My new ducklings! **Pic Heavy**

[Bleenie]

That last pic is just adorable

 

[chickboss]

Quote:
I can't wait to see pics of yours! And yes, non-medicated chick feed is fine, but you will need to add some form of extra niacin. I like brewers yeast, others like to add a niacin tablet to the water. I like brewer's yeast because I can just sprinkle it in with the food, and the dosing doesn't have to be spot on. Mine are doing really well with it so far. Mine are being brooded in the house using half of a HUGE dog crate (like big enough for a 150lb dog). I fashiond a chicken wire/wood frame lid for it and attatched the heat lamp. In the next day or so they will graduate to the 4'X8' brooder that my Muscovies who are getting ready to move out of the house are in. Then, depending at what stage they are at and what the weather is doing when that starts to get crowded they will be moved into their pemenent house (yet to be built, eek) or the outdoor "nursery" that has heat lamps and that is currently housing some other juvenille birds right now. LOL, we have a total rotation going! I am making, and buying some pretty small moveable type duck houses, because they will be moved around as often as nessecery to keep them on fresh pasture. I am using the portable electric netting type fence. The only birds I am considering allowing to truely free range as some point are the Muscovies because at least while they are young adults they can fly. I have big dogs, that I really love, and don't want to hate, LOL. So it's pretty iffy. That was probably a chattier answer than you wanted!

lorihadams~ good luck with your hatch! Runners are so cool!

Thanks for compliments! I will go tell them again that they are sooooooo cute, and everyone else thinks so too! LOL.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Wow you sound so put together. Seems like I'm always flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to being prepaired...

I had gotten an old wooden playpen a few months back in anticipation for the new ducks with the thought it would be tall enough to contain them & yet I could easily bend over it etc. I figured I'll just chicken wire it around the outside & the railing will be good for clamping the light on.

And I don't remember the niacin thing with the food so it's good I asked! When you say brewers yeast you mean the kind you get from the store for baking bread??? Sounds easy enough. I thought I'd also heard some where that the chick feed is suppose to be moistend with water & made into a mush? & I don't remember doing that either last time.


BTW when I ordered these ducklings last week it was nice & warm & now it's really kinda chilly for them during shipping I hope they make it here ok.

 

[chickboss]

Trust me, I have done and am doing enough flying by the seat of my pants for 3 people......LOL. The only reason we are as set up this time, is because we are on our second batch of chickens and ducks this spring. I still have tons of building to get done.

Brewer's Yeast is different than bread yeast. It can usually be found in the health food section. There is Nutritional Yeast, and I think it is the same thing, but not sure. I'm going to find out because I just saw Nutritional Yeast in the bulk section at the store. I have heard of adding water to the feed to make a mash, but I haven't and they are fine.

I had four Kahkis shipped in the beginning of March. I was worried to, especially because there were only four and I was afraid the heat pack would give out before they got here, but they arrived just fine.

Your brooder sounds great!

 

[Mom2Cool]

I love this web site it's really a wealth of information & I always feel so much more in control or maybe more confident about what I'm doing after I've been here.

 

[chickboss]

X's 2! I think that's why I'm an addict..LOL.