Going to get my first pair of baby ducks from TSC/R-King, I HAVE Q'S!!

[k2chickens]

The only type of ducks i have seen for sale at our local TSC and or Rural king are just the tubs of yellow fluffy, orange colored billed, baby ducks. I have absolutely NO experience with ducks what so ever. I hit the search engine and found out that the duck's at my local store's might be one of these two..."pekin" and or "call". I was really wanting a pair of white crested duck's but i think i would have to buy hatching egg's and we were sort of wanting some baby duck's now..lol.

So what feed for my new hopeful baby ducks?? As of now i have a bag of chicken scratch, purina chick starter, and purina layena.

I have seen here on the board that a pond of water is not necessary for the ducklings, but they sure do love the water. What are some thought's on this? I just know water= mess and that's about it lol!

I also read up on sexing the baby ducks but found out that its quite difficult and should be left to the professionals. Ideally we want a boy and a girl...are there any old wives tales to sex baby ducklings that i could be told when im standing over the bin at my local feed store?? I think i mentioned before that they would probably be ether call or pekin ducklings if that helps.

Brooding tips would be GREAT as well.. temp's "do they even need a heat lamp", what bedding's do they like? How big /what kind of a waterier would i need for my new ducklings..etc.

Well that's all i can think of now, hope you guys can help me out...P.S...im leaving in like 45 minuets to go get them LOL!!!

 

[Katy]

I doubt that you'll find calls at your feed store. They'll more than likely be Pekins.

I raise my ducklings on Purina medicated Start & Grow.

They take less heat for a shorter length of time than chicks do.

They need water deep enough to submerge their heads in so they can keep their nostrils clear. If they have feed in front of them, they must have water available too.

I brood mine the same way I do my chicks.....in plastic totes with puppy pee pads on the bottom.

 

[1lpoock]

So what feed for my new hopeful baby ducks?? As of now i have a bag of chicken scratch, purina chick starter, and purina layena.

The chick starter will work, but it is better to get duck starter if your TSC has it. Also you can feed them cut up greens.

I have seen here on the board that a pond of water is not necessary for the ducklings, but they sure do love the water. What are some thought's on this?

When they are babies they dont really need swimming water at all. When they get older, they don't need it, but a small kiddie pool would work.

I also read up on sexing the baby ducks but found out that its quite difficult and should be left to the professionals. Ideally we want a boy and a girl...are there any old wives tales to sex baby ducklings that i could be told when im standing over the bin at my local feed store?? I think i mentioned before that they would probably be ether call or pekin ducklings if that helps.

Unless you vent sex, there is no way to tell male and female calls or pekins apart. Also, at TSC's you have to buy at least 6 ducklings, its a law. So there would be no way you could get just two unless you know someone that wants some too.

Brooding tips would be GREAT as well.. temp's "do they even need a heat lamp", what bedding's do they like? How big /what kind of a waterier would i need for my new ducklings..etc.

Temps: Same as raising chicks, but ducks grow so much faster
Bedding: I use wood chips
Water: There waterer has to be deep enough to submerge their nostrils to clean them out. They will get the wood chips really messy, so you have to change them more often than with chicks.​

 

[k2chickens]

Quote:
The chick starter will work, but it is better to get duck starter if your TSC has it. Also you can feed them cut up greens.

I have seen here on the board that a pond of water is not necessary for the ducklings, but they sure do love the water. What are some thought's on this?

When they are babies they dont really need swimming water at all. When they get older, they don't need it, but a small kiddie pool would work.

I also read up on sexing the baby ducks but found out that its quite difficult and should be left to the professionals. Ideally we want a boy and a girl...are there any old wives tales to sex baby ducklings that i could be told when im standing over the bin at my local feed store?? I think i mentioned before that they would probably be ether call or pekin ducklings if that helps.

Unless you vent sex, there is no way to tell male and female calls or pekins apart. Also, at TSC's you have to buy at least 6 ducklings, its a law. So there would be no way you could get just two unless you know someone that wants some too.

Brooding tips would be GREAT as well.. temp's "do they even need a heat lamp", what bedding's do they like? How big /what kind of a waterier would i need for my new ducklings..etc.

Temps: Same as raising chicks, but ducks grow so much faster
Bedding: I use wood chips
Water: There waterer has to be deep enough to submerge their nostrils to clean them out. They will get the wood chips really messy, so you have to change them more often than with chicks.​

thanks for this post, it really has helped me out. Would you have any suggestion's on what kind of waterier i could get for them? I had no clue i needed to at least by 6 from TSC!

That's way to many for me. That sounds like a silly law to me, i mean, what would it hurt if i just bought 2? Is there a nation wide overpopulation of pekin duck's?? lol

Also, what's a good price to pay per duckling?? Last year i saw them priced at 7 buck per baby at Rural King and i thought that was kinda high IMO. But then again i am just use to buying/hatching chick's instead of ducks.​

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
I agree on the thing about the Calls...Calls are waaaaay too hard to hatch, any breeder I know is going to want some money for them, even mixed pet quality Calls. I just can't see it benefiting a breeder to sell to a store. I know I will likely make the two I have here so far available for sale because I do not have my Calls separated into breeding pens yet, and if I do, it will be on here or at a swap or show, not through a store. I want some degree of control over who gets them. I had some Calls that I started out with last year that weren't what I was personally looking for and I found a very nice home for them at a show.

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

We just went to a TSC and they had a sign up:

Min Purchase for chicks: 6
Min Purchase for Ducks: 2

Of course they didn't have any duckies there!!!

But the sign was posted!

 

[gryeyes]

For a waterer, use a cottage cheese or Cool Whip container and cut a slice out of the lid. Snap the lid back on, and the ducklings will only be able to put their heads in the water, instead of sitting, standing, pooping, etc. in it. They can still fling water around with their bills, but it won't be as bad as with a regular chick waterer.

Trust me, it's easy.

The ducklings need food and water 24 / 7, just like chicks.

If you want to let them swim or play in water, you have to supervise their play and keep it to short periods, then make sure they are all dry again - or can get under the heat lamp to dry off right away.

 

[k2chickens]

Quote:
what a neat idea! thanks, very simple! I got my babies last night and they let us buy 2! Just walked up, said we had 2, gave the girl 5 bucks and out the door we went!

I also could have bought just once chick too if i wanted to...same with buying just one duck. Maybe our TSC people just don't care, i don't know, but that was my experience there.

 

[my1stchicks]

Where's the pic of the new babies?

 

[Miss Lydia]

from everything i've read you shouldn't give medicated feed to ducklings, just unmedicated starter for chicks or ducklings.