New Duckling

[Balisticmissile]

Hiya, brand new to this and am looking for some help/opinions etc from you guys
So 3 days ago i scooped up and rescued a Paradise duckling from the grim hands of my playful ponies in the paddock!
There was no sign of any ducks/ducklings around the area and as i knew a storm was about to pass through i did what anyone would do and took the poor thing home!
Little "Spike" as we call him, has attatched himself to me and follows me everywhere, he is eating/drinking/sleeping perfectly fine and is generally a very happy, healthy little duckling.
Now, i am not sure of how old this little guy is, hes fat, bold and fearless and is starting to grow little feathers on his tail under his downy fluff, would anyone happen to know much about ageing ducklings and give me a rough age? as ive noticed he spends alot of time sitting/falling on the backs of his legs rather than standing (is this normal? or just a young duck thing?)
Also id like some peace of mind in what i have been doing is ok for him?
He sleeps in a warm soft blanketed box with a dish of started chick feed (which is what pet store insisted i fed) , chopped grass/weeds filted in water and i take him outside a few times a day to forage in the garden.
He seems to be doing great and enjoying his new adopted life.... just wanting to make sure i am doing right by little Spike and if there is anything else you would recomend please let me know

Soffie & Spike.

 

[Balisticmissile]

Just a wee pic of Spike

 

[dwalters]

Very cute! Sorry don't know much about ducks though. But super cutie

 

[Zombified]

Awww! What a cutie. He /looks/ about three or four days old(but I'm no expert, and the five ducks I have now are my first). I highly suggest getting duck feed(corn-free, as aflatoxin is a concern in corn now). Although you definitely don't have to, Azure Standard sells Peck and Scratch Naturally Free starter for ducklings, and is what I'm going to start feeding. You can check out the thread here for more information about aflatoxin:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/711263/u-s-drought-fallout-might-it-affect-all-of-our-ducks

Ducklings really should have at least one other companion. They can get extremely lonely and I've been told that they can even self-harm due to depression from loneliness. We found and adopted a wild Mallard duckling(she was about a day old when we found her), and we didn't get her any companions until she was about a week and a half. The general rule of thumb is make sure the ducklings are two weeks or less apart in age.

Check this place for a list of suitable treats for ducklings:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/242460/the-ultimate-list-of-duck-treats-and-supplements

I have no idea what breed he is, but he sure is a cutie!


EDIT:
I'm not feeding starter, because my ducks are all 18-19 weeks old. They're going on layer in about a week. Generally, you go by the instructions on the bag and feed starter while they're young. I /think/ only meat birds need grower/finisher(though mine were put on that when they got off starter), and others that aren't raised for meat get put on layer or pellets. I could be wrong, so definitely don't quote me on that.

 

[Balisticmissile]

thanks very much for that advice

We are looking into finding another duckling for company as we've now purchaced 100 acres of land. Having no luck unfortunetly finding one at this stage... Will keep looking though for now hes very calm and enjoying being a house pet lol

He is a Paradise duckling.

 

[Zombified]

Have you tried looking on Craigslist? As long as they're no more than two weeks apart, they should be okay. Pyrrhos was a week and a half before we added three-day-old ducklings.

I completely missed that in your original post. I just Googled them haha. Pretty ducks!


EDIT:
Niacin! Ducklings need Niacin while they're growing to ensure their legs develop right. The ratio is 100mg per gallon of water, I believe. Don't get the timed release kind, just plain Niacin.