Pekin duckling questions

[foxchasr]

Hi everyone ... I have 2 Pekin ducklings that are about a month old. I got them 2 weeks ago and am enjoying every day with them. This board is literally my bible for learning and I'm so appreciative for that. I've been reading old posts and have a few questions and was wondering if anyone could offer any answers, that would be great! When do I stop feeding the ducklings their crumble. They are currently on Purina Start and Grow. I got my ducklings from a local farmer and it was hit or miss if I have a boy or a girl. One of the ducklings is a bit larger than the other and his/her bill is bright yellow, the other boy/girl from day one had a pinkish bill and is smaller. I named this one Rosie because of the rosy, pinkish bill. I just googled somewhere and they said this could be an indication that this is a female. How soon can you you tell if you have a Drake? Both have raspy quacks, I know I'm shooting in the dark here. Lastly, I do have 7 hens and a rooster and have heard that you can't feed ducks chicken feed, mine get layer pellets and scratch. Since my ducks will be free roaming with the hens and rooster, what happens if they get in the chickens feed? Last question, it's about 50s overnight and high 60s low 70s here during the day, when can I turn off their lamp? I have been keeping it off during the day.

Thank you so much for passing along your knowledge to me!!!!

 

[srpaint]

My ducks eat the same as my chicks. They all free roam together. Ducks can not have medicated chick feed. And the feed needs to be under 16% protein from age 5 weeks on. It helps prevent problems with their wings.

 

[davekrista]

With pekin ducks, the bill color is not an indication of gender. The low raspy quack is usually a male and the louder quacks are the females. I have 1 male and 3 females and they all have pretty much the same color bills. The only way i can tell what they are is the boy has the drake tail feather and a low raspy quack and the girls don't have the feather and are so loud and chatter box.

 

[foxchasr]

Thank you. At way age do the boys develop the curly tail feather?

 

[gofasterstripe]

HI!
I take my ducklings off the Starter and onto the Grower/Finisher within 2 to 3 weeks as I like to keep the protein down.
You cant tell the sex of them by beak colour, the pink beaked duckling is probably an Aylesbury/Pekin mix, Ive hatched out a few this year. Its just a Pekin with a pink beak. You should be able to tell by now or soon what sex your ducks are. They usually start to quack about 4 to 5 weeks and the boys might have a high pitched whistle. If you pick 1 up and move it away from its buddy it will strss a bit and you should be able to hear if its a boy or girl. Last year I had babies about 6 to 8 weks old with time in with the adult ducks and they would eat the layer pellets, as long as they are not gorging all day every day they should be good. A little bit here and there isnt going to hurt them. My 2 young draked hatched in Jan and I kept them in the house untill they were abot 6 weeks old. Inever had a heat lamp on them unless they have just got out the bath and it was more to help them dry. They went to live outside with the big ducks at 6 to 7 weeks and never yet had a heat lamp and that was in March! Ive found the more you keep a heat lamp on them their feathers take longer to grow. My drakes had loads of feathers by week 3 without the lamp. Maybe its my imagination, I dont know.

 

[gofasterstripe]

My drakes are 16 weeks now and they are just getting their curl, some drakes curls come quicker than others. They loose their baby fuzz and get their teenage feathers, then within a few weeks they will molt again and then the adult feathers will come in..then..the tail feather will appear.

 

[msocen]

Quote ,I too have a Pekin duck and six chickens, she/he was brooded with two rhode islancd chicks, and they are now inseperable. I have been feeding it start and grow also, but since she has been outside, she loves worms, puffed wheat, peas, whatever it can find in the yard. so, i don't know how much of the feed the duck eats, all seven animals live happily together. i am learning soo muc h through allo of you also! Thank you!!