New duck momma

[GardenJen77]

I have been raising BYCs for a little over a year now, and even raised a new flock from baby chicks this year, thanks to all your help. I also have 4 ducks that we had purchased (on clearance) as babies, they are about 5 or 6 weeks old now and are HUGE , but just now starting to grow their feathers. They are kept in a separate run from the chickens.

Questions :

1) When do I switch them to "grower" feed and off of the starter. They are a lot larger than the chicks the same age, and are even bigger than my 12 week old hens.

2) When they start laying, is it one a day, like chickens, or a bunch at one time?

3) If they are in a pen, will it keep them from "migrating" near fall? Or do we HAVE to clip wings?

4) How do you over winter ducks (zone 5) ? The same as chickens, or do they need a warm coop/barn?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lastco]

Do you know what breed they are?

 

[chickens really]

They can eat grower at 8 weeks...They lay one egg a day like a Chicken....Usually at around 8 months old they start...not not sure what breeds you have?...No clue if yours will be able to fly?....
If you have Drakes they will breed Chickens and can kill them if breeding takes place?
Ducks require shelter from the cold and wind.....

Best wishes

 

[GardenJen77]

We don't know what breed the ducks are. They were in a "mixed" bin, and we won't know until they feather out. They are between a white and cream color right now. Also, as noted above, the ducks and chickens are in SEPARATE pens, so no worries about them killing each other.

 

[Amiga]

Looking forward to photos!

 

[lastco]

Many domestic breeds don't fly well, or at all. So that might not be a concern.

I feed an all flock feed from hatch until after their juvenile molt, supplemented with nutritional yeast for the extra niacin. Everyone has a feeding regimen that they prefer, this is just an example.

As far as housing goes, I keep a large pen with a "duck house". They do have the run of my yard during the day. I'm outside with them all day, everyday. I pen them if I leave (which is rare because I'm a bird-hugging-hermit). They return to their pen at night and I tuck them in until morning. Lol.

 

[Amiga]

bhh here, too