The Duck Thread

[ringaring]

Young duckings should have watery mash - use chick starter without antibiotics. They are too young for peas and chopped fruit/veggies just yet. They need constant access to water deep enough to submerge and clean their bills, but not so big as to allow them to swim around until they have their feathers in and have some protection against getting chilled. Mine would sit in their water bowl with about 1/2" water in it. They barely fit but loved it. They also had a warming light above their box with enough room to sit several inches away from it if they were too warm. If you mash some bugs, they love the extra protein. Gross but anything for the children.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Young duckings should have watery mash - use chick starter without antibiotics. They are too young for peas and chopped fruit/veggies just yet. They need constant access to water deep enough to submerge and clean their bills, but not so big as to allow them to swim around until they have their feathers in and have some protection against getting chilled. Mine would sit in their water bowl with about 1/2" water in it. They barely fit but loved it. They also had a warming light above their box with enough room to sit several inches away from it if they were too warm. If you mash some bugs, they love the extra protein. Gross but anything for the children.

Gross is right, I will let them mash their own bugs.

 

[blondiebee181]

Hi! I'm a very new duck mom...you may have seen the posts on the Raising Wood Duck's thread....we found several eggs that had blown out of a tree in a storm last Thursday. There were 5 eggs, 2 were completely damaged, 2 were cracked (one badly) and one was intact. We brought them inside and made a nice little incubator for them. We lost the one that was badly cracked open, but the other 2 hatched (one was pretty early by the look of him, but I nursed him for 48 hours straight and he's doing great! We're guessing they're mallards....nothing as exotic as what everyone here has, but they're so sweet!! They have completely imprinted on us and start to cry when they hear my voice and want to come to me. We are very new at this duck thing...and loving it. I'm learning everything I can and have so many questions! First: Can they eat peas, fruit, corn, any other fruit or veggies now or are they too young? They love romaine lettuce. I'm planning on taking them outside for short periods of time starting this weekend with access to very shallow water...they love to play in their drinking water. We have a small poultry water dispenser with the round pan on the bottom. They can't fit in the ring, but they try! I would love any and all advice we can get from everyone as they grow! I can't believe how sweet they are!! I'll post the pics of them from in the egg to out. My daughter named them Chitter Chatter and Peepers. We don't know if they're girls or boys or one of each yet, it'll be a surprise. Chitter Chatter in the shell. His shell was cracked when we found him. Half of it came off. You can see the yolk sac behind his head.

Shortly after Peepers hatched. He had started to pip but then stopped. We helped unzip the shell (is that the right term?) and moistened the membrane that was completely dry and shrunk. He hatched the rest of the way on his own.
Peepers 3 hours after hatching.
Chitter Chatter started doing so much better when his sibling hatched.
24 hours after Peepers hatched.
In my hand. They love to just sit on my hand.

So glad you were able to rescue these guys!!! Aw! I love baby duckies! Since your food question was first and foremost, I will answer that first...ducks need to be fed a 20% protein non-medicated starter crumble like an all-purpose Flock Raiser. You can find it at feed stores. I would wait about a week or 2 to feed them much else, because they are young yet and if you feed them anything besides starter crumble they will need grit. Ducks have crop-type digestive systems just like all birds so they need small sand grains and stones to grind up their food in the crop.

Babies will LOVE swimming but make sure you watch them closely and only allow them in for short 5 minute periods at a time. Baby down gets water-logged easily so they can't stay in for too long and you will want to towel them off after and place them under the heat lamp. It sounds like you have taken measures to keep them from swimming in their drinking water which is important....they will make a huge mess of it otherwise. I suggest bedding your brooder with wood horse-stall pellets (also found at the feed store) they are super absorbent and smell nice

Yeah, ducks imprint BIGTIME. They are soooo cute, mine used to follow me around the house, down the street, into the shower, around the yard, sitting in front of the TV...they love you like their mother. as they grow older, the need will lessen, especially since they have each other, but they will still be very friendly with you.

The last big advice is that ducks grow very quickly, so they will be ready for a larger house in about 5 weeks...as soon as they start to grow in their adult feathers. Ducks have a nice layer of fat as well so they overheat faster than chickens would. Their adult housing should be simple...as long as they have a covered place lined with straw to bed down in and even something as simple as a kiddie pool for swimming and cooling off. I use a dog house for mine. Also keep in mind that if they are mallards, they do still posess the ability to fly, unlike most other domestics. As far as the sex, it will kind of be a waiting game....until you see a change in plumage or hear a change in voice. Good luck with your little ones! Ducks are sure fun!

 

[JacqueOCS]

We're raising 4 baby mallards too At what age is a safe age to let them out on their own? Ours aren't friendly at all, they scatter out of their pool and run to the other side of the stall when I enter

 

[BLT79]

Our first ever ducks. Mixed Cayuga/ pekin. I saw something about not feeding them layer chick feed. Right now the ducks and chickens are the same age, and farmer we got them from said they can eat the chick starter, unmedicated. What do I feed them next and at what age? What if they do eat the chickens layer feed when the chicks are ready for it? They are all in the run together so how do I prevent them from eating the layer feed? Thanks! this is the best place to learn!

 

[BLT79]

Hi everyone,
have a question about our new ducks! every night I have to "chase" them around the pen to put them in for the night. Should I have to do that? Didn't know if they were like chickens in that they go in their coop at dusk. Or do they not like to go in at night? thanks for any advice!

 

[starlingsbaby]

love them all

The fourth pic with Pekins in bushes their beaks look pink. But they all look aweome

 

[BLT79]

We're raising 4 baby mallards too

At what age is a safe age to let them out on their own? Ours aren't friendly at all, they scatter out of their pool and run to the other side of the stall when I enter

mine seem to scatter as well!

 

[BLT79]

Could that be the start of the feather curling? 6 weeks old.

Frick and Frack for now!

love birds! haha!

any way to make them less skittish? walk into run and they go as far away as they can!

 

[starlingsbaby]

Lookin for lady in Ocala fl getting rid of 5 ducks Pekins if u still have them pm me