im new to raising ducks, i have a question

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
im in Arizona, and i keep them in the house all night. The house stays about 80 degrees during the night. Outside the temperature has been about 60-75 degrees. They cheep and cheep until i take them outside if i dont take them out in the morning. They go out at about 730am and come in at 4pm. They don't huddle in a corner or anything, they run around and eat and drink and have fun. I keep them with my chicks and they love playing with them. I watched them all day one day and they didnt seem cold. Will they act cold if they are?

They would lay on top of each other practically, and cry a lot if they were cold.

 

[ladybug4ut1]

Quote:
im in Arizona, and i keep them in the house all night. The house stays about 80 degrees during the night. Outside the temperature has been about 60-75 degrees. They cheep and cheep until i take them outside if i dont take them out in the morning. They go out at about 730am and come in at 4pm. They don't huddle in a corner or anything, they run around and eat and drink and have fun. I keep them with my chicks and they love playing with them. I watched them all day one day and they didnt seem cold. Will they act cold if they are?

Yes they will huddle together if they are cold. Arizona is nice during the day but I would watch swimming thing. keep them water so they can put there whole beak in to clean it and they make a mess. Mine usually get to play in a bathtub cause my son will take them up once a week and lets it play up there and then goes into clean brooder till dry...

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Ducklings like water too.

 

[Wifezilla]

Ducklings raised by their mom are groomed by mom and she adds the necessary oils to their feathers so they float. Brooder raised ducks do NOT have the oil on their little feathers and need to be supervised in the water until their own oil gland developes and they add it to their own feathers.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

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Thats why I said a pan or tub, just something big enough for them to get in and play.

 

[shelleyd2008]

To add to the water thing, you should, if you let them 'swim', make sure the water is only so deep that they can comfortably stand in it. I have 2 7w/o pekins that were 'swimming' from about 2 weeks old with no problems. I also have 4 4 w/o cayugas, and 3 3 w/o rouens. I have tried to let them swim, but there is one that always, almost as soon as they are put in the tub, sits on the bottom of the tub and cries. It can't swim, doesn't even try to clean itself, and if left in the water too long, it can not walk very well when it gets out. So be very careful with letting babies swim. They honestly don't need to, and they should be limited till they have pretty good feathering. My 7 w/o pekins get to swim in the tub everyday now, but they look just like the adults on the pond. The babies only get to 'swim' once or twice a week.

 

[wasatusay]

Young ducks not raised by a parent will not have the oils necessary to repel water and you should resist putting any swimming water out for them. Usually around 6 weeks they will start producing enough oils. Then only under supervision should they be allowed in water. Like children they do not know any better, and if water gets past to their skin they can get hypothermia very easy. You will see this if the feathers matt down and water soaked. Usually the chest, belly and neck.
Ducks do not need swimming water but it does make them happier. So use caution, supervise all water activity while they are young and not feathered.

 

[BellLisamo]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I am going to wait until they are a little older and have the oils and feathers they need. I can't wait!!! I will post picks as soon as that day comes!!!!

Thanks again...

I'll be back

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Quote:
How old are they usually when they get their oil glands going? I am new to ducklings too so I better get me a book to read!

The pics are so cute! Good luck Mrs. Bell! Your babies are adorable!

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Swimming: A mother duck or goose knows just how long to let her kids swim and when to take them out of the water and warm them and let them dry. But we don't really know this. If you really want to see them swimming, set up a "swimming hole" away from their brooder in a warm place and let them swim, always supervised, for a short time daily. (Be very sure there is a ramp with good traction so they can easily get out of the water or they may tire and drown.) Then dry them and return them to a warm and draft-free brooder. You can start doing this after they're a couple days old. It's best if the water is room temperature while they're little.

Ducks have an oil gland on their back, near the tail. This produces the oil that waterproofs them, but it only becomes active after they've had some exposure to water. The earlier the exposure, the more likely the gland will function correctly. So some early, supervised, swimming is a good idea, if you follow the rules above.