Raising and caring for ducklings

[Miss Lydia]

I have a Muscovy breeding pair. The duck has hatched 5 ducklings herself. I have confined them in a pen inside the chicken house. When can I free range them?

You can let them out anytime, you know what is out there as far as preds go.But I like to keep my moms and ducklings in a separate fenced in area for a couple to 3 weeks just to give them time to get grounded so to speak and give everyone time to get to know the little ones. They have their own house too. After 2-3 weeks I take down temp fence and let everyone together and it make integration alot easier.

 

[campchickens]

This is such a helpful thread. Thanks, all.

I acquired two ducklings to be friends with my only chick that hatched (power outage problems). The three get along very well, but have outgrown their brooder. I've read a ton (especially here) about transitioning ducks to outside, but I wanted to check in particularly about transitioning them into a chicken coop?

My plan so far is to lock them in the coop while the full grown chickens free range during the day, and then supervise the chickens going up to roost. I have plenty of bedding for the ducks, and will bring them in at night for a few more nights, but just wanted to check if anyone had last minute tips for me.

Thanks!

 

[gaa2970]

I got Rouens because I read somewhere that Mallards leave in the winter. I live in Colorado. I don't know if it's true though.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is such a helpful thread. Thanks, all.

I acquired two ducklings to be friends with my only chick that hatched (power outage problems). The three get along very well, but have outgrown their brooder. I've read a ton (especially here) about transitioning ducks to outside, but I wanted to check in particularly about transitioning them into a chicken coop?

My plan so far is to lock them in the coop while the full grown chickens free range during the day, and then supervise the chickens going up to roost. I have plenty of bedding for the ducks, and will bring them in at night for a few more nights, but just wanted to check if anyone had last minute tips for me.

Thanks!

How old are your ducklings and chick? adult chickens can be ruthless and do serious injury to young I'd go with temp fencing off an area inside your coop for the 3 newbies and let each get use to the other before trying to let them all be together. try it for at least a week. then see how it goes transitioning them all together. we had a member a couple years ago who put 5-6 week old Muscovy ducklings in with their adult chickens and those chickens killed and injured most of them. Not saying this would happen every time but something that needs to be taken seriously.

 

[campchickens]

Certainly. The ducklings are about 8 weeks old and the chick is just a few days behind them. They all kind of flip out if any one of them is taken out, so I'm hesitant to put out the ducks without the chick. They'll be in a predator-proof run during the day while the chickens free range outside of that space.

I was contemplating still bringing them in at night? It's warm enough out, just to postpone full flock mingling a little longer till the chick can catch up in size...

 

[WVduckchick]

Certainly. The ducklings are about 8 weeks old and the chick is just a few days behind them. They all kind of flip out if any one of them is taken out, so I'm hesitant to put out the ducks without the chick. They'll be in a predator-proof run during the day while the chickens free range outside of that space.

I was contemplating still bringing them in at night? It's warm enough out, just to postpone full flock mingling a little longer till the chick can catch up in size...

My 11-week old ducks have been outside since they were 3 weeks old... I'm in WV, you in VA, so at 8 weeks, they can definitely handle it! My ducks refused to go inside anything "closed up"... If the run is predator-proof, I would consider letting the chicks go in the coop, and leave the ducks in the run. Could you add a temporary "partition" fence inside the run to ease introductions?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Certainly. The ducklings are about 8 weeks old and the chick is just a few days behind them. They all kind of flip out if any one of them is taken out, so I'm hesitant to put out the ducks without the chick. They'll be in a predator-proof run during the day while the chickens free range outside of that space.

I was contemplating still bringing them in at night? It's warm enough out, just to postpone full flock mingling a little longer till the chick can catch up in size...

I wouldn't keep the chick separate from the ducks just the 3 of them separate from the big chickens until more mature.

 

[Ducklover1113]

Can I give my ducklings wheat powder???:/

 

[leo081977]

THANK YOU

 

[sbhammond]

I am new to ducks and have a large pond. They are free range, but one duckling was born with a crooked bill. So he was becoming weaker because of not being able to eat as well. I started feeding them more often and he has bounced back, but then another one has developed angel wing. After reading more about Angel wing, it seems that I have been feeding them the wrong food. I was sold chicken scratch at the local feed store. What can I feed them and how often? Ps- now they are in the coop while he has his wing wrapped.