indoor brooder setup question

[gregnlinda]

Hi! I'm new to ducks. I'm getting a small indoor brooder put together. The Welsh Harlequin ducklings should arrive tomorrow, one drake, three hens. I've modified a small rabbit cage, dividing the space for sleeping in one half and feed /water in the other. I used wire, with clear vinyl, to keep sleep area drier. I cut a opening in one end of a plastic storage tub and plan to put swimming area in that. I was thinking of using hardware cloth as a bridge from the modified rabbit cage to the swimming tub. Is the hardware cloth safe to use for the ducklings and is there any other consideration I should be aware of? Any help is appreciated!

 

[gofasterstripe]

If I was you I would take your that swimming tub you are putting in there. They will have EVERYTHING soaking wet in 2 minutes flat and you will be cleaning out your brooder every half hour. Take your babies out and give them a bath once a day, handling your babies is good for them and makes for better ducks. The play time in the bath for 5 minutes for the 1st few days is all they are going to need swim wise. The waterbowl you are going to have for them use a lid and cut holes in it, or same again, its going to be a total wreck in 30 mins.

 

[gregnlinda]

That's good to know! Five minutes a day for a few days. The swim tub is separate from the brooding cage, that's why I was going to bridge the two, so they could access it when they wanted. Maybe I'll make a door from feeding area, then let them into swim tub for a little time each day. Thanks for the suggestion! How much space and depth of water would you recommend? Does the temp of water be in a particular range?