Very new! Could use some help!(:

[DaSouthernYankee]

Hi y’all! My name is Aly and I’m very new to this forum and ducks in general! I have been wanting some ducklings for years and I’ve finally acquired 2! Admittedly I went into the feed/pet store to look around and impulsively took two ducklings home with me. The store owner says they’re about 2 weeks old and gave me a “start up” which I imagine is the equivalent of a brooder. Quackers, from my research I am guessing is a blue runner and Cheese is a pekin. I’m not sure how accurate their age is and they gave me pellet bedding, a feeder with mashed up medicated feed, and a water bottle for their cage and said I’m pretty much set! As I’m researching Hong now I’m worried I am not really prepared or they’re getting proper care!! I ditched the water bottle and have given them a shallow dish for water, and undersupervisions and giving them peas as treats. They have no heater and I am keeping them dry but how do I know how old they really are and when to switch food?

I know they are very much so attached to each other and will not imprint on me but is it too late for them to become people friendly? They run from me when I open their cage, but eventually will calm down if I pet and hold them close. I allow them to roam in my room and hear my voice during the day.

My goal is to eventually move them to the yard once they are ready and am prepping the yard for a duck house, and pond but I have many questions about the pond!

Sorry this has become so lengthy I just am suddenly worried this store didn’t really provide me with adequate information and I’m already so in love with these two I’d hate to do anything to harm them. PS: I am only allowing them to play in the deep water dish under supervision.

Any advice would great and appreciated!!!

 

[snow5164]

What are you feeding them ?
Do they have grit? If they’re eating anything other then their feed they need grit to break it down .

I’d advise you to read til your eyes hurt ,it’s easier to plan before you buy the ducks

But , now you need to prepare a house and a water set up , how will you fence them in ?


Get a comfortable seat because you’ve got studying to do

 

[PirateGirl]

Don't stress it will be fun. Check out the Duck articles.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/ducks.30/

Also check out the ducks' sticky topics.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ducks-sticky-topics-index.256233/

At this age, you can probably use a desk lamp or something similar with a 100w bulb for warmth. Position it at one end of their box so they can choose to either go to the warm spot or move away from it. If they hang out under the light all the time it means they are too cold, if they always stay at the far end of the box away from the light it means they are too hot, you can re-position the light or use a different watt bulb accordingly.

Go to the store and see if they have a waterfowl feed or Purina Flock Raiser or an un-medicated chick starter. They can have un-medicated chick starter until about 8 weeks or Flock Raiser from duckling through adulthood. Also pick up a bag of "chick grit."

Also see if you can buy brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast at your grocery store for additional niacin. Ducklings grow super fast so their nutritional needs are different than baby chickens, so this is something you should add into their feed especially if they are eating a chick feed.

A water dish they can dunk their heads in is good. If you do a google image search for "no mess duckling water" you will get some ideas of DIY ways to build a good water dish they can't easily swim and and will keep things cleaner in their brooder. You should be able to make something out of things you have at home. Actually, if you have the lid to the container in your picture, you can put that on and cut a hole big enough they can put their heads in to drink, but not so big they can get their whole body through.

Your blue might be a blue swedish, it doesn't seem tall like a runner in your photos, but it's hard for me to tell if it might get the white bib... hmm...

Keep reading, keep asking questions. Raising ducklings doesn't have to be difficult. Also it's not too late for them to get used to people and be friendly. Just be calm around them. Talk to them before you get close so they can hear you coming since they probably can't see you coming through their box. This way they will learn your voice and learn not to be scared of your approach. Be gentle with them. They will be just fine.

Good luck!

 

[DaSouthernYankee]

What are you feeding them ?
Do they have grit? If they’re eating anything other then their feed they need grit to break it down .

I’d advise you to read til your eyes hurt ,it’s easier to plan before you buy the ducks

But , now you need to prepare a house and a water set up , how will you fence them in ?


Get a comfortable seat because you’ve got studying to do

The pet store supplied me with a large bag of Purina pre-ground feed, I believe it is medicated however I’m not at home looking at the bag at this moment. It looks like chicken food crushed into almost a dust like substance.

I actually am on a waiting list for Nigerian dwarf goat‘s this is how I ended up in said pet store… I’m a sucker for anything animal. But I have a 6 foot privacy fence and plan to run a separate picket fence Across the yard to divide into sections. I figured I could place a duck coop and of the pond on one side and get them acclimated to the yard… Of course once they’re ready to be outside. Will I have a problem with goats and ducks?
I certainly feel like I am going to be doing nonstop research for quite some time because I’m already in love with these little duckies!

 

[DaSouthernYankee]

Don't stress it will be fun. Check out the Duck articles.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/ducks.30/

Also check out the ducks' sticky topics.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ducks-sticky-topics-index.256233/

At this age, you can probably use a desk lamp or something similar with a 100w bulb for warmth. Position it at one end of their box so they can choose to either go to the warm spot or move away from it. If they hang out under the light all the time it means they are too cold, if they always stay at the far end of the box away from the light it means they are too hot, you can re-position the light or use a different watt bulb accordingly.

