New to ducks... Help

[cookielee]

I have never had a duck before, but I'm going to pick up 6 Pekin Ducklings this weekend, when they get a little older I will only stay with 2. I live in an apt .. but I have access to grassy areas and pond, I also have a decent sized balcony, at said my duckling will be indoor ducklings. I heard you can put diapers on them ? and I was also wondering what they eat, I cant find any pet store where I live that sells duckling food.. Please any advice does and don'ts.. also I would like to add that I have a child, and am worried about salmonella in their feces

 

[missnu01]

Wash your hands and kids hands after handling...ducks are way grosser than you are imagining I promise...I wouldn't keep one inside if someone paid me...ewww and yuck...they are cute and pretty and nice to look at an watch and what not though. I've f my ducklings game bird starter, and regular chick starter with brewers yeast sprinkled on top and also in the water for extra niacin. No need for niacin when using the game bird food.. Have also used flock raiser with no added niacin, and meat bird food with niacin added. Everyone is doing well and about to get all their feathers now...I was having a hard time choosing what to feed them as well. i would have stuck with the game bird starter, but I could only find it in tiny little bags, and ducks eat a whole lot..since I have way more chickens than ducks it makes more sense to just give them chick food...if I had only ducks it would be either the game bird starter, or the flock raiser...probably the flock raiser since it comes in 50lb bag I can find without driving all over the state...
Anyway I was unsure what was best to feed them so I figured I would just try it all, and that seems to have worked...lol. A little flock raiser this time, chick starter the next time, then game starter, then flock raiser, then meat bird food with flock raiser mixed,,,etc. short answer...whatever is alright for chicks is alright for ducks, but look for something that says it has active yeasts to promote digestive health, and if it doesn't say that then just add brewers yeast...it's in the grocery store. Or you can get fancy and get a niacin supplement, but the brewers yeast is cheaper and easier to find...blah blah blah I'm going on and on.

I have some questions for you...Is your apartment manager alright with this plan?
How do you plan to get the ducks to and from said pond, and do you have any idea what ducks smell like?
And another thing to think about, 6 Pekin ducklings are going to act like you are satan about to bite off their heads as suck out their souls..I thought they would like me, but nope...not a bit. Not at all. They run from me and I've tried handling and handling and handling them...
Anyway go by a Feed store and give the duck bin a goo sniff and then rethink if this is something you want to do...I would rather change a hundred babies than one duck...their poops are so freaking gross. One hour or less after scrubbing out the brooder they smell like crap again. So gross. I have 4 Pekin outside in a brooder and had 2 mallards (later added 2 more) but those 2 tiny ducks make 4 times the mess and smell of the 17 chicks right beside them...I mean it's heinous. I will keep pigs in my house before I ever let another duck inside...

 

[jonhpdx]

I have some questions for you...Is your apartment manager alright with this plan?
How do you plan to get the ducks to and from said pond, and do you have any idea what ducks smell like?
And another thing to think about, 6 Pekin ducklings are going to act like you are satan about to bite off their heads as suck out their souls..I thought they would like me, but nope...not a bit. Not at all. They run from me and I've tried handling and handling and handling them...
Anyway go by a Feed store and give the duck bin a goo sniff and then rethink if this is something you want to do...I would rather change a hundred babies than one duck...their poops are so freaking gross. One hour or less after scrubbing out the brooder they smell like crap again. So gross. I have 4 Pekin outside in a brooder and had 2 mallards (later added 2 more) but those 2 tiny ducks make 4 times the mess and smell of the 17 chicks right beside them...I mean it's heinous. I will keep pigs in my house before I ever let another duck inside...

I echo this sentiment... I have 4 ducklings and they lasted less than 2 weeks inside my tub in the second bathroom, the reason being that the bathroom smelled of ammonia from all of the poop and I just couldn't handle it anymore. I would really reconsider getting 6, I can't imagine adding another two to the mess I had to clean up in that bathroom once they were outside.

Another thing to consider is that duck diapers are expensive. Adult ones that I've seen run in the neighborhood of $45 but you can only get those when your ducks are done growing which is months away. You can get ones for ducklings, but they're going to be nearly as expensive as adult ones and you're only going to get to use them for a few months which means you're paying through the nose just to keep ducks inside all or most of the time.

 

[missnu01]

I echo this sentiment... I have 4 ducklings and they lasted less than 2 weeks inside my tub in the second bathroom, the reason being that the bathroom smelled of ammonia from all of the poop and I just couldn't handle it anymore. I would really reconsider getting 6, I can't imagine adding another two to the mess I had to clean up in that bathroom once they were outside.

Another thing to consider is that duck diapers are expensive. Adult ones that I've seen run in the neighborhood of $45 but you can only get those when your ducks are done growing which is months away. You can get ones for ducklings, but they're going to be nearly as expensive as adult ones and you're only going to get to use them for a few months which means you're paying through the nose just to keep ducks inside all or most of the time.

