I have 3 baby ducks that are only 5 days old, How old do they need to be before they can take a dip in the pond in the back yard? It is a pond I made last year about 1000 gallons, I just cleaned out and put fresh water in it a couple of days ago. No fish in it.
Everything I've read says not to let them swim until they start to get their permanent feathers because their down is not waterproof. Also, as babies in a deep pond they can get tired and just drown.
I'd wait too, we usually wait till they start getting feathers. Sometimes we bring them in the house and in the bathtub to get a start, they love it! But you should wait a few weeks at least for the bathtub, a while for the pond.
I let mine start swimming in the bathtub at three days but the water was shallow enough for them to stand in. They need to get dried off and under the heat lamp after ony a few minutes but they LOVE it!!! It will be awhile before they are big enough for the pond.
We were letting ours swim (under close supervision) in the kitchen sink by about 5 days old. they can tucker out quick so keep a close eye on them. Their down fuzz can also get water logged and they will chill quickly so keep swims short and make sure they have a place to warm up afterwards. Let them try, its fun to watch!