Mama duck and her duckling

[duckies315]

I have a pekin duck that went broody and hatched one duckling. Ive only raised ducklings inside and im not sure what i need to do for mama duck and her duckling outside. She is in the coop with a heat lamp water and food but what do i do for the duckling? Does mama duck let it out of the nest to eat or does she bring it food? I have full grown duck food in there now. Should i put starter food in for now?

 

[Amiga]

Perhaps @Going Quackers or @Miss Lydia or @learycow can answer - I think having some starter crumble with water would make sense. But not water that the little could get into trouble with.

 

[pattyhen]

That's a beautiful picture of the mom and baby. I would get chick starter without medication. The momma can eat that too with the baby. Put it on a tray or something and get a small saucer for the water. Their probably going to fill the saucer with pine so it's a good idea to check on it. I wouldn't let the momma take the baby duck out of the coop with this being winter time. Not for a while anyway. The mom will show the food to the baby.

 

[donkeydew2farms]

I love the picture the baby is so cute.

 

[duckies315]

Thank you! I have the lil food and water dishes that i started her mama and dad with so i filled them up for it. I live in SE New Mexico so it gets pretty warm during the day but mama keeps the babe tucked up in the nest when im around so im not sure if the lil one is even running the coop yet. I fed the babe a lil food and water when i set them out there and the mama was fine with that.

Im so used to having ducklings inside until they get older so this is a new exsprience for me letting mama duck do most of the work

 

[Vosh Sahaal]

I didn't recken many pekins still had the ability to go broody left. Well done.

 

[duckies315]

We jus happen to get a blizzard for the first time in 40 years. Im wondering if that had anything to do with it because thats when she suddenly went broody with only two eggs in her nest.

I was also wondering when she will start laying eggs again? Will she wait until her babe is grown?

 

[Miss Lydia]

We jus happen to get a blizzard for the first time in 40 years. Im wondering if that had anything to do with it because thats when she suddenly went broody with only two eggs in her nest.

I was also wondering when she will start laying eggs again? Will she wait until her babe is grown?

Around the time the duckling is 4 weeks old she should be ready to lay and the duckling will be on it's own. How's it doing? she is keeping it warm enough we have 10* I can't imagine one of my females with a duckling right now. Watch your drake and other ducks around the duckling and like pattyhen said keep mom and baby inside ducklings can't regulate heat when they have nothing but down.

Congrats!!

 

[duckies315]

I have them both in the coop. And the drake locked out because he was being mean after the duckling was born. She is being a really good mama she keeps the babe tucked up in the nest under her. Especially when i go poking my head in and she gets her feathers in a ruffle and tries butting my hand away and pecking when i look at the babe. From what i see yesterday the babe is a female so i have 3 female and 1 drake.

 

[pattyhen]

It sounds like she is being protective of the baby and that is a good thing. Keep us posted how she is doing.