervous), I think this will be my last time brooding on shavings for ducks, next time they get the bathtub with some shelf liner on the bottom, much easier to clean too I hear :p.

Anyways good luck with your babies enjoy them while they are small, they get big super fast!:) (Brooding ducklings in the house is the best since you can sneek to where they are every free moment you get :p.)
 

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