I am new to taking care of ducks and i am scared that ill screw up and my two duckling will suffer or not be healthy because of my screw up

[KaleIAm]

If they are making a mess of their water you can cut a hole in the lid of a plastic container. That lets them get their heads in, but not swim around. Keeping them dry and not chilled is also important.

What kinds of ducklings do you have?

 

[muscuvy-gal]

I have not a lot of choice for bedding and was using newspaper and I asked my mom if it was okay they were nibbling on it. she said yes. but like I don't wanna lose my two ducks. they literally are the only reason I'm alive they love on me and just help me when I'm depressed. I've never owned a duck and the last time my mom did was in the 50s on a farm and they were outside ducks. I really dont wanna screw it up. my mom gave them to me last Sunday when I was super depressed because i had learned that my two closest friends that I let live in my moms and my trailer. trashed the place broke the celling and stole all my prized items that I held deep in my heart. then blamed my mom when we found 25 gallon jugs of piss in the bathroom that was also trashed. so i felt alone and betrayed and the ducks just coming into my life made me feel so much better and if i lose my babies i dont know if i could live with it. please help i know i went off on a tangent i just.... they are why I'm not wanting to die.

i want to know how to give them the best life

Hello, Danielduckwolf, I have raised ducklings inside for several years. I usually collect the ducklings that get left behind when "Mama" heads for the lake, or I may
steal" some if there are more than 10 ducklings. You can use newpaper to line their cage or I use puppy pee pads for mine. If they are newborn ducklings you may need a heat light for the first week. I feed my babies chick starter feed, unmedicated, for the first few weeks. You can buy it in 1 lb paper bags at any feed store. After the first 3-4 weeks, I begin to add scratch feed, which is cracked corn, As the ducklings continue to grow, I move them to a wire dog cage once they become large enough to not escape through the bars. Keep shallow dishes of fresh water in the cage. As they continue to grow, their bills enlarge. Their first feathers appear on the edges of the wings and their tails. By the time they are 6-8 weeks old you can usually distinguish the males from the females. The males will have larger bills and feet and appear larger than the females., As they grow, you can add freshly diced tomatoes, cucumbers, chopped kale, dried mealworms, etc. to their diets. My grown ducks love their "duck salad" and they especially love dried cat food and frozen green peas.
You can enjoy watching them swim in about 3-4 inches of water in a bath tub or sink from the time they are a few days old. They love the water and dive and swim with ease. Just be careful while they are covered with fuzz as the fuzz is not waterproof and you need to dry them with a towel before putting them back in their cages. Once they get feathers, they will become waterproof. You can keep them in a fenced yard with a child's plastic swimming pool with 4-5 inches of water. Make sure they have a few shallow water dishes and make sure they get fresh water and feed daily. I feed my grown ducks on a cookie sheet.
You should have no problems keeping your ducklings alive if they are warm, have food and water and lots of cuddles. Ducklings don't seem to mind being handled and will cuddle with you. Perhaps this new interest will help lift your depression and you will see worrying about them will replace worrying about yourself. I will also pray for God to comfort and strengthen you as you grow stronger. Sincerely, Muscovy-gal

 

[Ratchnick]

Having dealt with splayed leg I would not use newspaper. Not even for a short time.

 

[danielduckwolf]

