Thank you! She is definitely a mallard. I didnt realize how time consuming she would be so i apologize for not being able to respond sooner.What kind of duckling do you think she is ? Welcome to BYC !It's hard to tell when they are young ducklings . Baby wood ducks tend to have sharp little claws that stick to everything they can climb up a piece of wood . Mallards stay on the ground .
Welcome to BYC. I too have a lone duck. I, like you, had zero experience with ducks. At 2-3 weeks old, it's going to need a brooder type set up, because it still needs heat. I use a large tote, with a heat lamp on one end. Get a cheap Little Giant thermometer, and tape it on the side, down at the bottom of the tote. I'd adjust the lamp, so that it's around 85 degrees on the warm end. It will go between the warm end, and the cool end. It should be happiest somewhere in the middle. Watch it for a day. If it avoids the warm end entirely, raise the lamp to lower the temp on the warm end by 5 degrees. Once you get the temp correct, each week, you will raise the lamp, lowering the temp by 5 degrees.
I used Rubbermaid shelf liner (waffled type) in the bottom of the tote. Cut it to fit. You can get more than one piece from a roll. This gives them traction, to help with their feet, and legs. It also helps keep them a bit dryer. You might want to consider getting 2 rolls. That way you can roll up the soiled piece in the tote, and replace it with a clean one as needed. Rinse the soiled one, and toss it in when you wash towels.
Even with washing the liners, you will want to clean the tote with soap, and water occasionally. Especially when the duck gets a bit bigger. Ducks are MESSY. Don't expect the tote to look clean 10 minutes after you've totally cleaned it up.
Get a couple smallish stuffed animals, that can be laundered. Put one in towards the middle. In a couple days, (yes it will be soiled), toss it in the wash, and put the second one in. That way you can rotate them, and have a semi-clean one in with your duckling at all times. Don't worry if it doesn't take to it at first. Give it a day, or two, and it will start snuggling up to the stuffed animal.
Ducks need a water bowl that's shallow enough to stand in, but deep enough they can submerge their head. They submerge their heads to keep their nostrils, and eyes clean. If they can't submerge their head, they can get sick. I started with a ceramic pet bowl. They're heavy, and can't be tipped over. When it got a bit bigger, I switched to a pyrex (glass) loaf pan. As an adult, I use a large glass casserole dish for it.
Swimming is best described as an exercise program, and they have to build up their swim time abilities. I cleaned my bathtub, and put in some tepid water. To begin with, make sure it's shallow enough the duckling can stand up, if it gets tired, but deep enough it can pull it's legs up to swim. Start with about 15 minutes, and take your cues from there. Dry it with a towel, and put it back in it's tote, when done.
As to feed....I tried duck feed. As a duckling mine wouldn't touch it. A friend of mine, that raises ducks, assured me that layer feed would be fine. Chick starter feed is too high in protein. Layer feed is a bit high in calcium, but not enough to impair the duckling, especially if you give it a treat, now and again. Strawberries, blueberries, grapes, etc. Don't overdo it on the treats. They can only eat so much, and need the balanced nutrition provided from their feed. The one thing you will have to add, if yours won't eat duck feed, is NIACIN. Ducks need more niacin than chickens. Go to Walmart, a healthfood store, pharmacy, or online for it. I got tablets, and would crush them between 2 large spoons. Take a little pinch of the pulverized niacin, and sprinkle it around, over the feed. Repeat each time you add feed. When mine got grown, I switched it to duck feed. It didn't eat for a day, but then began eating the duck food.
Flock animals tend to need family. My duck didn't have a family, so we became it's family. When mine feathered out, I bought a huge dog crate, and an extra bottom tray for it. I put hay on one end, it's food and water on the other. I have a screened in patio, but a porch, or any shaded area that you USE. Since you've become it's family, you can't abandon it. Choose an area outside that you visit often, or spend a lot of time in, that's shaded. We use our patio a lot, so when someone goes out there, they let the duck out, then put it back up when no one is out there.
