Two ducklings on the way! What should I know?!

[poozer]

Im purchasing just two, male, Pekin ducklings (for now) and have been reading information on them like CRAZY!! The boys hatch January 7th and will arrive January 8th or 9th! I was planning on keeping them in an a large dog cage with bedding at the bottom in the beginning. It would have a water dish, and food dish, and a heat lamp tangling above. I would probably let them waddle outside a few times a day (as long as Im outside with them and depending on the weather.)
What kind of vitamins, probiotics, feed, etc. should they have and if any? Should I put in a ratty old towel inside for something for the boys to snuggle in? I want them to become very social (realizing though, every duck is different) because we have many people that come visit the farm. Eventually we want to try them out (once older) in with our hens, but I have read that this particular set up hasnt worked out for everyone so we will try it once the boys are a little older. Any information is greatly appreciated! Till then, more google searching

! Thanks and God bless!!

 

[blondiebee181]

Congrats! Ducks are a lot of fun and relatively low maintenance...I've had a Peking before and he was really sweet

BUT....I would strongly advise against putting male ducks in with chicken hens. I had Paul in until he was 3 months and he tried to mate them. This is a big no no. Ducks have completely different anatomy than chickens and can cause significant damage to hens. If there are no female ducks he will try to mate your hens it's their instinct. I wouldn't even try it. It's not worth the life of your chickens. I would say separate enclosures.
Also I would recommend niacin as a supplement. It helps with proper leg and foot development. Amiga,as always, has great advice and I second all she has to say. Ducklings are messy and require a lot of water.they must be able to rinse their noses. I would set the waterer inside another shallow container to catch the water they spill. Feed any flock raiser or chick starter that is non medicated...emphasis on the non...and yes they can swim as early as a week as long as you dry them off because they aren't fully fledged. Ducks have their messy quirks but I think they are well worth it and have super personalities! Good luck!

 

[duckins]

May I suggest a large plastic tote pine shavings in the bottom chicken wire on top heat lamp can hang from chain hooked to ceiling for security and ability to reduce heat. Just a suggestion but it would be warmer and easier to clean out as this will be a never ending chore lol. Then in 2 or 3 weeks a child's playpen lined with plastic table cloth and towels tucked in bottom and hanging oversides to keep poop in and prevent them from ripping mesh works great. A little long winded but it really made them happy and my job a lot easier.

 

[redsoxs]

With a proper duck food I don't think the required nutrients and vitamins would be taken care of. I would be very careful about taking them outside - ducks are very susceptible to cold. Also be careful about letting them swim until they get feathered. I saw somewhere else you mentioned Metzer's. They really know their stuff. Good luck to you!

 

[Amiga]

Your enthusiasm is cheering!

Please take a look through the stickies at the top of the forum. Many of us have compiled what we feel is some of the best information about duck care.

Could you say a bit more about where the dog cage will be kept, what other animals are around?

I like having a thermometer for the brooder - takes the guesswork out, and it is no substitute for watching the babies to see if they are too warm or too cool.

I used turkey/waterfowl starter with chopped rolled oats (4 to 1 ratio to adjust protein %). I also gave them a teaspoon of grit in their food each day and started them on lettuce as a treat when they were a week old. Towels worked very well for bedding. Some work involved, but no cost, and the rinse water went onto the garden and I was stunned at how well the garden liked it.

Water management is more important than I can communicate to you right now. There are many, many ways to do it right!

Ducklings must splash. It is in the contract. They must also fling things like poop and damp feed. Also in the contract. Set up the brooder so that the water that gets splashed goes somewhere other than the bedding and the flung stuff is easy to wipe up. 70%cocoa, tweetysvoice, OldGuy43, and others have done nicely with water management.

Marwan has a couple of drakes he has raised, so see if you can find some of his old posts. Haven't heard from him in a while . . . .wonder where he got to?

 

[Kevin565]

1. I would suggest adding a Niacin supplement. What feed are you going to use?
2. You can add a towel but it may be harder to keep clean.
3. You might want to be very careful. Since you chose to only have males it's much more likely they will try to breed your hens.

 

[poozer]

Redsox- (Go Boston!)
I talked to Metzers a little bit today too, they were very helpful with the few questions I had. He suggested to put their cages next to each other in the beginning so they can be able to observe one another. They said that would help with bringing them together as I know aggression problems and matting problems have occurred. We live in the south so the cold isnt too much of a problem this time of year Thank you SO much about telling me about the swimming! That is why Google can be flawed, ahahaha! Thanks again so much!!

 

[poozer]

Amiga-
You were so sweet and helpful, thank you!! They will be kept in an unheated/uncooled garage or shed. The dog cage is your typical dog cage, it was built for a golden retriever. My largest golden is 95lb. and I could still put him inside it. They might possibly need two heat lamps due to the size, Metzer warned me they might not understand the heat lamp right away, so I needed to watch them and make sure they are under it. The chickens are outside, the goats are in a separate pen outside, as well. I then have 3 dogs, to of which go out for a swim twice a day. But they are sweet with animals so getting them with ducks wont be a problem, (they are used to it.) And then like I said we have 5 hens and counting
The thermometer is a great idea, thanks! Ill probably keep it to just the bedding as we use it for our goats too! Metzer said the same, try to keep it game bird starter? Just make sure its a crumble? hahaha Tomorrow I visit the feed store to actually learn what a "crumble" type of food is! The water control will take some figuring out. But Ill make sure it happens! haha! I did read not to let them play in the same dish they drink out of? It makes sense. Ill look at the names you gave. Thanks!! Any more advice is always wanted!!! Thanks again so much!!!

 

[poozer]

Kevin-
Thank you!! I did hear that the males might try to mate with the hens. That bridge will be crossed if and when we get there. hahaha!! But its worth a shot Niacin? Do you know if I could purchase something like that at my local feed store? Sorry for all the questions, but I wanna make sure I am as prepared as I can be!! Thanks again!!

 

[jdywntr]

If you can't get duck/waterfowl starter, non-medicated chick starter will work. You should give a niacin supplement either brewers yeast or niacin added to water. Even in the south, ducklings need warmth. They should start at 85-90 degrees and go down in temp weekly. A chill can kill a young duckling. Have EVERYTHING ready and to temp before you go pick them up. Call the PO and let them know to expect them and to call you when they arrive. Depending on where you are, your local PO may not have much experience with live birds. Mine didn't, I still remember the look on the lady's face when she handed me a chirping box. I got my very first ducks (runners) from Metzer. They are a great hatchery, very helpful and my birds were great.

Like Amiga said, check the stickies, lots of helpful info. Also, having a book on hand is, I think, indispensible. BYC is an awesome source of help and info but I like being able to find an answer in a pinch. I have Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks and I refer to it ALL the time.

Be prepared. Have your feed, bowls etc on hand. I agree with redsoxs (my hubby will LOVE your user ID, he's from MA) you shouldn't need vitamins but may want to have electrolytes or chick saver on hand just in case.

Good luck, post pics and prepare for the stink. It's lucky they are so cute and grow into something we like, otherwise nobody would brood ducklings.