Raising and caring for ducklings

[AprilFurey]

No the sitter doesn't have a log in but she calls me and gives updates and asks questions as needed . She even cleaned out the crate for me too, which was a surprise !! I pre mixed the food and have the niacin already mixed in the jugs of water . I did tell her that they can not have food without water . Thanks for your help !!

 

[Amiga]

Someone just pointed out to me that the original post says food and water 24/7 for the first two weeks. Just wanted to toss in here that I followed Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks at went several more weeks - 8 total, I think, before taking food and water away at night only. Sorry I missed this way back when. I remember reading the whole post . . . .

It is a very very good article and I have given the link many times.

This may have been pointed out somewhere, so my apologies if this is a repeat.

 

[lilmizscareall]

@jdywntr, or anyone else that might know: I did get a copy of Storey's Guide for Ducks, and in the section about brooders they only hit on the type of heat source briefly. They mention using a "blue bulb" instead of a red bulb, because it's bad for their eyes(???). I've looked on Amazon, eBay and other random sites, but there's not much info other than the fact that they might be talking about reptile bulbs.
What do you guys use? I like to keep my setup as basic as possible, so if I can avoid buying nothing more than the correct bulb, I'd be happy. Not cheap, just like keeping my tools as versatile as possible.
So do I use only red at night and blue for day?
Their brooder is under a window, so they get plenty of natural daylight.

 

[Amiga]

I used the ceramic bulbs I had gotten for my reptiles who had died of old age the year before. No light, just heat.

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

hi everyone,
I'm planning to get some ducks, I'm wanting to start of with a few day old ones, then maybe breed them.
when (if) I get them, when should you introduce them to water for them to swim in?
thanks for any advice!

 

[Amiga]

When mine were two days old, I let them "swim" in an inch of warm water in a cake pan. It was so cute! After a couple of days - they grow FAST - I would put them in warm water - like 85F - in the tub, the water just deep enough to reach their bellies. And I did not leave them for a moment unsupervised. Ducklings can get into trouble in the most unexpected ways. And they can get tired, and chill.

So they went right back into a warm brooder. Anyone who did not preen, I would wipe with a dry washcloth.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

With my first group of ducklings, the 4H kid who sold them to me told me to not allow them to swim at all until feathers started to come in. So that was what I did and they were fine. Since then, I've seen momma ducks take their ducklings swimming very very early, so I'm much more relaxed now, but unless your area is very warm, I just wouldn't risk it.

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

ok thanks for the help

 

[Baymule]

I'm getting 17 Pekins and 3 fawn and white Runner ducks at the end of the month. I have read about the niacin for them. Where do I get it? Can I get niacin tablets for humans and what strength? I want to do this right and not lose any of them. I'm so excited to be getting duckies!

 

[Amiga]

Very happy news, Baymule!

Find niacin capsules, not no-flush, not timed-release, not tablets. Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks recommends for ducklings showing signs of deficiency, to use 100 to 150 mg niacin per gallon of drinking water for several weeks.

We don't have a hard and fast concentration for preventative measures, but I would want at least 50 mg per gallon, and would likely myself go with 100 mg per gallon for the first 8 weeks.

Some folks sprinkle brewer's yeast on the food. That is less precise, but they report that the ducklings do well with that approach. According to this web site, http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/1323569/2 brewer's yeast has a number of other nutrients in it as well, and ducklings can also have thiamine deficiencies. That is another B vitamin. I have heard some use B Complex, not just the straight niacin.

We all do the best we can with what we have, and I think that gives rise to many different ways of caring for our animals.