Help! Hatching Wild Duck Eggs - babies hatch 24 hrs apart + need more input!

[Duckmania]

Hello!

We found some abandoned duck eggs.

I created a thread during their hatch but now have questions post hatch.

The first duckling hatched almost 24hours before the second. First duck is fluffy and alert and walking well. Second duckling fully hatched about 30 minutes ago.

Should I remove 1st duckling now that his buddy finally hatched?

What is the easiest way to introduce 1st duckling to his new environment.

I have other questions if anyone is willing to continue my education on this thread!

1. I have a hen brooder set up about 3 inches from the floor. The under part seems quite hot it just seems strange to me. Is this normal for that type of heat source?

2. I have unmedicated chick starter crumble, brewers yeast on hand as well as meal worms. I do not have gravel. Will local sand from their natural habitat of lagoon banks here work? What food ratios? And how to incorporate that gravel..on the floor .. in the food? I see a lot of confusing information on the web! Currently I have ground down the crumble more fine and have that placed beside 2 shallow water dishes. Nothing else at the moment.

3. The 2nd duckling seemed to have a rougher go of hatching and was kicked around in the egg alot by duckling sibling. It finally hatched with a completely bald spot on its head. Along with one curled foot. And possibly the other leg only wants to bend at the top joint ( not at the ..ankle?). Any thoughts.

I am planning to keep a small shallow water dish for the first 24hrs. It's like a Mason jar lid upside down. (But I'm reading about something they need to put their head fully in?) Then upgrade to a bigger shallow dish. And eventually a small baking tray to fill with water. And at some point to try a 1 inch high 18 inch circle dish as a better thing to test swimming in. Any recommends? For water and when to try swimming.

TIA !!!!!

 

[flocklady]

I have a similar situation going on over here a dog killed a momma duck and 4 babies showed up in my yard near my chicken coop the next morning I heared the awful sound of the poor mom and when I found the ducklings one was standing on one leg and obviously the dog got a hold of it and I splinted it for a little while well that babies is now walking pretty good no splint and all four are in a temp coop with a swimming pool I did put down hay so I can clean up easily and keep the environment sanitary. and dog crate as a night shelter so no predators get them in the night my chickens have checked them our and seem unaffected I'm hopeful they will be fine free ranging in the yard together I live on waters edge so if they choose to leave that's fine but I will care for them as long as they want to be here I've only had ducks once years ago but I love birds so it's fine I would assume the local sand would be good for them with local bacterium to help their food breakdown and offer some heath benefits too that's my opinion because wild ducks don't get special gravel I'll tell you the get the pool dirty quickly but it is an interesting addition to my yard

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a similar situation going on over here a dog killed a momma duck and 4 babies showed up in my yard near my chicken coop the next morning I heared the awful sound of the poor mom and when I found the ducklings one was standing on one leg and obviously the dog got a hold of it and I splinted it for a little while well that babies is now walking pretty good no splint and all four are in a temp coop with a swimming pool I did put down hay so I can clean up easily and keep the environment sanitary. and dog crate as a night shelter so no predators get them in the night my chickens have checked them our and seem unaffected I'm hopeful they will be fine free ranging in the yard together I live on waters edge so if they choose to leave that's fine but I will care for them as long as they want to be here I've only had ducks once years ago but I love birds so it's fine I would assume the local sand would be good for them with local bacterium to help their food breakdown and offer some heath benefits too that's my opinion because wild ducks don't get special gravel I'll tell you the get the pool dirty quickly but it is an interesting addition to my yard

 

[Duckmania]

I put duckling 1 into the enclosure and introduced it to the crumble and water source. An hour later or so I introduced baby 2, even though its quite new to the world. They seemed to be calling to each other and were both peeping like crazy - one from the incubator, the other in the enclosure. As soon as I introduced the 2nd into the enclosure they quieted right up! Baby 1 (24 hrs older) took a couple nibbles of food and water from my finger. They are both currently cuddling together under platform hen brooder style.

Baby #2 has been active pruning and stumbling around. It has a curled foot and doesn't look like it can fully stand up on the other either. It is getting around alright thus far. Should I splint the foot asap or let it adjust for the night and tackle that tomorrow?

Most of my previous questions still remain if anyone gets around to this!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I put duckling 1 into the enclosure and introduced it to the crumble and water source. An hour later or so I introduced baby 2, even though its quite new to the world. They seemed to be calling to each other and were both peeping like crazy - one from the incubator, the other in the enclosure. As soon as I introduced the 2nd into the enclosure they quieted right up! Baby 1 (24 hrs older) took a couple nibbles of food and water from my finger. They are both currently cuddling together under platform hen brooder style.

