Raising and caring for ducklings

[onaharley]

@onaharley please share your feeding and watering station here. Or give your link to your thread.

Yes I forgot to post this. Here is a video. I took a dollar store shoe tote and cut a big wide u shape out of one side, so the ducklings can get to the water. The tote will catch the water that spills over. I placed a puppy pee pad in the tote to absorb the water.***please note that I just found out that this not really a good idea because the pee pads contain a gel that is toxic if the ducks happen to rip open the outer layer and eat the insides. I am not home during the day to watch if this happens, so I have removed these from the brooder***.At tractor supply they have these cups that have hooks on the back and they slip right over the edges of the tote. The cups come in a set of 3 for 3.99.
When I get home I will take better pictures and post.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Is there a way for me to tell about how old my ducklings are? We bought them from Rural King, and they were already on the larger side. We have 3 Khaki Campbells and 3 White Layers. 2/3 of the Layers look like they have some white coming in under the yellow fluff.

View attachment 1650218

I want to cuddle them!

 

[Carcajou]

Good idea starting this thread jdywntr, it contains useful information.

Before I purchased my first ducklings I surfed and surfed and surfed to get all the information I could. I also bought the "Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks" which proved and still proves immensely useful. My prayer is that everyone will do their research before obtaining their first ducks be they ducklings or adults.

I am, however, eternally grateful for the BYC responses I received when I had my first encounter with a sick duck last summer. There are many very, very caring and helpful people on this forum when we have emergencies.

 

[MimiEggs]

I am not an expert on ducks but I will try to answer with my own experiences.

Mallards -- Based on my experience from years ago the answer to this question is Yes this is a possibility. Solution: house them in a pen with aviary netting across the top. Many years ago we had 2 Mallard Drakes and 3 females (housed with our chickens). One year as the wild ducks were making their pass over our property (headed south), 1 of our drakes and 2 of our hens "flew the coop" as we watched. Needless to say a top was put on that pen that afternoon, LOL.

Our Mallards and our chickens did very well together, could have been because we didn't have a rooster at the time. Currently my two 6 month old Pekin drakes are just now attempting to "get a lil sumthin" from my hens and a lot of noise gets made. My 2 roosters IMMEDIATELY come running to their rescue. So far the boys have all been cordial to each other when this occurs and no one has been hurt, but I have my suspicions this could change very soon. I am hoping that as soon as my newly aquired female Pekin ducklings are old enough and mature (to incorporate into the flock) that will solve the drakes problem, LOL. So Yes it is possible but something to be watchful over.

Sorry can't help you on the egg laying as I have the same question myself.

Ducks sinus passages are the two holes on their bill. These holes frequently get clogged with dirt, feed and who knows what else. If they are unable to clean out these holes they can get a sinus infection. Therefore they need access to clean water they can really get their bill into, deeply. It's really funny to watch too, they put their bill in the water and blow out their sinus passages and sort of jerk their head up. So in answer to that question no they don't "have to have" a pond but they do need access to a large bowl, bucket, pail, tub of water so they can clean out their nose. That said, Ducks are "waterfowl" and they much prefer being in the water, they love, love, love to swim. As adults your ducks will be much happier (my opinion) if they have access to a pond to "be themselves".

Please note: ducklings only need access to swimming water for 10 to 15 minutes a day and need to be towel dried a little before putting back in the brooder. This is only so that they can clean out their noses and be exposed to water. In the wild mommie duck will take her babies out for a swim and then when they get back to land she will clean and dry them off and rub the oils from "her" oil gland over her babies to protect them from the elements. A duckling will not have a working oil gland until they are fully feather, until that time limit their exposure to swimming water, towel dry and return to warm brooder.

When you say small pond, how many gallons are you talking about? The ducks will absolutely love your pond and unless you pen them "from it" will probably find it pretty quickly. And unless your goldfish are huge they will probably snack on them as well. I'm picturing a nice koi pond with clear water and fish you can see swimming around and it's nice huh? If you want to keep it that way you will need a really, really good filter system as ducks poop in water. I know there is a thread on here somewhere about duck pond ideas and construction, I would check it out to see what other people have done. I'm hoping to construct my own pond some time this summer.

Read the above post by jdywntr it is full of great information you will need.

Good luck with your new babies.

 

[MountainMamaHST]

Just got our Khaki Campbells. Last year our ducklings lived in the bathroom of our old house with no one there. Just two of them. This year we got two Khaki Cambells and our hold house is inhabited so they can't go live there until they are outdoor age. Are ducklings always so flipping LOUD!? My chicks are so quiet I go check and make sure they are still alive. The ducks have not shut up once in an hour! They are plenty warm and have a place to get out of the heat, clean water, lots of food but PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!!!!!
Terrified they are going to keep us up all night....

 

[jdywntr]

Some are VERY talkative. Nothing that you can really do about it if they have everything they need. I think sometimes small numbers just aren't as happy as those that have a bunch of other ducklings around. Not that they are unhappy but maybe not as secure feeling. Try adding a small stuffed animal or two. Maybe more things to cuddle with will help.

I have a lone hatch muscovy that has taken up with my broody after its mom decided she didn't want to be a mom. Miss broody went out for a swim, leaving baby in the nest with her eggs. I went outside and heard baby peeping from 100 yards away.

 

[Rosie42892]

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. I may start working on a Duck Care info sheet.

I am by no means an expert. But there are so many people on here asking basics I thought I'd do this.

This is an awesome thread! Great job- a quick go to guide for beginners, like myself! Thanks!

 

[Amiga]

I bless jdywntr each time I read a new post asking for help raising ducklings.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Lost a duckling to eating pine shavings. I am sure of it. Like an idiot I had some of the smaller shavings and in a rush I topped off their dampened straw with some of the shavings and left for an appointment. The baby I lost had curled toes on one foot and although it was getting around ok, I was attempting to correct the toes and physical therapy etc. and I have a feeling he sat resting in the shavings and chowed down. I feel like an idiot.

Not an idiot, just a very hard heartbreaking way to learn something.

 

[chickery-do]

I must have boys, thou they act like m/f and their voices are like males.
But the one I feel is the boy has had a curled back end. He's very protective of her and she
always places her head under his for protection. They are 5 or 6 weeks here. She's smaller than him also
If you look at the picture you will see what I mean. But I know it does not mean it will be
what it will be.