Put a little sugar in water, get it up to the temperature of the brooder. Your light should be on now, heating.
When you unload the ducklings, dip their bills to get them started. They are going to be severely dehydrated. To dip their bills, it is easiest to pick up and tip the entire duck. You will have little luck getting just their head into the water.
Lift the whole duck, bum upwards, head down, and put the bill into the water. They should drink as soon as their bill goes into the water. Watch them take 2 swallows , then put them down and they will continue to drink.
After everyone has had a drink, if they were mine, I'd add some powdered antibiotic to the drinking water, because they are going to have shipping stress and that can lead to pneumonia.
Did you speak to the post office and make sure they have your phone number? And that you want them to call? My local post office keeps a list of everyone who is expecting chicks and they call first thing.
I think you've been lucky concerning weather. Weather is what kills most shipped hatchlings and there have been no severe storms or heat waves. so fingers crossed for your ducklings.
When you unload the ducklings, dip their bills to get them started. They are going to be severely dehydrated. To dip their bills, it is easiest to pick up and tip the entire duck. You will have little luck getting just their head into the water.
Lift the whole duck, bum upwards, head down, and put the bill into the water. They should drink as soon as their bill goes into the water. Watch them take 2 swallows , then put them down and they will continue to drink.
After everyone has had a drink, if they were mine, I'd add some powdered antibiotic to the drinking water, because they are going to have shipping stress and that can lead to pneumonia.
Did you speak to the post office and make sure they have your phone number? And that you want them to call? My local post office keeps a list of everyone who is expecting chicks and they call first thing.
I think you've been lucky concerning weather. Weather is what kills most shipped hatchlings and there have been no severe storms or heat waves. so fingers crossed for your ducklings.