Baby #2 has been active pruning and stumbling around. It has a curled foot and doesn't look like it can fully stand up on the other either. It is getting around alright thus far. Should I splint the foot asap or let it adjust for the night and tackle that tomorrow?

Most of my previous questions still remain if anyone gets around to this!

Wait till morning and see how the foot is sometimes it flattens out by itself. If you have them in some kind of enclousure outside I hope it is predator proof.

 

[flocklady]

I put duckling 1 into the enclosure and introduced it to the crumble and water source. An hour later or so I introduced baby 2, even though its quite new to the world. They seemed to be calling to each other and were both peeping like crazy - one from the incubator, the other in the enclosure. As soon as I introduced the 2nd into the enclosure they quieted right up! Baby 1 (24 hrs older) took a couple nibbles of food and water from my finger. They are both currently cuddling together under platform hen brooder style.

Baby #2 has been active pruning and stumbling around. It has a curled foot and doesn't look like it can fully stand up on the other either. It is getting around alright thus far. Should I splint the foot asap or let it adjust for the night and tackle that tomorrow?

Most of my previous questions still remain if anyone gets around to this!

So cute how ducks really do stay in a row lol I would

I put duckling 1 into the enclosure and introduced it to the crumble and water source. An hour later or so I introduced baby 2, even though its quite new to the world. They seemed to be calling to each other and were both peeping like crazy - one from the incubator, the other in the enclosure. As soon as I introduced the 2nd into the enclosure they quieted right up! Baby 1 (24 hrs older) took a couple nibbles of food and water from my finger. They are both currently cuddling together under platform hen brooder style.

Baby #2 has been active pruning and stumbling around. It has a curled foot and doesn't look like it can fully stand up on the other either. It is getting around alright thus far. Should I splint the foot asap or let it adjust for the night and tackle that tomorrow?

Most of my previous questions still remain if anyone gets around to this!

Mix sand into food crumbles add water as grool is how I do my babies they need the dirt in their bullets to grind up the food so you want it in there right away just a couple tablespoons in a cups worth of food shake it up then put some in your food dish and add water so it's pretty wet they will get the water through the food when they are brand new it's much easier that way do you raise chickens?

 

[My15Ducks]

I put duckling 1 into the enclosure and introduced it to the crumble and water source. An hour later or so I introduced baby 2, even though its quite new to the world. They seemed to be calling to each other and were both peeping like crazy - one from the incubator, the other in the enclosure. As soon as I introduced the 2nd into the enclosure they quieted right up! Baby 1 (24 hrs older) took a couple nibbles of food and water from my finger. They are both currently cuddling together under platform hen brooder style.

Baby #2 has been active pruning and stumbling around. It has a curled foot and doesn't look like it can fully stand up on the other either. It is getting around alright thus far. Should I splint the foot asap or let it adjust for the night and tackle that tomorrow?

Most of my previous questions still remain if anyone gets around to this!

#1. My heat plates also felt quite hot if you touch them, I think that’s normal. If your heat plate has adjustable legs, you can set one side at the height of your ducklings and the other side a couple inches brighter than that - that way the ducklings can choose the temperature that they want.

2. If they are only eating chick feed, they don’t need grit yet but it doesn’t hurt to offer it to them. Don’t mix it in their feed because they might eat more than they need. Offer it separately in a small dish or on the floor.

 

[flocklady]

So cute how ducks really do stay in a row lol I would

Mix sand into food crumbles add water as grool is how I do my babies they need the dirt in their bullets to grind up the food so you want it in there right away just a couple tablespoons in a cups worth of food shake it up then put some in your food dish and add water so it's pretty wet they will get the water through the food when they are brand new it's much easier that way do you raise chickens?

Auto correct that was supposed to say gullet

 

[flocklady]

Also I prefer a heat light so you can adjust the heat in the enclosure by raising the light if it gets too hot you probably need some hay to keep the heat directly off their feet I keep my chocks in a large storage container in the house when they are that small tbh

 

[Miss Lydia]

#1. My heat plates also felt quite hot if you touch them, I think that’s normal. If your heat plate has adjustable legs, you can set one side at the height of your ducklings and the other side a couple inches brighter than that - that way the ducklings can choose the temperature that they want.

2. If they are only eating chick feed, they don’t need grit yet but it doesn’t hurt to offer it to them. Don’t mix it in their feed because they might eat more than they need. Offer it separately in a small dish or on the floor.