new to this and worried about them

[Onlyducks]

I'm a pretty laid back duck owner. I have my ducks on newspaper and pine shavings and clean it when it looks too yucky (by the time they are 3 or 4 weeks old, it gets changed daily--they move outside at 4 weeks unless it's really cold). I just rinse the water dish and refill it. When I get ducklings, it's too cold to have running water outside, so the dishes just get rinsed with a gallon jug of water. Also, mine are Pekins and they are about 2 1/2 weeks old. Their box is at 55 to 70 degrees. They have a heat lamp. I have 5 and had five last year and they were just fine at those temperatures. I know some people bleach the dishes, etc, but since my ducks end up free ranging, I guess I never go to that level.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm a pretty laid back duck owner. I have my ducks on newspaper and pine shavings and clean it when it looks too yucky (by the time they are 3 or 4 weeks old, it gets changed daily--they move outside at 4 weeks unless it's really cold). I just rinse the water dish and refill it. When I get ducklings, it's too cold to have running water outside, so the dishes just get rinsed with a gallon jug of water. Also, mine are Pekins and they are about 2 1/2 weeks old. Their box is at 55 to 70 degrees. They have a heat lamp. I have 5 and had five last year and they were just fine at those temperatures. I know some people bleach the dishes, etc, but since my ducks end up free ranging, I guess I never go to that level.

Where are the 5 from last year? most of us advise using this from Raising Ducks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711 and

 

[Onlyducks]

They went to live on a 20 acre farm with a lot of other ducks to stay with. I don't usually keep my ducks over the winter. This year, I have 6 muscovies and 5 pekins and I am considering keeping them if I can figure out how to deal with water freezing in the winter.

This is my fourth year with ducks. I know they are supposed to be kept super warm and so forth, but I don't have any way to keep them that warm. I have raised two groups of Rouens and this is my second batch of Pekins and they do well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They went to live on a 20 acre farm with a lot of other ducks to stay with. I don't usually keep my ducks over the winter. This year, I have 6 muscovies and 5 pekins and I am considering keeping them if I can figure out how to deal with water freezing in the winter.

This is my fourth year with ducks. I know they are supposed to be kept super warm and so forth, but I don't have any way to keep them that warm. I have raised two groups of Rouens and this is my second batch of Pekins and they do well.

Heat lamp and electricity is all you need and a thermometer , and for winter time heated buckets work real well.

 

[newducklings]

Okay. I have one pekin and two anconas. But they seem to get to hot with the heat lamp on so I turn it off when its pretty warm. They stay inside the house for now because they are only about 3 weeks old and I dont want anything getting a hold of them. I was just wondering because the pwkin duck ( he seems to be alot fater and biger than the anconas) he pants at nights and one side of its chest looks to be bigger than the other side. I dont know if its just they way its standing or what but he is normally not panting during the day unless I take them outside and its hot but the anconas that are skinner and smaller dont pant at night that ive noticed but the pekin does. Ive looked up stuff to see what could be wrong but havent really found anything beside something about aspergilliosis. Or something like respiratory infections. But he eats just like the others and will chirp until I get up and feed them. So they all eat like crazy and drink alot to. So he hasnt lost his appetite. But I just dont know what could be wrong with the pekin since the anconas dont pant at night.

 

[Onlyducks]

I wasn't very clear. In the winter, I don't have access to outdoor water--my water pipes will freeze if I don't shut off the outdoor tap. Plus, there is no electricity where my ducks are and it would be very expensive to try and get it out to them. There may be solar options or 12 volt heaters, I don't know. My ducks are quite a ways away from my house.

 

[Onlyducks]

Your Pekin will be bigger than the other two--Pekins grow very, very fast. Have you tried putting the Pekin in a cooler spot at night and seeing if he pants less? He might be a bit upset to be separated from the other two ducklings, but it might be worth a try.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay. I have one pekin and two anconas. But they seem to get to hot with the heat lamp on so I turn it off when its pretty warm. They stay inside the house for now because they are only about 3 weeks old and I dont want anything getting a hold of them. I was just wondering because the pwkin duck ( he seems to be alot fater and biger than the anconas) he pants at nights and one side of its chest looks to be bigger than the other side. I dont know if its just they way its standing or what but he is normally not panting during the day unless I take them outside and its hot but the anconas that are skinner and smaller dont pant at night that ive noticed but the pekin does. Ive looked up stuff to see what could be wrong but havent really found anything beside something about aspergilliosis. Or something like respiratory infections. But he eats just like the others and will chirp until I get up and feed them. So they all eat like crazy and drink alot to. So he hasnt lost his appetite. But I just dont know what could be wrong with the pekin since the anconas dont pant at night.

Are you keeping feed with them 24/7 they need food and water round the clock at their age, he maybe over eating if not. and your seeing a full crop is the reason one side looks larger. Do you have a thermometer in your brooder? only way to know if your over heating your ducklings at 3 weeks it needs to be around 75* in there. and plenty of space to get out from under the lamp.

 

[newducklings]

I feed them everytime I see that their food is gone and I fill their water up lits of times during the day lol. And I take them outside alot to give they time to run and play but I always stay outside with them. But he seems alittle better after I turned the lamp of and turned a fan on in the room. But I dont turn the fan directly at them so they dont get cold or anything. But he seems fine during the day. Its just at night we she/he pants

 

[newducklings]

Okay I think the pekin pants normally when it is laying down at night.