Panting pekins

[duckmama1970]

I have 3 two week old Perkins. They are kind of all panting and I’m worried they might be ill. I had the heat lamp on but it’s a little warm out there so I cracked the door open to outside and turned the lamp off. The temperature was about 86° out there. They have access to water where they can dip their beaks in it. I put hydro hen and this ground vitamin mixture into their water. I’m not sure what to do. They appear to be healthy and active but they are laying down now. Please help!

 

[SilverBirds]

86F is much to hot for 3 week ducks! Have you let them have a swim at all? That would help cool them off.

 

[Isadora]

Would you post pictures of your setup please?

 

[SilverBirds]

Ducks overheat very fast. For 3 week old ducks, you should be aiming for the low 70s in the brooder.

 

[duckmama1970]

86F is much to hot for 3 week ducks! Have you let them have a swim at all? That would help cool them off.

They will be 2 weeks old tomorrow on Monday, I’m sorry that probably read a little confusing, I have 3 of them and they are 2 weeks old. I have not let them swim just yet because I read that they can get ill if they get too chilled. But if there is a way I can put them in some water to cool down. Should I just have the water warm or Luke warm perhaps?

 

[duckmama1970]

 

[Isadora]

They might not even need that heat lamp if they're in your house, especially since their brooders on the smaller side. Ducklings are not as needy for heat as chicken chicks are.

 

[duckmama1970]

They might not even need that heat lamp if they're in your house, especially since their brooders on the smaller side. Ducklings are not as needy for heat as chicken chicks are.

So they are in our sunporch where it does get pretty hot. So it’s okay to not be so extreme about the heat. I’m also nervous about putting them in water this early. I mean to say that they are 2 weeks old and I have 3 of them. Not that they are 3 weeks old.

 

[Isadora]

So they are in our sunporch where it does get pretty hot. So it’s okay to not be so extreme about the heat. I’m also nervous about putting them in water this early. I mean to say that they are 2 weeks old and I have 3 of them. Not that they are 3 weeks old.

Oh yeah, I would definitely relax about the heat. They'll be just fine.
They are absolutely fine at this age to go in the water for a quick swim. But they don't have to, that's really up to you.

 

[SilverBirds]

I let my two day old ducks swim. As long as you monitor them while swimming and dry them off when done they're okay to swim.