I am new to this!! Please help!!

[Amiga]

I would separate the drakes. You also may know that it's considered best to have at least three females per male so the females don't get injured.

 

[BaileyPaisley]

Will my poor little Bailey get hurt if Paisly is a male?

 

[Amiga]

We don't know. You need to watch them closely once they reach sexual maturity. There are a number of duck-drake pairs who do just fine. But not all of them, and we don't know which ones will be problems.

 

[BaileyPaisley]

Can I bed my ducks with kitty litter

 

[Blacksmithchic]

Do not keep your chickens and ducks together. Chickens are more susceptible to disease than ducks and often chicken feed comes pre-medicated - it is not good for ducks to eat chicken feed. I have seven chickens and six ducks, and I keep separate feeds and separate houses for them. I give my birds a wide variety of foods to choose from (probably more than I need to, but having them on a varied diet makes me feel better, and I haven't experienced nearly the amount of health issues as I've read about on these forums. The only issue I had was a week or so where my two Cayuga ducklings experienced a growth spurt and got shakey legs, but they've never had any other health issues). I give the chickens scratch, flockraiser, free access to granite grit (for their gizzards), free access to a ton of fresh grass, and dried mealworms. I also give a layer feed to the chickens and ducks that are producing eggs. I give the ducks pretty much the same thing, but I give them a different kind of scratch, brewer's yeast, and some extra game bird crumbles. All of them have fresh water every day/night, the ducks have a kiddie pool that I clean every day, and the chickens have a sand box to bathe in (to remove parasites from their feathers).

Also, watch for signs of parasites: mites are very common in many areas. There are sprays and medications that can treat parasites, so watch for signs. I had to mist the Runner's house once when they were still feathering out in our garage.

All of that might seem overwhelming, but it's doable. I work 40+ hours a week, and I still take care of all my poultry, two dogs, blackbelly sheep, and a big fish tank every morning, every night.

I wouldn't let them swim until they start getting their feathers. The fluffy down they have right now will soak up water, and possibly chill them and make them sick.

I let my ducks outside after they'd grown all their feathers, so I could be sure they wouldn't freeze at night. I house them in well-ventilated houses that I gather them into every night, and they wander the yard in the day.

When you move them outside, watch for predators, and make sure you have very good fences. Any animal can/will kill your birds...cats, hawks, coyotes, stray dogs, mountain lions, etc.

 

[themightysteph]

I

Can I bed my ducks with kitty litter

wouldn't recommend it they might try and eat it cuz it looks like food and it is small like food

 

[Blacksmithchic]

I wouldn't use kitty litter! I use pine shavings. Kitty litter may contain perfumes, chemicals, or other nasty stuff in it, and since it's a grit, the birds will probably eat it, and I'd be willing to bet it would make them sick...I would definitely not use kitty litter, use pine shavings, you can get them at feed stores or pet stores.

 

[BaileyPaisley]

Ok thanks!

 

[Ellaluvsbirds]

Here is a link for an awesome list of snacks for ducks:

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

 

[BaileyPaisley]

I'm taking my duckling into school for my animal class how can I get them clean