Info on Ducklings

[FuryDuckling99]

Please help me!

I'm getting a duckling (just one) and need some advice! If you could answer any of the following that would be great:
*When should I take the duckling from it's mother?
*What do ducklings prefer to eat?
*How should I set out the pen?
*Should I keep it indoors, and when should it be let outdoors?
*How long can it be left alone?
*When can it start swimming?
*how to protect from young children up to 6 yrs of age

Please help me! My duckling will be raised until it's 12 weeks old, and need some beginner tips!

Thanks for the help,
FuryDuckling99

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please help me!

I'm getting a duckling (just one) and need some advice! If you could answer any of the following that would be great:
*When should I take the duckling from it's mother?
*What do ducklings prefer to eat?
*How should I set out the pen?
*Should I keep it indoors, and when should it be let outdoors?
*How long can it be left alone?
*When can it start swimming?
*how to protect from young children up to 6 yrs of age

Please help me! My duckling will be raised until it's 12 weeks old, and need some beginner tips!

Thanks for the help,
FuryDuckling99

Welcome to BYC

Why only till 12 weeks?

Here is the best we have for ducklings https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711
Best way to protect from children up to age 6 is keep it up high where they haven't access. and you supervise any interaction there is between your duckling and children. Ducklings can be injured easily when squeezed to hard or dropped. or stepped on. Which can happen quite fast with children under 6.

 

[FuryDuckling99]

Thank you! The information helped! I'm basically raising a relative's duckling, then when they're 12 weeks old I give the duck back to them. After I've done that, the relative gives me a new duckling and it continues. I'm looking forward to raising it and am now prepared thanks to you. Also, a quick question, what are some good names? Note that it is a randomly selected gender. I had some names that I came up with but I would really like to hear some other ideas as well! And I'm also thinking of posting a weekly diary entry of each duckling. Thanks for helping!

Thank you so much,
FuryDuckling99

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you! The information helped! I'm basically raising a relative's duckling, then when they're 12 weeks old I give the duck back to them. After I've done that, the relative gives me a new duckling and it continues. I'm looking forward to raising it and am now prepared thanks to you. Also, a quick question, what are some good names? Note that it is a randomly selected gender. I had some names that I came up with but I would really like to hear some other ideas as well! And I'm also thinking of posting a weekly diary entry of each duckling. Thanks for helping!

Thank you so much,
FuryDuckling99

I'd think about getting 2 to raise it makes the transition back to flock easier if there are 2 and give the little's a buddy to grow up with. here is link for names.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/121156/post-your-duck-names

 

[FuryDuckling99]

Thanks! so much help! but the relative im getting the duckling from has a problem... the ducks have laid the eggs but they wont sit on them, so now there cold...

im very disappointed and we don't know why they wont sit. they laid at night... that's all I know... tell me why they wont lay?


Thanks a lot!!!
FuryDuckling99

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks! so much help! but the relative im getting the duckling from has a problem... the ducks have laid the eggs but they wont sit on them, so now there cold...

im very disappointed and we don't know why they wont sit. they laid at night... that's all I know... tell me why they wont lay?


Thanks a lot!!!
FuryDuckling99

Do you know what breed of ducks they are? some ducks just don't sit. No way you can force a duck to go broody they either have the hormones and desire or they don't, but sometimes it just takes them a while too get in the mood so to speak so the summer is still young there is still a chance.

 

[FuryDuckling99]

Do you know what breed of ducks they are? some ducks just don't sit. No way you can force a duck to go broody they either have the hormones and desire or they don't, but sometimes it just takes them a while too get in the mood so to speak so the summer is still young there is still a chance.

Thank u Miss Lydia for all ur help... the breed is Muscovy. also they are kept in a pen shared with about 5 pre-mature chickens. does that effect the sitting and brooding? and I do hope ur right and there's still a chance...

I was really looking forward to this raising... and I might see if I can get he/she a buddy... depends...
Thank you again Lydia...
FuryDuckling99

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank u Miss Lydia for all ur help... the breed is unknown {for me of course} but I will try to find it. and I do hope ur right and there's still a chance...

I was really looking forward to this raising... and I might see if I can get he/she a buddy... depends...
Thank you again Lydia...
FuryDuckling99

seeing your in Australia and your in winter you may have to wait till next year to have the opportunity to raise a duckling, that maybe another reason why the ducks aren't sitting the time of year. Unless ducks down under don't act like they do here in the states. most ducks lay spring and summer here and hatch in spring through summer. .

 

[FuryDuckling99]

seeing your in Australia and your in winter you may have to wait till next year to have the opportunity to raise a duckling, that maybe another reason why the ducks aren't sitting the time of year. Unless ducks down under don't act like they do here in the states. most ducks lay spring and summer here and hatch in spring through summer. .

That may be the case. im not quite sure of the seasons, but I do know that some ducks lay during the summer and/or winter... the breed is Muscovy, so ill do some research on that... thank you for helping me...
Thanks
FuryDuckling99

 

[Miss Lydia]

That may be the case. im not quite sure of the seasons, but I do know that some ducks lay during the summer and/or winter... the breed is Muscovy, so ill do some research on that... thank you for helping me...
Thanks
FuryDuckling99

Let us know what you find out about them brooding through winter maybe in warmer climates they do, my Muscovy's finish up laying in Sept [our fall] and don't lay again until usually Feb-March of next year[spring].

Love the Muscovy breed