Metzer has a minimum order of 2. Folks who say they only want 5; unless you raised some before chances are you will lose some and an order of 5 will most likely only net you 2 adult birds.
I don't understand this attitude. I had someone last week talk to me about ducklings who said the same thing. That when she buys babies, whether its ducklings, turkey poults, chicks etc she ALWAYS loses 50% of them.
If this is the case, then I must be doing something wrong as i RARELY lose a duckling when I raise them. Out of over 300 last year (some I hatched, some I let me hens hatch, some I simply brooded for other people, and some I sold as babies to people who have stayed in touch to let me know how they are doing), I lost 7 total. And that includes ones that hatched deformed and simply couldn't make it!
I strongly believe that if you lose 50% of anything you get, it is a management issue that needs correcting.
A. You bought sick birds to begin with (highly possible, yet you would most likely notice it when you are at the feed store picking your birds up, or shortly after your new birds arrive home. In MOST cases, they die within a few days under the best circumstances if they are sick when you get them)
B. The contracted something at their new home (this can be contamination from other birds, not all birds show signs of sickness even though they can be a carrier. You could be contaminating them, on accident, through touching. ALWAYS wash your hands before handling baby birds)
C. Improper housing (not enough heat and they die from being cold. Too much heat and they die from heat stress. Housing isn't predator proof and they get taken or eaten)
D. Improper diets (do your research and see what they can and cannot eat. Proper diets are a MUST to raising healthy babies. Some may need additional nutrients or vitamins and if you watch and pay close attention to your babies, you will know from the different signs they can show if they are deprived of something.)
There are other reasons as well but these seem to be the easiest to remember. If you do your research, ask questions when needed, simply READ A BOOK, then you shouldn't lose any, especially not 50% of your baby birds.
I know tons of people (yes, I know everyone is different) who got ducklings from me last year who had NEVER had them before. And needless to say, no one had any losses. If something came up, they would email or call me and we would figure it out. Proper care and handling is the key to healthy animals. If you don't have the time, space, money, or care to put in the effort to properly raise animals, then its plain and simple, DON'T GET ANY