Go to the store and see if they have a waterfowl feed or Purina Flock Raiser or an un-medicated chick starter. They can have un-medicated chick starter until about 8 weeks or Flock Raiser from duckling through adulthood. Also pick up a bag of "chick grit."

Also see if you can buy brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast at your grocery store for additional niacin. Ducklings grow super fast so their nutritional needs are different than baby chickens, so this is something you should add into their feed especially if they are eating a chick feed.

A water dish they can dunk their heads in is good. If you do a google image search for "no mess duckling water" you will get some ideas of DIY ways to build a good water dish they can't easily swim and and will keep things cleaner in their brooder. You should be able to make something out of things you have at home. Actually, if you have the lid to the container in your picture, you can put that on and cut a hole big enough they can put their heads in to drink, but not so big they can get their whole body through.

Your blue might be a blue swedish, it doesn't seem tall like a runner in your photos, but it's hard for me to tell if it might get the white bib... hmm...

Keep reading, keep asking questions. Raising ducklings doesn't have to be difficult. Also it's not too late for them to get used to people and be friendly. Just be calm around them. Talk to them before you get close so they can hear you coming since they probably can't see you coming through their box. This way they will learn your voice and learn not to be scared of your approach. Be gentle with them. They will be just fine.

Good luck!

Thank you for all of your input! I’m really excited about this whole journey, I just want to do right by my ducks. I’m going to try and find them a lamp and some of the grit and yeast. I’m pretty sure they are eating purina flock raiser currently I’ll have to double check when I get home. I tried to let them run around as much as possible and talk to them a lot, I don’t have to be their mother necessarily but I do want to be liked by them… I am very excited to see what kind of duck Quackers turns out to be!

Any good resources for pond info? I was thinking a simple hundred gallon under ground pond without too many frills would be my best bet. From what I understand ducks are pretty messy and I may be better off simply pumping out the water every couple days and refilling instead of investing in high maintenance filtration systems.

 

[snow5164]

I would caution you in a 100 gallon pool... many kids wading pools that you can move around would make them happier and lots easier to clean

12 inches of water and my big pekins are diving ...

Have fun

 

[casportpony]

Go to the store and see if they have a waterfowl feed or Purina Flock Raiser or an un-medicated chick starter. They can have un-medicated chick starter until about 8 weeks or Flock Raiser from duckling through adulthood. Also pick up a bag of "chick grit."

Medicated chick starter is fine as long as the medication is amprolium. Flock Raiser would be better because it's formulated for ducklings.

Everyone should read this:
Feeding Ducklings Medicated Feed - The Myths and the Truth

 

[PirateGirl]

Medicated chick starter is fine as long as the medication is amprolium. Flock Raiser would be better because it's formulated for ducklings.

Everyone should read this:
Feeding Ducklings Medicated Feed - The Myths and the Truth

oh, yes, I meant when the OP goes to get the next bag... personally, my first choice would be something other than chick starter, but I'm not sure what the options are at the local store, and don't know what sort of medicated feed they currently have...

So maybe I revise my advice next time you go to the feed store, let us know what they options are and we can help you pick the best one!

@DaSouthernYankee you have your reading cut out for you! If you aren't careful we'll keep adding to your reading list every five minutes

 

[DaSouthernYankee]

oh, yes, I meant when the OP goes to get the next bag... personally, my first choice would be something other than chick starter, but I'm not sure what the options are at the local store, and don't know what sort of medicated feed they currently have...

So maybe I revise my advice next time you go to the feed store, let us know what they options are and we can help you pick the best one!

@DaSouthernYankee you have your reading cut out for you! If you aren't careful we'll keep adding to your reading list every five minutes

Haha they do say reading is good for your brain, I guess Im in luck! But seriously thank you all for your input I’m sure I’ll have many more questions as the days and weeks pass!

 

[SkyeT]

This forum was a Godsend for me before I became a member. My husband and I did a TON of research before we got our ducks, and even then, I still have questions and look on here for experience and answers.

Ducks are really great, and can be easy. I would go with kiddie pools if I were you. You will have to clean out their water CONSTANTLY. Ducks are a mess. Everything goes in the water...mud, food, poop, feathers, rocks, grass... Get somethign that can be moved, cleaned and restored constantly. We have one of our pools in a mulched garden, and one next to it outside of the mulched garden that is now mulched because nothing would grow there and they sweet wonderful ducks of mine love to bore holes in the ground because they love mud so darn much.

That's another thing. HOLES. They are EVERYWHERE. I live in a mine field and since Texas is drowning right now, they are the happiest ducks in the world because there is mud everywhere!