Topic of the Week - Raising and Caring for Ducklings

[Henrik Petersson]

You should make this into an article if it is not already.

I've never made an article, would you be so kind as to tell me how?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I've never made an article, would you be so kind as to tell me how?

Go to the menu, click articles, on the right side there is a create button.
I haven't created an article either, but I am sure it will be as easy as posting!

 

[sumi]

I've never made an article, would you be so kind as to tell me how?

@Henrik Petersson Here's a how-to: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/953810/coop-pages-and-member-pages-tutorial-and-feedback/0_30

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have only had to raise one Muscovy duckling inside in a brooder. It was a joy but I prefer to let my Muscovy females hatch and raise, They not only raised their own breed but 2016 hatched Runners and Buffs.

I started all my ducklings and other baby poultry on Purina Flock Raiser crumble and let mama show them what else is good out there to eat. Never have had Angel wing in any of my water fowl thank goodness and Purina FR I believe is 20or 21% protein. Plus babies get to taste dried mealworms right off too.

With broody female ducks I give them their own space for a few weeks before letting them all be with the rest of the flock. Having a mixed flock of birds I just feel better knowing mama and babies are safe and everyone gets use to each other before being put together.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

I turned that post into an article, with some added info about ducks vs. muscovy ducks, angel wing, etc. Thank you for the confidence.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...covy-ducklings-with-natural-incubation.73574/

 

[Animal family]

I’m new to ducks but I raised 2 this past year...loved every minute! Not a lot of info out there, even at the feed store that sells them. This site has been a life saver.

I started mine in a big Tupperware bin with small pine shavings and a heat lamp. Feed was a chick pellet starter that I put brewers yeast in. Treats were those tiny petite peas and some finely chopped Romain lettuce.

I moved them to the master bath jacuzzi tub when they were about 2 weeks old and I kept elevating the heat lamp until they didn’t need it anymore. Same feed.

When they had water time, to start it was just a casserole pan lol, and finally the guest room bathtub while I supervised. They tired easily and napped a lot.

As they grew, I increased their treats to mealworms, regular size peas, watermelon, while I still fed the pellets with brewers yeast. I had no idea it was necessary to water their pellets down but they made it through all my ignorance.

They slept in the jacuzzi tub until the duck house was finished when they were about 4 months I believe. By then they would spend all their time outside until bedtime. They have little covered roofs and shrubs and would often sleep on the back porch.

Can’t believe it’s been almost 11 months! So much fun and so much to learn. I look forward to many more years of pet duckhood.

 

[Abriana]

Remember that muscovy ducks and ducks are two different species, with very different growth rates, and therefore, very different nutritional needs as ducklings!

More to the point: duck ducklings (henceforth called "common ducklings") do well on chick starter feed for the first few weeks. I've seen it recommended on more than one occasion. Muscovy duck ducklings (henceforth called "muscovy ducklings") should not be fed chick starter feed for more than 1-2 weeks, if at all.

We fed our muscovy ducklings chick starter feed for three weeks. This caused their outer wing bones to grow too fast, causing the condition known as angel wing.

This is the horrible result:

View attachment 1248780

View attachment 1248782

View attachment 1248783

So what to do instead? Well, all our other batches (they've been five or so) have been eating basic chicken pellets instead, and they had zero instances of angel wing. I'm no statistician, but the correlation is overwhelming.

Ordinary chicken pellets does have one problem, though: They are a little bit too big for the ducklings' beaks the first week. So I recommend crushing them or soaking them the first week, or maybe give them chick starter feed (which is much finer) for one week.

I want to stress that feeding common ducklings is a whole different matter.

This has saved my ducklings! I’m getting them in spring and would have fed them starter for longer than two weeks. Thank you so much for posting! After two weeks or so do you start on grower? Or layer? My ducks will be having chicken feed with supplemented niacin.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

This has saved my ducklings! I’m getting them in spring and would have fed them starter for longer than two weeks. Thank you so much for posting! After two weeks or so do you start on grower? Or layer? My ducks will be having chicken feed with supplemented niacin.

I'm not sure about the terminology, but probably not layer (since it probably has added calcium). I'd feed them what we here call "basic".

 

[Abriana]

I'm not sure about the terminology, but probably not layer (since it probably has added calcium). I'd feed them what we here call "basic".

I guess that would be grower. Thanks!

 

[Abriana]

Is angel wing fixable?