Hello everyone!

[Chococat98]

Hi I'm new to this whole duck raising thing but my dad already knows how to raise them because he's had them since he was a child and he was the only one since then who has been taking care of them independently but ANYWAYS!! XD
I was wondering if ducks got sick with salmonella like people do? Because I'm getting two new ducklings tomorrow and I'm worried about the fact whether they're healthy or not...

 

[TwoDogFarm]

Welcome to the duck raising business. Ducks are really fun to have around although they are very messy (especially Pekin ducks)

As far as I know, ducks don't get salmonella the way people do. If you're getting ducklings, you have to be very careful handling them because they can carry salmonella on their down. The bottom line is, right after you handle them, be sure to wash your hands. You could get salmonella if you don't wash your hands and then handle food, food surfaces, or your face. Just be sure to always wash your hands after handling them until they get all their feathers. Once they get their feathers, they don't carry it anymore. Same goes for chickens.

One other thing you will want to be aware of in ducks is that they can often be very skittish. If you want your ducks to like you a lot (as in letting you pick them up and hold them), you will want to spend a lot of time with them while they are ducklings. We have 16 ducks and weren't able to spend as much time with them as we wanted when they were little. Now, they're full grown and they run every time we get near them. I still love them though. Watching their crazy antics just makes my day better.

Good luck with your little ducks. Hope all goes well.

What kind are you getting by the way?

 

[Chococat98]

OMG thank you! Haha I'm keeping them indoors until they're old enough to go outside (there are many cats in my neighborhood and one actually loves to stay outside my house so not good lolol). I'm getting call ducklings

 

[Chococat98]

And the thing is, I keep googling online and all the results keep saying that the ducks never react to salmonella so well never know whether they have it or not :/ makes me feel uneasy haha

 

[Amiga]

And the thing is, I keep googling online and all the results keep saying that the ducks never react to salmonella so well never know whether they have it or not

makes me feel uneasy haha

Seems that a fecal test might answer that question.