Getting a 1 week old Runner duck...can someone confirm my check list

[Wokawidget]

Hi,

We got a 3 week old white campbell last year and she was realatively easy to bring up, and we had 0 experience then.
I am getting a 1 week old runner duck next Monday, so it should have been born today

Not 100% sure on color yet...trout or fawn and white

I work from home and my office is generally quite warm.
I have made a wooden pen for the new duckling and am planning on putting this in my office so I can keep the duck company since it will be on it's own and I c an keep an eye on it.

I have a desk lamp that I can point into the pen that produces heat, but the room should be warm enough I think.

I have a few questions regarding very small ducks.

1) How critical is the protein level? I know 16%-20% is recommended...but is 15% or 23% ok?
2) If the food has the correct protein level does that mean I should not give her meal worm treats which are high in protein?
3) On an evening, when I go to bed 2am till 7am, she will be on her own...from past experience this leads to PEEP! PEEP! PEEP! PEEP! How can I calm her down?
4) My Campbell is house trained and comes inside all evening. She's a VERY tame and a non agressive duck...will it be ok to introduce them straight away?
5) At 8 weeks old would it be ok to rehome her to the chicken coup where the rest of them sleep?
6) I have 3 chickens, all friendly and docile. RIR = Alpha chicken, Marans and Bantam Cochin are neutral...although the cochin does peck the duck if she's being stroked. it's almost like the cochin is jealous as when she was a chick she was center of attention. The RIR only asserts dominance very now and again and has never shown any agression to the duck...99.99% of the time they all get on great. Should I introduce the new duckling slowly where the chickens can see her, similar to introducing a new chicken.
7) Straw and pine shavings for bedding
8) have I missed anything?

Cheers,

Woka

 

[RedfogsFlock]

We got another little runner at a week old. We put her with a chick baby as company. This did away with the peep peep in the middle of the night! As for introducing them, I'm wingin it too since she's our first baby. We have adults otherwise.

You should never introduce straight away! There should be a quarenteen period. I am doing the month thing just to make sure. I quarenteen my chickens, why not ducks? You want to make sure your new little bundle doesn't come home with some illness or something, and infect your other flock.

As for the percentages of feed, I don't know that either. I do though feed mine starter, and I give my babies cooked oatmeal one day a week, with clean water always avail. I do put warm water in our bathtub though and let her swim a little every few days or so.

Bedding I use the same straw I give my flock outside.

The lamp? I use a lamp and point it into the brooder for ours, even though we keep our house at 70* for the babies a little extra heat is good. I've noticed that if ours are fine then they move away from the lamp. If she's cold she lays a litttle closer to it.

I'm no expert by any means. I've only had ducks a little while, and chickens about a year. So good luck on finding the answers to all your questions!

 

[Wokawidget]

Thanks. You're pretty much in the same boat as me

Although it was last year we had a little chick to prevent the PEEP PEEP.
This uear little chick is big chick so PEEP PEEP is definately going to be an issue.

woka

 

[nettie]

Quote:
If you give them 23%, you can add some cracked corn to bring the ratio down a little... i wouldn't go any less than 15% unless you give lots of high protein treats.
You can give her treats, even high protein ones, just keep an eye on her wings to make sure she doesn't develop angel wing... it has a correlation to high protein diets, but there are several factors that cause it.
you can give her a mirror and some toys to keep her busy... YOu can get her a feather duster, stuffed animals that are fuzzy (esp a puppet you can put a hand warmer or heat pack into that she can snuggle against.) you can also get her bird toys from the pet store that jingle, are shiny, ect... they help keep her from getting bored or lonely. if you can get her a little friend, that will also help.
I'd show your duck the new duckling, but don't let them be together without you holding the baby... bigger ducks can pick on little ducks quite harshly... (I'd come around a corner to find black feathers in my older ducks bill and a bare spot on my little black runner's butt, lol)
if at 8 weeks she is fully feathered out, or if it's warmed up where you live... (i'd say 60's but i am unsure, i keep my ducks inside)
again, introduce slowly and get them used to each other to prevent picking or fighting or chasing...
I use horse pellets for brooder bedding (And my duck pen too). It expands to saw dust when wet, so i usually wet it a bit and mix in Stall Dry or Sweet PDZ (an ammonia aborbing odor reducing powder). It helps keep down smells A LOT!!!

You can always come back if you have more questions!

 

[Wokawidget]

1) Duckling Feed - CHECK
2) Indoor pen - CHECK
3) Heat lamp- CHECK
4) Bedding - CHECK
5) Hire Car to pick her up - CHECK
6) Hatched at farm - CHECK
7) Ordering Harnesses - Almost CHECK
8) This Monday Off Work to Pick up new duckling - CHECK
9) Color of duck....Hmmmmm....18 to choose from!


I was thinking either Appleyard or Trout.

What do you think?

Woka

 

[duckyfromoz]

You are hiring a car to go pick up your new baby??? WOW!!! You really are very eager to get a new little one to go to those lengths. Sounds like you will make a very caring duckie mother.

When I brood a single duckling I hang up a toy with long legs in the brooder. Here is a picture of it with a chicken. It seems to help with the constant peep peep as they tend to think the toy is alive rather than just a piece of stuffed material to sit on. When the chicken would move - the legs of the toy would too.. I often used to play with the chicken and toy as well... Moving the ostrich arouond the brooder and letting the chick follow the legs.

 

[Wokawidget]

Haha that's cool!

Our critters are treated as pets and not as normal outdoor animals. I take pride in having very docile, friendly, socialable, trained (even the chickens know 5 commands) and happy pets.

Well the hire car is so I can get home from the airport really when I fly back to England from Chicago.
I simply refuse to use public transport in England as it is unreliable, expensive and slow.

The Welsh farm is only an extra 1hrs drive from the airport...so I can kill two birds with one stone as they say....not literally though!

We have a similar toy to yours, a blue duck, that when squeezed goes "QUACK! QUACK!"...someone bought it for us as a joke. I can do a similar setup to yours.

The duckling run will be in my office at home, which is where I work from, so I will be on hand 24/7....I am REALLY hoping I don't get tooooooooo distracted from work, which is clearly going to happen

Woka