For real, I worry what you are planning will be the most miserable endeavor. Really think about it. And the more ducks the harder it is to get them to like you. 2 of the mallards don't act like I'm killing them, but I got just the 2 of them at first.. The 4 Pekin became a set with no room for me, the 2 mallards were nowhere near as terrified of me... But when we got 2 more mallards those 2 hate us because they became a group of 4 when added to the existing 2... So 2 together will be your friend, but 4 will think you are the devil
And numerous brooder changes throughout the day will be necessary or you will risk getting kicked out of an apartment. 2 tiny ducklings are 100x more work than 26 chicks in the same amount of space. I can clean the chicks brooder once a week or even every 10 days and still be able to stick my face down in the bin... The ducks literally are just as disgusting within minutes of cleaning the brooder as they were before you cleaned it

 

[jonhpdx]

For real, I worry what you are planning will be the most miserable endeavor. Really think about it. And the more ducks the harder it is to get them to like you. 2 of the mallards don't act like I'm killing them, but I got just the 2 of them at first.. The 4 Pekin became a set with no room for me, the 2 mallards were nowhere near as terrified of me... But when we got 2 more mallards those 2 hate us because they became a group of 4 when added to the existing 2... So 2 together will be your friend, but 4 will think you are the devil

I dunno, my 4 ducklings are really great around me. They've hit their "terrible teens" now that they're nearly 4 weeks old, but just tonight I was laying down with my pekin on my chest and they all ate out of my hand as well. They still scream bloody murder when I remove one from the sight of the others, but for the most part they're very friendly towards me and come when I call them from across the yard.

...but I digress. Seriously cokielee, you might want to rethink your strategy!

 

[missnu01]

I dunno, my 4 ducklings are really great around me. They've hit their "terrible teens" now that they're nearly 4 weeks old, but just tonight I was laying down with my pekin on my chest and they all ate out of my hand as well. They still scream bloody murder when I remove one from the sight of the others, but for the most part they're very friendly towards me and come when I call them from across the yard.

...but I digress. Seriously cokielee, you might want to rethink your strategy!

I feel like some kind of monster when I try to pet the ducks because they treat me like done sort of monster. The Pekins have started to calm down a little. When I pick one up it doesn't act like its dying... But the other 3 do... I just wish they were friendly like the chickens. The Pekins have just stopped running to the other side of the brooder when I go out there

 

[jonhpdx]

I feel like some kind of monster when I try to pet the ducks because they treat me like done sort of monster. The Pekins have started to calm down a little. When I pick one up it doesn't act like its dying... But the other 3 do... I just wish they were friendly like the chickens. The Pekins have just stopped running to the other side of the brooder when I go out there

Have you tried to just sit in their pen with them? Bring a blanket and a book or your phone/tablet out with you and just sit there. When they come close don't try to pet them too much, just get them used to your presence. Talking to them in gentle voices seems to get my ducks' attention. When I open the garage I say "hi girls!" in the nicest way possible and they all start talking back to me. I'm new to this, but it seems to me when you have the best intentions it seems to get through to them. When you're impatient or aggressive it doesn't help the situation at all. I'm not saying you're like that or that you mean to drive them away, it's just in my experience the way to a duck's heart is through time and patience (and lots of treats).

 

[missnu01]

To tell the truth I have not made a huge effort with the ducks because they are just so darn disgusting...I don't want to sit where they have been long enough for them to get used to me. It isn't like with the chickens where I can sit down in the coop and just watch them...for one the ducks act like I'm scaring them to death, secondly they are just so very very gross...they smell, so I don't find myself drawn to stay with them...I need to make more of an effort...they do like treats though. The Pekins...not the mallards. They ignore anything I give them until I am gone unless they are in the water...then they are happy with the treats. The ducks are for real no fun for me at all. Just a huge stinking mess all the time. I'm not so sure that we won't just eat them all and revert back to just turkeys and chickens. And all my ducks are still in their respective brooders...once they have their coop built I might be able to spend more quality time with them...I blow dry them after their baths and that is our up close and personal time. If ever it gets nice outside I plan on setting up a wire puppy enclosure to spend some time with them, but it's been cold cold cold here still

 

[Amiga]

To tell the truth I have not made a huge effort with the ducks because they are just so darn disgusting...I don't want to sit where they have been long enough for them to get used to me. It isn't like with the chickens where I can sit down in the coop and just watch them...for one the ducks act like I'm scaring them to death, secondly they are just so very very gross...they smell, so I don't find myself drawn to stay with them...I need to make more of an effort...they do like treats though. The Pekins...not the mallards. They ignore anything I give them until I am gone unless they are in the water...then they are happy with the treats. The ducks are for real no fun for me at all. Just a huge stinking mess all the time. I'm not so sure that we won't just eat them all and revert back to just turkeys and chickens. And all my ducks are still in their respective brooders...once they have their coop built I might be able to spend more quality time with them...I blow dry them after their baths and that is our up close and personal time. If ever it gets nice outside I plan on setting up a wire puppy enclosure to spend some time with them, but it's been cold cold cold here still

There's a rehoming thread here at BYC.

 

[jak2002003]

No offence, but doing keeping 2 ducks in an apartment is NOT GOING TO WORK.

Don't do this please.

Ducks are not house pets - do you want to be changing duck diapers full of sloppy watery and very smelly poops 50 plus times a day for up to 10 years.

Ducks are very cute - but inside they are a disaster!