WhatTheDuck - Help

[WhatTheDuck62]

Came home tonight and found 4 ducklings in my flower beds. No sign of a mother. I live in a subdivision. What do I do with 4 lost ducklings. I put them in a plastic container with a towel and a little water. I ground up an apple with some spinach, oats, and sunflower seeds. They seemed very hungry. They are down for the night. Any idea what kind of ducks these are or what I should do with them?

 

[jonhpdx]

Those are four Pekin ducks! That's so sad that someone would abandon them like that!

My best guess is they're about 2 weeks old. If you need help with caring for them visit this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

Make sure that when you feed them they have water available, that's how they swallow their food. Ducklings are very messy with water so you might want to protect whatever flooring you have underneath them. You also are going to need a heat lamp, they're still at a young enough age that they need some form of external heat to keep them warm.

Hope this helps and

 

[Chickiemommie87]

They look like my Pekins. If you aren't keeping them, see if you can find a farm to take them. Make sure you get a heat lamp and proper feed for them. Do not use medicated feed. I use dumor. If you have a tractor supply co near you go there. They cam help you get everything you need. In the meantime keep them very warm.

 

[desertdarlene]

Awww. Yes, dumped Pekins, probably someone's Easter ducklings. I'm betting the old owners live nearby because I think it's weird that they dumped them at a house in a subdivision unless you're known for taking in animals.

 

[rubberduckies]

Or they dumped them nearby and the ducklings wandered up to the house.

Keep them warm! They need a heat lamp if you can get one. At their age I'd say try to keep an area of the brooder at around 85 degrees. Using a best lamp in one end works best because they can move away from it I'd they're too hot.

I use Purina Flock Raiser for my ducks. It's about $12 for a 50 lb. bag at Tractor Supply. Smaller bags should be available but if you plan to keep them just go ahead and get the big bag.

Always have food and water available to ducklings that young. As adults they can go over night without it, but not yet.

Ducks are great pets. They have such interesting personalities. AND they give you yummy eggs!

When they're a little older they can move outside. They can use almost anything for a home. Like an old dog house. Ducks don't roost like chickens so they don't need everything that chickens do.

Do you plan to keep them? If so, this is a great site for info. Also, you might want to get a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread. If you don't want to keep them, maybe you could find a farm or someone who raises ducks to take them in. I'd love to hear what happens with them. Keep us updated!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please let us know how they are doing

 

[Carcajou]

Good advice above. Good luck with them and keep us posted.

 

[WhatTheDuck62]

Thanks to all who posted! I went to a farm supply store and bought some electrolytes and starter feed. I got them feed and rehydrated. I could not keep them, having two beagles who could not stop licking their lips and living in a subdivision. I called a wild life center, Black Cypress Bayou, yesterday and they said they would love to take them.

The folks at the center seemed to think they were domestic ducks someone had given as an Easter gift. Who knows? i only know I could not leave them to the elements that night. We took them out yesterday and dropped them off. They had a large enclosure with a big pond. They now share a home with other ducks and a fat nutria named Cleatis!

Thanks again to all who posted. Here is a picture of them in their new home.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks to all who posted! I went to a farm supply store and bought some electrolytes and starter feed. I got them feed and rehydrated. I could not keep them, having two beagles who could not stop licking their lips and living in a subdivision. I called a wild life center, Black Cypress Bayou, yesterday and they said they would love to take them.

The folks at the center seemed to think they were domestic ducks someone had given as an Easter gift. Who knows? i only know I could not leave them to the elements that night. We took them out yesterday and dropped them off. They had a large enclosure with a big pond. They now share a home with other ducks and a fat nutria named Cleatis!

Thanks again to all who posted. Here is a picture of them in their new home.

Wonderful ending to something that could have been so sad. Bless you for caring enough to take them in, tragically we see this all to often here on BYC, people buy Easter gifts for their kids only to toss the poor little things into a near by river or pond or worse, even someone yard as you found out. Just look at all the community parks around the country and the world to know what i'm talking about,

but these lil guys have a happy ending. Again thank you for sharing and caring!

 

[Carcajou]

Wonderful ending to something that could have been so sad. Bless you for caring enough to take them in, tragically we see this all to often here on BYC, people buy Easter gifts for their kids only to toss the poor little things into a near by river or pond or worse, even someone yard as you found out. Just look at all the community parks around the country and the world to know what i'm talking about,

but these lil guys have a happy ending. Again thank you for sharing and caring!

X2. These little ones were soooo lucky to have you enter their precious young lives WhatTheDuck62.