sisters

[jkhenry]

i have 2 baby ducklings one is a khaki cambell and the other is a black cayuga both 2 weeks old they are like soul mates and both follow me everywheres i have 8 chicks also and was told to feed them chick starter too i also feed them small portions of meal worm treats and cut up lettuce am i feeding them what im supposed to ?

 

[Amiga]

You seem to be doing pretty well. If you are giving them lettuce and other treats, then they need to be getting a little chick-sized grit so they can digest the food and not get compacted.

Chick starter may not have enough niacin in it for ducklings, so I would add some brewer's yeast (just a sprinkling on each bowl of feed) for that.

 

[jkhenry]

thanx amiga i will try that the lettuce is cut up small and when i let them bathe in bath tub i sprinkle a little lettuce in also

 

[Amiga]

Make sure they keep pooping. Healthy ducklings pass quite a bit of stuff. It's a chore to clean up (if you have a garden, plants love duck poo), but we want those babies healthy.

 

[jkhenry]

thanx amiga poop they do lol we been monitoring all our birds and seem to b doin very well so far and my wife is constantly cleaning and giving fresh water im on 250 watt heat lamp for chicks and ducks wondering when i need to lower wattage

 

[Amiga]

I kept a little round thermometer (not the mercury kind, but for use with reptiles) in the brooder so I was sure of the temperatures.

Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks recommends 90F the first week, dropping 5 degrees a week till they are comfortable at room temperature. They need to be able to move away from the heat lamp, as it can be fatal for them to overheat. They can also suffer from not enough heat (didn't Goldilocks want things "just right?").

So at two weeks, somewhere around 80F should be right for the ducklings.

Have you noticed how quickly they grow? I am told that chicks don't grow as fast.

 

[jkhenry]

yes they are growing fast but still covered in baby fuzz no feathers yet i keep them in a 35 gal plastic container which seems to b good and let them in the yard in warm days they move away from heat lamp when hot and huddle closer to light when cold they never leave my side when i let them out lol they make great pets but a bit more upkeep than the chicks

 

[happyfarmer325]

That is so adorable how they follow you around! I know it must be inconvenient at times, but I so want my ducks to feel that way about me!

 

[jkhenry]

i think its awsum they took to me so fast at only 2 weeks and they like to lay on my chest on the sofa while watchin tv also with a towel across my lap of course lol i had to learn the hard way bout keeping ducklings on ur lap for a long period of time lol

 

[happyfarmer325]

Haha! I bet, you only have to make that mistake once!