New to raising Peking Ducks and need advise.

[CarleeAnn]

I did not mean to offend you at all! Like I said, as long as they are supervised it’s no problem.

Just not something I often suggest to others because we can’t guarantee anyone will have such a keen eye (not saying you or anyone else would be neglectful! I would just hate to be responsible for suggesting something that could not go well).

I too let my ducks bath at a very early age and duckies looove water! But I have heard of some instances where someone saw how much their ducklings enjoyed a bath so young and felt compelled to provide water to play in even when unsupervised- it did not end well unfortunately. That is all I was trying to prevent.

Again, my goal was to inform, not criticize.

 

[chickens really]

Please remember they can't float until they develop their oil glands. Please don't put them in the tub or the sink or a pool right away!

This is untrue...Ducklings can swim at two days old..Mother Ducks take their Ducklings onto water at 2 days..Water stimulates the oil gland to produce oil..
I must be the worst Duck owner ever...I provide my Ducklings swimming water with a safe way out..First I use large rubber livestock bowls and then they get a Kiddie pool with bricks inside as a way to get out...No one drowns if set up properly...

 

[Sara Ranch]

@chickens really - maybe that is the key - a safe way out.

 

[chickens really]

@chickens really - maybe that is the key - a safe way out.

Yes...Common sense always prevails...
Ducklings are fast and can hop pretty high...Never seen one that could never get out of the water..

 

[CarleeAnn]

And a warm place to go to!

It all depends on the caretakers comfort level and set up I suppose.
Supervision (or safe way out) and ability to become warm and dry.

It is true that the encouragement of preening after bathing does help stimulate the oil gland, but this does not have to happen so early- but it doesn’t hurt (unless the duck itself gets waterlogged, chilled, etc. in the process).

Metzer farms suggests waiting two weeks before allowing a swim! That is a little long I would say. One week seems like a nice middle ground. But again, even when you first allow it have enough common sense to judge if it is safe to be left alone or only supervision. Until a few months my ducks always swam with some sort of supervision, I may not have been directly watching them but I did stay around. My ducks didn’t even go outside until over three months due to a lack of outdoor set up! That I would not recommend. Get your set up ready first, and then get ducks! It’s only logical, I just jumped the gun.

And it is also true that soon after hatching, ducklings take to the water in nature! But again, the mother provides oils to help babies stay afloat and us human moms simply don’t do that. I guess it’s not necessarily “afloat” as so much waterproofed, which keeps the water off the ducklings body. The duck getting wet and staying wet is the real culprit for a devastating swim.

 

[chickens really]

I had 22 Ducks and Ducklings here..Many rescues..Different ages..Some were my own..I get what your saying, although I don't fully agree.

 

[casportpony]

As long as the ducklings are supervised then dried it’s no problem. But what you can’t mimic in nature is the application of waterproof oils provided my mama duck! That’s why it’s not recommended to let babies swim so young, because they aren’t waterproofed yet. It’s very common for ducklings to get waterlogged and drown. Even wild ducks, if they get stuck in a pool for example, they drown because even the mom can’t help them stay in a body of water for that long.

Excellent post!

 

[Omikse]

What would the temperature be for a 1 week old ducking? I managed to find a setting of between 90 and 95 with my shower head. I am thinking of trying to rig up a way to make the water drain out slowly so the water does not cool down plus give the ducklings a sense of rain if I put it on its gentlest setting and keep the water at the same level the whole time. But again what should the overall temp of the water be?

 

[Ravynscroft]

That temp should be fine... best way to tell is put them in it and if they shiver it's too cool, lol...

 

[chickens really]

I just use Luke warm water and first fill the the drain end of the tub so they can still touch the bottom..Then as the get more used to bath time I fill the tub so they can dive and swim...In reality they can be in Cold water...Ducklings that I raise outside with Momma are in and out of water from the outside tap all day long..I fill all kiddie pools with water from the hose..I wouldn't use the shower...
Best wishes