We actually brought home a pair of KC and Pekin ducklings a week and a half ago. We're newbies but have read the stickies on here and talked to the local farm store poultry people. Essentially, they need food, water and heat. And a clean brooder. For food, we're using a non-medicated chick starter. For water, cool whip bowls and milk jugs with holes cut in them so they can stick their heads in and drink but not get in. They need to be able to dunk their bills and wash their eyes. For heat, we have a brooder lamp with a 250 watt bulb. Raised it up a bit more this week. For the brooder, we're using an 85 gallon stock tank that will be their pond once big. But you could use anything. And once a day, we bring them up from the utility room to go nuts in my ice fishing sled lined with newspaper and a couple of pie tins full of hot water. It's chaos. They waddle around in the water, get down as far as they can in it and all burst out in varying directions in euphoria. And repeat. Then they go back under the heat lamp so they don't get too cold. Talk about a mess. Good thing I can just hose it all out in the yard. lol
Nice. I finally found out that my Khaki that survived (one died a few months back as a duckling) is the male. His head has started turning green. So I know have one female Pekin, and a male each of Pekin, Khaki Campbell and Welsh Harlequin. So far, that's not an issue. The big female pushes them all around the yard quacking at them while they "mutter" back at her.