Rescue Duck[lings] need some advice

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Hi Friends,
you likely remember that i gave away six of my duck's fertile eggs a while ago to my neighbors whose broody hen hatched six cute ducklings. They are about six weeks old now, the surviving five are too much of a burden for their owners and they asked me if i would take them back…
On one hand, who could refuse five little duckies like those:

On the other hand i like to yell "duck you!" at them - why did you not think this through before hatching them! And i do feel a bit responsible for those younglings as they are my Duckies offspring…
I have no room to set up a brooder in the garage or anywhere else and they would have to stay with the rest of the flock immediately as i don't have a second duck house ready. - The vacation house might be an option, but it is much colder in there than in the other house and no run-area around that house is fenced in.
Has anybody made experiences with »just throwing newbies into an existing flock«?

 

[DuckyDonna]

Boy, that would really piss me off too! I had a guy take some of my eggs to hatch and then once they did he left them in his carport and gee guess what? They were gone in the morning! That will NEVER happen again. EVER! He was stupid enough to tell me! I'm done selling any of my eggs for hatching. People don't know how to take care of my precious babies. Makes me so mad! All you can do it take them back and do the best you can.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh please don’t unless you want injured or dead ducklings. You can’t make a heated area out In your coop for these littles so everyone can meet proper way then in a couple weeks try them all together? Their going to need heat for a while yet they are still young. That’s a shame they didn’t want them any longer but please give them every chance.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Do NOT put those poor precious ducklings into your existing flock. Just DONT. Please oh please do not!!! Unless of course you want dead ducklings...

Run to Walmart and pick up a rubber tote and heat lamp. Set up something brooder-like for them or don’t get them at all. You’re not responsible for those ducklings anyway and I understand you just want to help. But throwing them into your flock or leaving them without a brooder with a heat source, will not and I repeat NOT help them whatsoever.

 

[Rammy]

 

[DuckyDonna]

Do you have a kiddle swimming pool? You can use that as a brooder too. I can give more details if you want them.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Boy, that would really piss me off too! I had a guy take some of my eggs to hatch and then once they did he left them in his carport and gee guess what? They were gone in the morning! That will NEVER happen again. EVER! He was stupid enough to tell me! I'm done selling any of my eggs for hatching. People don't know how to take care of my precious babies. Makes me so mad! All you can do it take them back and do the best you can.

Oh my stars that’s awful! The audacity of some folks is just sickening!

 

[johntfs]

Hi Friends,
you likely remember that i gave away six of my duck's fertile eggs a while ago to my neighbors whose broody hen hatched six cute ducklings. They are about six weeks old now, the surviving five are too much of a burden for their owners and they asked me if i would take them back…
On one hand, who could refuse five little duckies like those:

On the other hand i like to yell "duck you!" at them - why did you not think this through before hatching them! And i do feel a bit responsible for those younglings as they are my Duckies offspring…
I have no room to set up a brooder in the garage or anywhere else and they would have to stay with the rest of the flock immediately as i don't have a second duck house ready. - The vacation house might be an option, but it is much colder in there than in the other house and no run-area around that house is fenced in.
Has anybody made experiences with »just throwing newbies into an existing flock«?

Stupidish question but are you sure they're six weeks old? I thought ducklings started getting their adult feather by four weeks. In any case, I'd think that at six weeks they wouldn't need a brooder/heat lamp, but I could easily be wrong.

Do you have any ducks (female) with ducklings of similar age/size/species? As I understand it, duck moms can't count, so if she doesn't see you add the ducklings to her flock, she'll probably "adopt" them. Otherwise maybe use a kiddie pool as a brooder, but if you can, put it somewhere that's fenced off but still near the rest of the flock. Maybe bring in part of the flock to interact with the ducklings (under your close supervision) and give them treats to associate the ducklings with treats/good things.

 

[Runner duck mom]

Your little ones hatched the same time as ours, I'm so sorry to hear That's a lot to spring on you after being so generous to let them have the eggs in the 1st place.
Can they hold them for a few days so you can get something set up at your place?
We've been slowly letting our adult ducks see our babies (separated) and the adults do not seem pleased. I don't think the ducklings would do well in the general population at this age.
Our 1st year with ducks was colder than expected and we were not ready for it (live and learn ). Made a super quick pen for them in the garage...shower curtain on the floor, towels on top and plywood walls quickly put up. It was ugly and messy but did the trick for a few days.

 

[Miss Lydia]

He used a kiddy pool to brood I remember that. Those are not 6 week old ducklings if that pic is recent.