New Ducklings & friends from IDEAL

[donnavee]

Received the 8 ducklings I ordered from Ideal along with 5 packing peanuts that I didn't expect. I was wondering why the box was cheeping like baby chicks! Wouldn't it be nice if the chicken sexers messed up and some of these are actually little girls? I have a feeling their accuracy rate for the peanuts is 100% Guess I'll move the little free loaders to their own tub in a couple of days.

Everyone seems to be lively and healthy, jumping out of their tub and creating mayhem. One of the Magpies is crested - not sure if it's the girl or the boy, but it sure is a cutie.

 

[Kevin565]

They're so cute!

 

[Caddy-Corner-Chick]

Quote:
They are cute and those peanuts look just like the one's they sent me too.

Can I ask how you have your set up for your ducks. I have mine on pine shavings and they are making the biggest mess possible.
Yep I am a newbie to ducks

 

[pirtykitty]

packing peanuts look like rhode Island reds

 

[SassyKat6181]

I got 10 ducks from Ideal two weeks ago and they sent me 4 packing peanuts, which then caused me to go out and buy 12 new pullets to go with them. To add to the 12 laying hens I already had and 4 Mallards I picked up 2 weeks prior to their arrival.

Apparently this is how Ideal operates.....not sure I would order from them again. One of my Khaki Campbells also arrived crested - double crested actually - she has one on the back of her head and one on the side. They are definitely roos, one jumps and pecks me every time I reach into the brooder.

 

[KansasKid]

If there going make you take the roo's the least they can do is make sure there not crested if you didn't order them.

 

[donnavee]

Can I ask how you have your set up for your ducks. I have mine on pine shavings and they are making the biggest mess possible.
Yep I am a newbie to ducks

To start out, I have a bunch of newspaper covered by paper towels, which I'm going through at an alarming rate. I was going to do shavings but I decided I would try sand for the chicks I'm due to get in a couple of weeks and now I'm wondering if sand would work for the ducks. I have tried elevating their water so everything doesn't become a soppy mess, but they are definitely different than chicks. This is my first time with ducklings and the only reason I ordered from Idal was because I could get the Black East Indies as babies. I know the quality will be pet, but that is what they will be for us - pets and slug eaters. My order wasn't due to be filled until April 27th, but they called Monday and ask if they could ship early, very early. Just checked this morning and they seem to be just waking up. Looks like they managed to poo the place up over night.

Let me know if you come up with the perfect bedding solution. I'll let you know how the sand goes if I try it.​

 

[bt03]

Quote:
To start out, I have a bunch of newspaper covered by paper towels, which I'm going through at an alarming rate. I was going to do shavings but I decided I would try sand for the chicks I'm due to get in a couple of weeks and now I'm wondering if sand would work for the ducks. I have tried elevating their water so everything doesn't become a soppy mess, but they are definitely different than chicks. This is my first time with ducklings and the only reason I ordered from Idal was because I could get the Black East Indies as babies. I know the quality will be pet, but that is what they will be for us - pets and slug eaters. My order wasn't due to be filled until April 27th, but they called Monday and ask if they could ship early, very early. Just checked this morning and they seem to be just waking up. Looks like they managed to poo the place up over night.

Let me know if you come up with the perfect bedding solution. I'll let you know how the sand goes if I try it.

Our perfect bedding solution was puppy pads. they are disposable and with 4 ducks i went through 6 a day. Most of that was because of poo. If you put something under the water like a deep cookie sheet, storage container, anything deep that is wider than the water container it will help a LOT with the water mess. I figured out the hard way only 1/3 of the water they drink up actually goes into their body the rest gets shot out the side of their mouth like water from a pressure washer... or maybe thats just my little piggy ducks