orphaned day old ducklings...what do i do?? help!!!

[spish]

i was hoping to purchase some ducklings in a few weeks (so i had time to prepare!) but it seems my cat had other ideas and has brought in this morning four ducklings so far.i dont know where shes pulling them from!
they dont seem hurt though one is a bit slimy and wobbly, possibly not long hatched?
ive put thel for now on straw/hay in a wooden hutch with the lid open and a heat lamp over them. but they are squeaking/tweeting so loudly! ive had a search round but cant see a mum without ducklings (all the ducks on our land still seem to be sitting on eggs.)

so what do ducklings eat?
are they like chicks and can drown in very shallow water?
what temp should they be under?
do they need anything 'special'?

are these poor little things going to survive without mum

 

[spish]

is it normal for them to make so much noise? heat lamp temp has got them at about 95degreesF yet they are still huddled together making lots of noise. have put chick starter crumbs in and a bowl of water with large flat pebbles in so they cant drown....anything else apart from wait and see?

 

[Amiga]

Okay, make sure the chick feed isn't medicated (or has just amprolium - which is okay from what I hear, for ducklings - I prefer unmedicated). Also, they will need extra niacin - add a teaspoon of brewer's yeast to their crumbles. You may need to moisten the crumbles (don't leave for more than a few hours to prevent deadly molding).

90 degrees F should be good, with areas in the brooding container where they can move away from the heat if they wish.

Peeping is something mine (runners) did quite a bit, especially the first day or two.

If they are just hatched, they may not be that hungry - the yoke can carry them for several hours.

Make sure they are drinking - you may need to dunk their bills in water at first.

If you can get some poultry vitamins or gro-gel that could help them out.

Let them be, quiet and warm and dry with water and food available at all times.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Nope sounds like you have about everyting under control ..
If they are still huddling , check for drafts. Also I dont go by actual temp with my brooders I go by how the birds are reacting to the light if they are huddled then i move it closer, if they are as far away from it as possible then take it up, if they are running around eating/drinking/pooping then your heat is perfect....

 

[spish]

will they be ok without brewers yeast for a few days? i wont be going into town until my hubby is back at the weekend (he just left to work in germany) cant go out due to two sick kids not in school.....

 

[Amiga]

They should be fine. Just be aware of signs of niacin deficiency - tremors, failure to thrive, leg problems. If that shows up, if you have some niacin tablets, 100 to 150 mg of niacin in a gallon of water is the way to go, according to Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks.

Bugs contain niacin, by the way. Just be sure they have had some grit before offering them anything but crumbles.

 

[MuranoFarms]

I raised a duck to 8 weeks before I heard the brewers yeast thing, he was fine. He kept stealing the chicks medicated food too...lol he's my bad little quack-head but he's fine. Get the supplies when you can. A few days will not hurt. Ducks wont drown in the water like chicks do. They like to put their whole bill in and blow out after eating. It helps them to clear any food out of their nostrils. You can take the pebbles out so that they can reach the bottom.

Oh...and we always like duckling pictures!

 

[xke4]

In all my years of raising orphaned ducklings I have never used brewer's yeast or any additive of any kind and my duckies have been just fine. Regular duckling starter from the feed store is what I used for the first few years with no problems and Mazuri Waterfowl Starter is what I use now. If chick starter with Ampro is all you have now, it will be fine till you can get your hands on duck starter. Will not hurt them but they do not need the med. But it is something we have to order in special. May be hard to find. Keep them warm. Resist all impulses to let them swim until they are a bit older and then when you do, make sure they get dried off with a towel and put promptly into their warm brooder. A stuffed animal or a feater duster taped to the side of the brooder might make them feel more secure. If all you have are regular chicken waterers, put large marbles or clean stones in the trough so they can dip their bills in but not get right in with their bodies. When you start to give them minced greens, (tender grass, clover, duckweed if you have it) make sure you put a pinch of chick grit in the dish with it. I use the white lids of yogurt containers when I do this so they can easily see the greens. Good luck with your ducks and thank your kitty for me.

 

[xke4]

A few more things. Do not use newspaper for bedding. Doesn't have enough traction and can harm their leg development. Paper towels or cut up fleece blankets (cut up towels often have loose threads on the end that they can become tangled in) are fine for the first little while. When you change them over to pine shavings, put a couple of sheets over top to cover up most of the shavings and remove gradually over a few days. that way they will gradually get used to it and won't be as inclined to eat the shavings.

 

[Wifezilla]

xke4, many of us cannot get waterfowl feed, so we use the chick starter with the brewer's yeast booster.

If you want to keep them from peeping their heads off, you can get a mirror and tape it to the side of their brooder and also get a turkey feather duster. Duct tape the handle to the side of the brooder and leave it a few inches off the floor so they can crawl under it. It's just like hiding under mom's wing.