Hi new duck mom here!

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lexik20213 said:
Hi, my name is Lexi i’ve always wanted ducklings and just a couple days ago i went to buy 2 little ducklings and they are the cutest. I have a whole set up for them temporarily until they can get a little bigger then i will fix up a area for them that’s a big space to run around and have lots of fun.

I do have some questions if anyone can answer them for me.
I’ve realized that they are a little scared of me and they will run away when i go to pick them up. I’ve done research on why they are and it says maybe because my bin is on the ground they could be afraid of how tall i seem or that it’s because their not used to me yet. I talk too them all the time to try and get them used to my voice, i’ve been giving them treats like cut up strawberries which they seem to really love but they just won’t eat it out of my hand yet. I give them plenty of water time, by plenty i mean about 10-15 mins a day since they are still very small. I’m also having trouble with my heating lamp to stay at the right temperature for them, i know it should be around 90°-95° for the first week and then bring it lower each week but it gets up to like 107° and when it does i turn it off and give them time to cool off but i’m too scared to have it on all night when i’m sleeping and have them over heat.

Please give me some tips on what i can do! Thank you!!
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Welcome to BYC!

Ducklings need to only eat Duckling Starter Feed the first 3 weeks, and no other food, because they can't digest it yet. A good food, like Mazuri Waterfowl Starter, is a very good place to start: https://www.chewy.com/mazuri-waterfowl-starter-duckling/dp/248788 If you can find it in a bag smaller than 25 lbs, that's better because they only need it for about the first 3 weeks. Adding a probiotic and vitamin supplement to their water helps make their immune systems much stronger and prevents niacin deficiencies. This is one I used and thought it was good. You add it to their water: https://www.strombergschickens.com/category/poultry-vitamins-supplements I liked it because it has extra vitamins and probiotics. At about 3 weeks, you can either give a separate bowl of chick grit, or I usually add some to their feed to get them started. After 3-5 days of grit, then you can give treats. Before that they don't have the bacteria and grit in them to digest treats. You can just use the starter pellets to get them to come to you.

Don't worry about the actually temperature as long as they have an area of the tub that they get get completely out of the heat. They will self regulate by going under the heat and leaving it. If they can't get away from the heat, that's a problem. To decrease the heat, you INCREASE the distance the bulb is from the chicks by putting the bulb up higher.

As far as them being afraid, with my last batch of ducks they were on the counter, in a tub. When we switched them at about 3 weeks to the floor in a shower with pee pads they were absolutely terrified. Personally, I'm raising all future batches starting on the floor. It's natural instinct for them to be afraid of things, especially overhead. Let them get used to you, but you'll find their fear decreases when you sit down on the floor with them and let them run around. They'll still be afraid when you stand up, but they need to get used to you. Ducks take 2-3 weeks to get used to EVERYTHING LOL And change sets them back to utter terror LOL I think talking in a low soothing voice helps them a lot, as does regular handling. Many people say their adult ducks don't like being handled, but our Indian Runners aren't scared at all. I think it's because we have to pick them up twice a day to take them from a predator proofed stall to their outside movable covered walk in run. We don't even hold them long, but it desensitizes them to being picked up.

Welcome to ducks! I LOVE THEM!
Holly
 
Welcome to the BYC flock!
:jumpy
 

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