introducing food

[hfchristy]

I've got some new ducklings here, looking really hungry, and I can't remember what I'm supposed to do about that!!

I've put grass and broccoli bits in their water, and bought game starter. What do I do with the game starter? Just put it in a dish? Turn it into mush? scatter?

Also, the oldest hatched Thursday morning, the youngest hatched today, and I'm hopeful for another one today, too. Is it okay to feed them all the same?

Thanks!
Christy

 

[Amiga]

I placed crumbles in a dish as soon as my day-olds arrived, so I think you would be fine to do the same. Make sure they have water!! Some people moisten the crumbles, and in that case, you need to remove the food after several hours to avoid mold risk.

Any way to upload some photo's for us?

 

[what the cluck]

Do you have any waterfowl starter? A small bag of Flock Raiser also works well for this purpose. If you want, as Amiga said, moisten the food until slightly runny and swish your finger in it to intrest them. Are they imprinting on you, or do they have a mother?

 

[hfchristy]

I couldn't find waterfowl starter, but the gamebird starter says that it's for ducks & turkeys, too. I'm just a bit freaked out by the whole "they need water to eat" thing. What if they don't figure that out??? I mean, these are the same creatures that will drown in their water dish given half a chance...
I finally worked up the nerve to give everyone born before midnight last night the crumbles and they did seem to figure it out. (The other duckling is still in the bator with the last poorly hatching egg.)



The one front and center is a Pekin, hatched around 11 last night. The dark-ish one in profile behind her is the oldest - hatched Thurs am, supposedly an Australian Spotted bantam. I set the bantams early to try to give them a headstart on the bigger birds, but they hatched late, and these couple Pekin/Welsh Harlequin hatched early, so they're only a day apart. Hopefully should have more hatching tomorrow on schedule.

Christy

 

[Amiga]

In my experience, with the water very close to the food, they do fine. I did use one of those lids with the holes in it chick feeders. The ones that look like flying saucers.

And we did not lose any of the eleven ducklings (two have passed away, as adults, due to unavoidable internal problems).

It is paradoxical with ducklings. They need all kinds of water, and you don't want them drowning. They make their brooder a swamp, but such a warm moist environment is not good for them so we need to keep changing the bedding to dry things out. Sheesh.

But just look at those little peeing fuzzies. Worth it? No doubt!