New Duck Mom

[indiefoxfarm]

Hello!

I am scheduled to pick up some Rouen ducklings tomorrow and want to make sure I'm prepared. I've wanted ducks since I moved to my farm 5 years ago and I'm so excited to finally be getting some! We've had chickens before but got them after they were old enough to live outside so we've never raised any chicks.

Here's what I (mostly) have prepped:
- Brooder made of a kiddie pool with chicken wire around it
- Waterer
- Chick feeder
- Feed (https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/products/18-start-right-chick-feed)
- Nutritional yeast for niacin supplementation
- Wood pellet bedding
- Heat lamp

Am I missing anything important? Also, does the feed I linked look appropriate? And do all ducks need niacin supplementation or just certain breeds?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tamdog]

Looks good to me.. but I only raise chickens. Do you live in an area that you may need a heat lamp?
oh foo- I see that you have mentioned you have one. I can not see anything you missed. Do Ducks use Probiotics in their water the first few weeks?

 

[indiefoxfarm]

Looks good to me.. but I only raise chickens. Do you live in an area that you may need a heat lamp?
oh foo- I see that you have mentioned you have one. I can not see anything you missed. Do Ducks use Probiotics in their water the first few weeks?

Thanks for the reply! I did not come across them needing probiotics in my reading, but I'll look into it further.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Be sure to put 1 Tab of Nutritional yeast over each cup of feed you give your ducklings. And b sure to post pics we love pics.

 

[indiefoxfarm]

Be sure to put 1 Tab of Nutritional yeast over each cup of feed you give your ducklings. And b sure to post pics we love pics.

Will do on both!

 

[indiefoxfarm]

They're here! And so precious! I'm in love with them already. When I put them in the brooder I dipped each of their beaks in the water and they all seemed to take a little drink. But they've been here about 3 hours now and they haven't seemed to eat or drink anything, and there's no poop in the brooder - should I be worried or is that normal? They've been napping quietly for a little while then getting up and stretching out, pecking around/pruning themselves and each other, peeping, walking around, and then passing back out.

The warmest spot in the brooder is 92 degrees, and there's plenty of space for them to get to the coolest (around 75) spot. They have a waterer with Sav-a-chick electrolytes mixed into the water, a feeder with Purina Flock Raiser crumbles (feed store was out of the Kalmach one I planned to feed) with nutritional yeast sprinkled in, and I also put a little bowl with a mash made of the crumbles and a little electrolyte water.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you try dipping their bills again? They are precious! ❤

 

[indiefoxfarm]

Did you try dipping their bills again? They are precious! ❤

They napped a bit longer and then all of a sudden seemed perkier so I dipped their bills again (at your suggestion) and now all three of them have been sampling the mash, yay! Thanks for the advice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good to hear! Shipping is hard on them and right after hatch too. Bless their hearts. Now you know we expect a lot of pictures

 

[indiefoxfarm]

Good to hear! Shipping is hard on them and right after hatch too. Bless their hearts. Now you know we expect a lot of pictures

Actually I picked them up locally. I think maybe they weren't quite 24 hours old yet - sounds like maybe they just needed a little more rest?

And I will definitely share lots of pictures!!