New to ducks...have ?'s

[sonjab314]

Friday I purchased two ducks, 1 Welsh Harlequin and 1 Khaki Campbell. They are in a brooder all by themselves because the hatchery said to keep them seperate from my little chicks. I change their water 3 times a day and they seem to be happy. I let my kids get them out and love on them while I change their water. They are covered with down and have no feathers yet. How long does it take for the ducks to get their feathers? The hatchery said I could not put them outside or let them get wet until they get their feathers at least on their bodies. This is a new adventure for me and any information would be appreciated. I have NO idea what gender they are. I know nothing really about their species. Do these two get along? Can they cross breed if they turn out to be a drake and a hen? Thanks in advance.

 

[shelleyd2008]

You can let them get wet, you just can't let them 'swim'. As long as they are able to stand up in the water they'll be fine. I put my 1 week olds (sometimes they are more like 3-4 day olds) in the bathtub while I clean their brooders out, and haven't lost any. Just be sure that their brooder is dry and draft-free when you put them back in, and that the water is on the warm side.

They start getting their feathers about 2 weeks, usually on the tails. The temperature of their brooder helps determine how fast their feathers come in. With the heat we are having now, my 4 week old pekin is still mostly fuzz, but I've had some that went outside in March at 3 weeks, and were fully feathered at 4 weeks

They don't need heat as much as chicks do, I'm sure you could put them outside very early. My pekin comes in at night, only because we have a predator problem. I had 5, now I have 1

so he comes in to be safe. Before the predator problem I had week old babies staying outside all day and night, and they even had a bathtub.

ETA: Usually by 3 weeks old I've taken any heat source away from baby ducks that were inside. I have 3 less-than-a-week-olds inside now that pant in the brooder. They are with some baby chicks though, so I have to keep the light on for the chicks. That will change shortly, just need to clean the big brooder out so I can put the chicks, quail, guineas, and 1 turkey in the big brooder, and the ducks in the little one with no light