You can get it a kiddie pool, when it's bigger, let it out daily to spend time with it, and let it swim, or I use a large cement mixing type container, from Lowes. They come in several sizes, and are not very expensive. I increased the size, as the duck grew. It's easier for me to dump and put clean water daily.
They go through a few phases of friendliness/skittishness as they grow, but ultimately, they grow into a very friendly, caring animal.
I got great advice from someone that raises mostly ducks. His ducks are gorgeous, healthy, and live long lives. Following that advice, my duck has done just fine.
This is all great advice. She has grown into a very spoiled and I believe happy duck. I wish I would have found the time to check back sooner your post would have saved me a lot of headaches and frustration.
For the first 4 weeks I stayed with her 24/7, seriously. Every time she would go into hysterics and I was afraid she would hurt herself. We turned out shop into her home at least there I knew I could keep her warm and safe as well as give her the room to run and play.
She still doesnt sleep much at night (fortunately I'm a night owl and am disabled so I don't have a job to go to) but she at least will let me go in and sleep a few hours in my own bed most days.
We went out and bought her a sm kiddie pool and she immediately started diving and zooming around so much so she swam right out of the pool. While somewhat comical I was afraid she would really hurt herself so I made sure to stay with her and talk to her so she doesn't go so fast. She quickly outgrew that one and graduated to the bigger kiddie pool. There she can dive and zoom as much as she wants. She is a character and loves to flap her wings to splash you.
It wasn't easy trying to find something she would eat. However, I started her on the crumbles specifically for ducklings as well as peaches, pears and apricots. I would go work/but hunting with her bit there are very few worms (her favorite) in my area. So we would get her red wigglers then graduated to night crawlers so that she would have the niacin she needed naturally.
I have searched high and low for other ducklings ever since she showed up with no luck. Even TSC didn't have any. Which we found odd and all the sites that I went to wouldnt have any until the 1st or 2nd weekend in May. So its really been just me and my shadow (as I call her) because she barely leaves my side. I'm beginning to think she believes she's human and not a duck.
She still doesnt like to be left alone and becomes frantic if I leave the shop and close the door. I'm sure my neighbors are sick if hearing me yell to her "Quackers you're alright, I'm right here baby girl" whenever I do go inside to feed my cats. grab something from the kitchen, or to wash her bedding.
She is fully feathered and has been standing on her tippy toes flapping her wings I assume to start flying. She just recently started to stand on the edge of her "princess" chair while flapping her wings. I run with her outside to try to help her get off the ground but she will either flap her wings or run but not both at the same time.
She has truly been a learning experiences and a joy & blessing to have. But oh my the amount of time, patience, energy and frustration that goes into raisong a single duckling has just anout put me over the edge mentally. But surprisingly enough I seem to calm down within moments of her cute self looking up at me.
I have fallen madly in love with this silly bird and should she decide to leave it will shatter my heart however I know she is wild and will do what comes natural to her.
I am hyper protective of her since I have cats so she has learned some about predators because I have had to pick her up and quickly take her inside when my cats would get a little too curious. Plus I believe her natural instincts tells her something because when the hawks or buzzards are flying or circling near by she will stare up at the sky and either jump out of her pool and head inside or run and hide under me.
She has been an excellent forager from about 3 1/2 or 4 weeks old. So much so that it drives me a little cuckoo she she does it non-stop for hours.
We also built her a little house for her to go into to sleep or just to get away from any human that she doesn't know. She has her bed and babies plus all her friends (mirrors) that she will talk to for hours.
It has been such a great joy to have her and to watch her grow. She has such a great personality and keeps me in stitches most of the day with some of the things that she does.
Sorry for the long reply there has been so much that has gone on over the last 6 weeks it's hard not to tell the world about this wonderful creature that showed up one day and stole my heart.
Thank you again for replying and allowing me to brag on my beautiful little girl.
PS still looking for another duck or two but a little leary as she somewhat attacked a small dog I was pet sitting by pecking at it & jumping on its back. So I don't know how accepting she would be of other ducks... We also invested in a worm farm for her, lol.
