Keeping humans safe when brooding ducklings in the house

[OneEggToRuleThemAll]

Hi everyone! It's cold here in Northeast Florida today...brr! Hope everyone is staying cozy and warm today!

So, I am brooding four ducklings in a dog crate turned brooder in the spare room of my house. A few times per day, I carry their soaking wet and pooped-all-over stuff through my house and out the front door to rinse it out with the hose, then I bring the items back into my kitchen to further wash them with soap in the kitchen sink. After washing with soap, I put the items on my kitchen counter to fill with fresh filtered water and fermented feed. I keep the jar of fermented feed in the fridge when it's fully fermented (like I'd do with sourdough starter). Then I bring all the stuff back into the spare room, touching doors and baby gates along the way.

We don't use bleach or harsh chemicals, so I clean with vinegar spray. And I'm hoping that I'm being careful enough, but I'm sure some duck germs are getting splashed around my kitchen and on door knobs, etc. I have young children, but no one here is immunocompromised or anything...we're all pretty healthy. But...should I be more worried about salmonella or any similar contagions? I have ZERO desire for a family with vomiting and diarrhea, lols.

How do YOU keep your family safe when brooding ducklings in the house? Should I be wearing gloves? Overalls? A HAZMAT SUIT?! Kidding not kidding, ya know? I appreciate any suggestions/advice from you experienced duckling raisers. Thank you!!

 

[OneEggToRuleThemAll]

P.S. Also, we cuddle the ducklings a lot, and it's kind of difficult to keep my kids' faces away from sweet little duckling beaks! Should I lay down the law with this one? Or is the occasional duckling kiss okay? I mean, I took microbiology in college...theoretically, I know the answer to this question. But, like, I dunno...didn't people used to let their chickens live inside the house during the winter? And they all turned out okay, right? RIGHT??

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Hi everyone! It's cold here in Northeast Florida today...brr! Hope everyone is staying cozy and warm today!

So, I am brooding four ducklings in a dog crate turned brooder in the spare room of my house. A few times per day, I carry their soaking wet and pooped-all-over stuff through my house and out the front door to rinse it out with the hose, then I bring the items back into my kitchen to further wash them with soap in the kitchen sink. After washing with soap, I put the items on my kitchen counter to fill with fresh filtered water and fermented feed. I keep the jar of fermented feed in the fridge when it's fully fermented (like I'd do with sourdough starter). Then I bring all the stuff back into the spare room, touching doors and baby gates along the way.

We don't use bleach or harsh chemicals, so I clean with vinegar spray. And I'm hoping that I'm being careful enough, but I'm sure some duck germs are getting splashed around my kitchen and on door knobs, etc. I have young children, but no one here is immunocompromised or anything...we're all pretty healthy. But...should I be more worried about salmonella or any similar contagions? I have ZERO desire for a family with vomiting and diarrhea, lols.

How do YOU keep your family safe when brooding ducklings in the house? Should I be wearing gloves? Overalls? A HAZMAT SUIT?! Kidding not kidding, ya know? I appreciate any suggestions/advice from you experienced duckling raisers. Thank you!!

I have never been worried about it and nobody has ever got sick by having babies in my house
As for soaking wet bedding I don’t get much of that
When small I use puppy pads and by 2 weeks I add shavings over them
I make water dishes so they can’t jump in and splash water all over
Take plastic containers with a lid
Cut holes in the lid big enough they can dunk their heads in but not jump in
As they grow I grab taller containers so they are always deep enough to dunk the whole head
At 3 days old I start bathing once a day
I have used my tub only adding a few inches ( deep enough to swim but can stand up as well ) of warm water
About 5-10 mins maximum
Never leaving them unattended
I then take them out and pat them dry with paper towels then put them back to the heat source to preen and dry off
My little ones start using the oil gland right away
Again we have never been sick having babies in the house
I use a rubber glove ti clean the poo and a garbage bag

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

P.S. Also, we cuddle the ducklings a lot, and it's kind of difficult to keep my kids' faces away from sweet little duckling beaks! Should I lay down the law with this one? Or is the occasional duckling kiss okay? I mean, I took microbiology in college...theoretically, I know the answer to this question. But, like, I dunno...didn't people used to let their chickens live inside the house during the winter? And they all turned out okay, right? RIGHT??

Again I have never been worried about it and cuddle and kiss my babies all the time
I must have a good immune system

 

[Jenbirdee]

I have brooded ducklings in my living room a couple times and we are all fine but like you I tried to be extra clean about it and always wash up everything and everywhere. I also didnt let my elderly mother anywhere near them. (she has her own apt behind my house) and we have no children here either. I might have used the basement side room to brood (its a small garage type addition with no attached vents to the house) if I had young children here.

 

[OneEggToRuleThemAll]

Thanks, everyone! I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who can't resist cuddling the ducklings. They swam in a rubbermaid container in the bathtub last night and two of them (my Buff and Blue Swedish) absolutely LOVED it! They were diving underwater and swimming like little frogs! My Pekin seemed to like it but her leg is injured, so she was not as enthusiastic as the other two. My tiny Magpie was NOT impressed. She just stood there looking confused, and then she tried to eat the bubbles that the other ducklings were making.

I cleaned their rubbermaid container and the bathtub with dish soap and rinsed it all away. Husband took a shower this morning, so I'm assuming the tub is clean enough, haha!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Thanks, everyone! I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who can't resist cuddling the ducklings. They swam in a rubbermaid container in the bathtub last night and two of them (my Buff and Blue Swedish) absolutely LOVED it! They were diving underwater and swimming like little frogs! My Pekin seemed to like it but her leg is injured, so she was not as enthusiastic as the other two. My tiny Magpie was NOT impressed. She just stood there looking confused, and then she tried to eat the bubbles that the other ducklings were making.

I cleaned their rubbermaid container and the bathtub with dish soap and rinsed it all away. Husband took a shower this morning, so I'm assuming the tub is clean enough, haha!

It’s so cute to watch them swim
That’s my favourite part of having babies inside
I also got the privilege of having one of my girls hatch 6 babies this summer
I set up a little round sled that’s a few inches deep and watched her lead them in to swim

 

[OneEggToRuleThemAll]

It’s so cute to watch them swim
That’s my favourite part of having babies inside
I also got the privilege of having one of my girls hatch 6 babies this summer
I set up a little round sled that’s a few inches deep and watched her lead them in to swim

Awwwwww!!!