Hey guys, I'm new to ducks. My children saw some ducklings at TSC in our area and I got a couple. Yes I know impulse buying. They were about 3 days old when we got them. I had them in the house (smelly little stinkers) until they were 4 wks old. I had been putting them in the bath tub to swim a few minutes at first, and scrubbing the poop out after. I started taking them outside to enjoy the sun and grass at about a week. Then back into their warm draft free brooder. Well at 4 weeks I set up an outside pen and moved the stinkers outside. They're having a blast. They can get into their house easily, get to the feed easily and the one thing they love getting in their water bin. I empty and clean their water container every day, and by the end it's dirty again. Oh well, here's fresh water guys. They're starting to really get their feathers in now, and are about half as big as my Brahma chickens. So here comes the questions. When can I let them in with the chickens? They're able to see each other, and the chickens don't care, they're eating the same feed as the chickens. They have the same exact water container, and they've already gotten out once and the chickens ran the other way. They were scared of the ducklings. I don't know what sex, or breed they are either. I was told they're mallard, but looking at the pictures they look like rouen. Guess time will tell. Also when will they completely feather out? I have a broody hen that's going to be hatching in the next few weeks, will the ducklings hurt the chicks? I have a big yard that all my chickens and now ducklings are in even though it looks like I'll have to enlarge the ducklings area soon if I can't let them in with the chickens. They're getting big fast. They're healthy and happy outside compared to what they were inside with limited access to swimming. I'm looking at getting them a wading pool at the beginning of the month so they'll have a bigger area to swim in.
