How long do ducklings stay indoors?

[DuckDuckSook]

I've been researching ducklings like crazy in preparation for our arrivals the end of March. I'm in southeastern PA and I was wondering how long the ducklings will need to stay indoors if we get them the end of March? I saw that their feathers don't fully come in until 7-9 weeks. Should I use that as an estimate/guide? Thanks!

 

[DuckyDonna]

I've been researching ducklings like crazy in preparation for our arrivals the end of March. I'm in southeastern PA and I was wondering how long the ducklings will need to stay indoors if we get them the end of March? I saw that their feathers don't fully come in until 7-9 weeks. Should I use that as an estimate/guide? Thanks!

I would say yes!

 

[Isaac 0]

If it's your first time raising ducks i would recommend getting them later in the season around Late April/May, Keeping them inside that long can be a real hassle, Its a heck a lot easier to raise them outside when it's warm. You're choice though.

 

[DuckyDonna]

If it's your first time raising ducks i would recommend getting them later in the season around Late April/May, Keeping them inside that long can be a real hassle, Its a heck a lot easier to raise them outside when it's warm. You're choice though.

100% agree! I would wait until much later too so you don't have to deal with them being in the house so long. I hatch so that my babies are born the first of June and the weather situation works great for me. I have to worry about the heat very little doing it that late and I'm in the Atlanta area.

 

[BjaJra826]

My ducks hated being inside. Once they feather they are good to go, but in my experience ducklings don't need as much heat assistance when young as chickens. Their fluff is really dense, so long as you don't let them wet themselves to the skin. Mine went outside around 6 weeks old.. and they were terrors the last 3 weeks. They ened up needing supervised outdoor playtimes to keep them from picking at each other the last 3 weeks. As a rule of thumb at my house, when they are all consistantly avoiding the heat lamps then they are good to be outside so long as the temps don't drop severly at night.

 

[chickens really]

The first week I keep in the house then move out to the bigger garage Brooder and then outside during the day and in at night and then out full time.
They grow feathers quickly if you begin to harden them early.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Depends on outside temps an if you want to possibly have to use heat outside. The later they come the easier it is to acclimate them to the out of doors.

 

[PirateGirl]

Once fully feathered they can handle just about anything. Before that you can start trips outdoors and monitor their behavior. You can tell when they get cold as they will become less active, sometimes shiver, lay down a lot, and that's when I return them to the brooder. If your weather is such that they never seem cold, you can leave them outside most of the time and just bring them into the brooder at night or on poor weather days. I would plan on having them in the house/brooder most of the time until 4 weeks and then see how it goes after that.

 

[DucksOhio]

I’m in Ohio and I got my ducklings in mid April last year. After 3 weeks I carried them over to the duck house during the day (in a laundry basket), then back to the brooder at night. By 5 weeks they were living outside (in the duck house at night, of course).

By that time it was late May and weather was not too cold at night. Good luck with your precious ducklings!

 

[MIDuckLady]

I’m in Ohio and I got my ducklings in mid April last year. After 3 weeks I carried them over to the duck house during the day (in a laundry basket), then back to the brooder at night. By 5 weeks they were living outside (in the duck house at night, of course).

By that time it was late May and weather was not too cold at night. Good luck with your precious ducklings!

Yes, that’s they way to do it. Give them time to acclimate .