Hello, Danielduckwolf, I have raised ducklings inside for several years. I usually collect the ducklings that get left behind when "Mama" heads for the lake, or I may
steal" some if there are more than 10 ducklings. You can use newpaper to line their cage or I use puppy pee pads for mine. If they are newborn ducklings you may need a heat light for the first week. I feed my babies chick starter feed, unmedicated, for the first few weeks. You can buy it in 1 lb paper bags at any feed store. After the first 3-4 weeks, I begin to add scratch feed, which is cracked corn, As the ducklings continue to grow, I move them to a wire dog cage once they become large enough to not escape through the bars. Keep shallow dishes of fresh water in the cage. As they continue to grow, their bills enlarge. Their first feathers appear on the edges of the wings and their tails. By the time they are 6-8 weeks old you can usually distinguish the males from the females. The males will have larger bills and feet and appear larger than the females., As they grow, you can add freshly diced tomatoes, cucumbers, chopped kale, dried mealworms, etc. to their diets. My grown ducks love their "duck salad" and they especially love dried cat food and frozen green peas.
You can enjoy watching them swim in about 3-4 inches of water in a bath tub or sink from the time they are a few days old. They love the water and dive and swim with ease. Just be careful while they are covered with fuzz as the fuzz is not waterproof and you need to dry them with a towel before putting them back in their cages. Once they get feathers, they will become waterproof. You can keep them in a fenced yard with a child's plastic swimming pool with 4-5 inches of water. Make sure they have a few shallow water dishes and make sure they get fresh water and feed daily. I feed my grown ducks on a cookie sheet.
You should have no problems keeping your ducklings alive if they are warm, have food and water and lots of cuddles. Ducklings don't seem to mind being handled and will cuddle with you. Perhaps this new interest will help lift your depression and you will see worrying about them will replace worrying about yourself. I will also pray for God to comfort and strengthen you as you grow stronger. Sincerely, Muscovy-gal

I have food. i let them swim everyday. they had a heatlamp since my mom brought them home. they love their cuddles because they are the ones who hop in my lap and lay down. i always make sure they have water and food at all times. they already have helped me so much with my depression. and thank you for the advice and kind words i appreciate it so much

 

[danielduckwolf]

Having dealt with splayed leg I would not use newspaper. Not even for a short time.

the second i saw any chance that newspaper wasn't good I got rid of it right away. they are on puppy pads at all times well except when they are on my lap or shoulder. or they are on a towel.

 

[danielduckwolf]

If they are making a mess of their water you can cut a hole in the lid of a plastic container. That lets them get their heads in, but not swim around. Keeping them dry and not chilled is also important.

What kinds of ducklings do you have?

One is for sure a Perkins and its 3 weeks ish and the other is either a Cayuga or a Black runner that is 2 ish weeks

 

[danielduckwolf]

When your able to get out wood shaving style bedding is the best, absorbs some of the moisture and easier to clean( also pretty in expensive)

ducks do love making a mess with water so having it to where they can’t crawl in it helps with that. Also with their water make sure that it’s deep enough they can rinse out their nostrils!

you’ll want to make sure they are getting enough niacin in their feed to. Duckling starter or all flock feed should provide them with enough, you can feed chick starter but you’ll have to buy some sort of niacin supplement, which, cost wise, your usually better off to get duckling feed or all flock.

And some fun info for later down the road, if your ducklings are female they will have louder quacks, kinda sound like laughing sometimes, and if they are male they should develop some curly tail feathers. And depending on the breed they may have color differences.

Okay i have duckling feed. and yes Lizzy and Napoleon love there mess. Thank you for helping me out

 

[muscuvy-gal]

I have food. i let them swim everyday. they had a heatlamp since my mom brought them home. they love their cuddles because they are the ones who hop in my lap and lay down. i always make sure they have water and food at all times. they already have helped me so much with my depression. and thank you for the advice and kind words i appreciate it so much

So glad to see improvement in your depression. I was actually worried about you. You are so going to enjoy your ducks as they grow. You can watch them for hours and still be impressed with them. This website is quite informative and helpful. Hope your weather improves soon. It is time for spring!

 

[getaclue]

For little ones, I like to use the waffled Rubbermaid type shelf liner. They sell it at the dollar stores too. It's cushioned, non slip, and it elevates them slightly above spilled water. Cut it to size. A roll is usually big enough, I can cut several to fit, so they can be changed out at least daily, or more often, as needed. Rinse them, and toss them in the wash with the towels, and they come out perfectly clean. Don't use fabric softener on them.

 

[danielduckwolf]

So glad to see improvement in your depression. I was actually worried about you. You are so going to enjoy your ducks as they grow. You can watch them for hours and still be impressed with them. This website is quite informative and helpful. Hope your weather improves soon. It is time for spring!

Its almost 2 in the moring and my ducks are up complaining cuz they pooped in the water bowl. and looked at me like wth man when i replaced the water. there bed is covered in poop i dont see a speck of puppy pad anymore and we put a new one in at 630 pm. these ducks continue to amaze me with there pooping ability and there personality.