Help! first time duck owner! need advice and tips!

[Ming Ming]

1 week. I named them...mostly. I have for female names, Daisy, Ming-Ming (which is not my name, I Had them when I made my acc) and taffy. For males, Ming Ming, Taffy and goofy

 

[Allexis McFarland]

1 week. I named them...mostly. I have for female names, Daisy, Ming-Ming (which is not my name, I Had them when I made my acc) and taffy. For males, Ming Ming, Taffy and goofy

Too early to tell, at about a month old they will get there voice, typical quack sound is a girl and raspy sound is male. Since they are that young start on a chick starter non medicated and i would definitely keep separated from chickens. You can use a dog kennel they will still need a heat lamp until 4ish weeks old.

 

[nova022]

I have Pekins and they live very happily with my chickens. They have their own pen and are free to choose where they will spend the night when they come in from free ranging each day. They generally choose to sleep with the chickens and almost always go in the chicken coop to lay their eggs under the nest boxes. I kept them separate for years because the ducks are so messy with their water but when they go in with the chickens they seem content to drink from the five-gallon buckets the chickens use. I feed them layer crumbles, vegetables and they feed on insects and plants when they free range. They are healthy and I get an egg just about every day from each hen which I hatch to sell the ducklings. I brood the hatchlings that I keep under lights for about three weeks and I feed them chick starter. I use a big Rubbermaid bin that I line with paper towels. The towels are easy to just roll up and dispose of. After three weeks I put them in a pen in the barn during the day and put them back in their bin at night, with or without a light depending on the temperature. I live in Florida so in the summer I usually don't need the light. At four weeks I let them free range with the other ducks and chickens. They pretty much keep to themselves, but they enjoy being out in the pasture and it helps socialize them. They generally join the other ducks around two months or so.

 

[Ming Ming]

Our current situation is that they are in the coop with a ton of chicks, 17, and are without a light. I put warm water bottles under and around them at night. I pour warm water in a black rubber tub with a large rock (not sharp) in the middle for all three to fit on and swim around in. I throw baby spinach and cloves into the water and they seem to love it. I do this twice a day. I let them dry of with food and water under a warm lamp in the coop for 10 minutes and then open the door for them to join the rest. They seem to hold their own against the chicks when one challenges it too. I have them on non-medicated chick starter and off and on sugar water and probiotics,

 

[Ravynscroft]

Please, don't give them spinach... it binds to calcium and interferes with calcium absorption... I would also drop the sugar out of their water...

Get brewers yeast to mix in with the chick starter, ducklings have a Niacin deficiency and Pekins are especially prone to needing extra Niacin... brewers yeast or nutritional yeast, not baking yeast... 1TBSP per cup of feed...

 

[Ming Ming]

is it safe for chicks too?

 

[Ming Ming]

and what about kale?

 

[Ravynscroft]

is it safe for chicks too?

Yes, absolutely...

and what about kale?

Kale is fine... this thread is a great resource of what ducks can and should not have...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/242460/the-ultimate-list-of-duck-treats-and-supplements

 

[DuckPro]

Just in case you think you have to keep them separate, you don't have to. Ducks and chickens can co-exist happily together, and ducks do not carry any sicknessess that might pass onto your chickens. Ducks do not get sick as easily as chickens. In fact, they rarely get sick at all. Their body temperatures are much higher than chickens' and bacteria often cannot survive in ducks. They do need a pool, but the chickens will probably not try to get in or drown.
You can keep them separate, if you want to, but that will be much more expensive than keeping them with your chickens. Ducks also need brewers yeast, you can buy it on amazon. They can eat chicken layer, duck feed can be hard to find.
I am getting ducks myself (blue swedish) and cannot wait! I have read up a lot on ducks, but don't know really much more that I could say to help you. I will tag some people who can probably help more.
@DuckPro (since you went over to the duck-side )
@chickens really
@The Moonshiner
@Ravynscroft
All of these people seem to know a lot about ducks.

THanks.

 

[DuckPro]

You might want to start reading here:

• Introduction to Keeping Ducks
• How To Raise Ducks For Meat, Eggs, Companions
• Incubating & Hatching Muscovy Eggs
• Raising Ducklings To Ducks
• Duckling Care & Brooder Ideas
• Duckling Care and the Ancona Breed

• Keeping Muscovy Ducks
• Common Muscovy Health Problems
• Foot and Leg Problems in Waterfowl - Niacin Deficiency
• Ducks in the Garden
• The Process of Raising Waterfowl: Selection, Incubation, Brooding, and Sexing
• Waterfowl Housing – Coop & Run Designs & Plans For Ducks, Geese, Etc.

And when you find a specific question come back here and post it.

I agree with @KikisGirls, these are the sticky topics that you might want to look at.