Yeah you want to get them out the house (if your brooding them in there) asap coz they smell a little more than chickens(but they are not DUSTY like chickens) and it will be warmer in spring so you wont have to use a heat lamp.Oh ok thanks
When is the best time to get baby ducks? I'm guessing spring right?
Spring is probably one of the easiest times to raise ducklings, with its generally mild temperatures. If you're planning to buy ducklings, they're more available in spring, too (unless you have an incubator and a supply of fertile eggs, like me).
Personally, I think you can raise ducklings year-round, if you're properly prepared for the differences (and challenges) each season presents, depending on where you live. Where I live, it gets below freezing in the winter, so keeping water liquid is a challenge and ducklings will definitely need supplemental heat until they're feathered; in the summer, it gets dangerously hot with the humidity, so the pools need to be refilled during the day and sometimes I add some ice to cool the water. There is a lot of information in other BYC threads about keeping ducks and chickens safe and healthy during hot and cold weather - worth reading.
It looks like you've already started, but I highly recommend thorough research before you bring your ducklings home so you understand their needs and behavior. For example, proper feed and bedding materials, common injuries and illnesses. Ducks have specific nutritional needs and can develop problems if those needs aren't met; optimally, you'd try to prevent those problems from occurring in the first place. Even if you already raise other types of fowl, there is a learning curve with ducks.
Best to you in your duck journey. I hope you enjoy having them as much as I do!
