outside WHEN???

ro.netcmarie

Songster
11 Years
Oct 7, 2008
126
3
119
travelers rest, sc
I have mallards and they are 1 month now, and beginning to get feathers all over. so when can they be put on the pond freely without supervision?? is this too early??? also they are still on starter feed, when can they come off that and onto scratch feed like the adult ducks?? just wondering, dont want to do it too early. ohh and they are outside in a pen all day eating grass, but still get the starter too.
 
Personally, I live in a warm place, and its not the weather that kills baby ducks, especially when they are young. It is predators.

I wouldn't put em out alone with no protection until they could at least fly away from danger...but they get their own oils and stop needing extra oil from their mother at about 8 weeks old, sometimes it takes longer though.

Babies can be put on 15% protein at about 6-8 weeks of age, hen at 16 weeks given only scratch, unless they are production ducks (which it does not sound like).

You might want to wait for a few other answers though, I don't freely let my ducks roam a pond. I give them water dishes and about 1.5-2 acres of grass, weeds, and gardens to hunt in.

also have a LOT of coyotes and a mountain lion around here that enjoy a meal of duck when they are unprotected.
 
All my ducks went out side at 4 to 5 weeks old...They did not run free they were in a wire cage big enough to run around..The water was a shallow pan so it was big enough for them to get in and play..But not deep...At 8 to 10 weeks I got a kiddie pool and they had the time of their life....Now the kiddie pool is twice the size as it started out boy they got big and fat!! LOL

I have 6 two week old babies in my brooder right now..I put them in the tub a day ago with just enough water to splash...So cute..

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