Topic of the Week - Raising and Caring for Ducklings

[Abriana]

She has like a mountain of ducklings in the first one!

 

[casportpony]

She has like a mountain of ducklings in the first one!

She was the bst broody ever!

 

[Abriana]

She was the bst broody ever!

So much adorableness!! I just love ducks. I’m dying for mine.

 

[Conan]

Now if that isn't just the cutest!!!

 

[Animal family]

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 may have misled you, I fed them the chick starter feed for probably 12-14 weeks, with brewers yeast added. I then switched them to manna pro game and showbird.
I give my girl oyster shell and mealworm treats because she’s laying. Any advice, or better ideas are welcome! I’m just doing what I’ve read online and here.

 

[Abriana]

I may have misled you, I fed them the chick starter feed for probably 12-14 weeks, with brewers yeast added. I then switched them to manna pro game and showbird.
I give my girl oyster shell and mealworm treats because she’s laying. Any advice, or better ideas are welcome! I’m just doing what I’ve read online and here.

Ah ok, thanks for clarification!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

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/

Looks great!

 

[PirateGirl]

Is it easier to brood ducklings in a brooder or with a mama duck?

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Is it easier to brood ducklings in a brooder or with a mama duck?

I don't see how it could be easier with a brooder. With a mama duck, you have to do literally nothing.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Great thread @sumi ! Thanks! I am getting some ducklings (if all goes well) from another member here, and it will be my first batch. Looking forward to the cuteness, but it sounds like they may be better off in the basement or garage, being so messy.

After raising chickens for decades, I started with Welsh Harlequins last March. The main differences between brooding chicks and ducklings I discovered:

1. Ducklings are incredibly messy with their water. I finally put their waterer in a big plant saucer filled with pea gravel to keep them from soaking the rest of the bedding. Next time I will seriously consider a wire-bottom brooder.

2. Ducklings grow incredibly fast! If you are used to chicks, double or triple the size of the brooder.

3. Ducklings do not need nearly as much heat as chicks.

I fed my ducklings Purina Flock Raiser crumbles (with treats and greens) until about a month before I expected them to start laying, then I switched to standard chicken laying pellets. While still on the Flock Raiser, I increased the amount of greens and other lower protein treats as they got older. They also became very active foragers, so the total protein in their diet decreased from the 20% in the Flock Raiser.

Thanks so much for all of this info everybody!

I think it's okay to let chicken hens hatch them as long as there is more than one duckling. If you only have one duckling it might get a little confused, lol.

“I identify as a chicken!”