When can you leave ducklings without food and water at night?

[Katicorn]

Its not even been a week, and the water situation is crazy. They keep dumping over the waterer. I feel like I can’t even go out for errands for more than two hours, and I have to check on them in the middle of the night, because yes they knocked it over again. I have a starter one quart waterer, that I put inside a foil tray (stupid things are so flimsy), a small dog bowl with rocks in it for back-up, and a new type on order. I have a puppy pad underneath their mess as well, but 7-8 times a day it ends up on me when trying to clean up their water party.

I‘ve seen the milk and juice jug waterers, but because we aren’t milk,juice,soda people its not really cost effective.

What age can you pull water and food out of the brooder for say at least 7 hours overnight?

 

[SolarDuck]

I'm not sure when it's okay to put them without water overnight, but I'm sure you'll need to provide it for at least the next few weeks. I'd suggest this waterer for night time.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057LAICM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_3CRZWVDXGZQTWQN9FAQE
I find that with my ducks, since the water only fills up the dish very shallow they don't really play in it. It would probably be a good idea to switch to something like that overnight, but it is shallow so they will still need something to dunk their entire heads in during the day.

 

[Isaac 0]

It is not necessary to provide feed and water at night for the ducklings. In many cases practicing a natural day/night cycle helps to slow down the growth of the birds, which is beneficial for larger breeds such as Pekins that often developed leg problems due to their fast growth rate.

I personally like to replicate a natural day/night cycle, and not provide feed to the ducklings at night. The key concept is to darken their living quarters at night as if you keep the area lit up they will start chirping for food.
A heating pad (such as the one below) can be used to provide heat without lighting the area up.
https://www.chewy.com/brinsea-ecogl...CRww08cz4NoWJtAKxrGWv1n9Xc3zM77RoCC68QAvD_BwE

One should realize that in the wild, ducklings predominantly forage during the daytime, not during the night.

 

[Katicorn]

It is not necessary to provide feed and water at night for the ducklings. In many cases practicing a natural day/night cycle helps to slow down the growth of the birds, which is beneficial for larger breeds such as Pekins that often developed leg problems due to their fast growth rate.

I personally like to replicate a natural day/night cycle, and not provide feed to the ducklings at night. The key concept is to darken their living quarters at night as if you keep the area lit up they will start chirping for food.
A heating pad (such as the one below) can be used to provide heat without lighting the area up.
https://www.chewy.com/brinsea-ecogl...CRww08cz4NoWJtAKxrGWv1n9Xc3zM77RoCC68QAvD_BwE

One should realize that in the wild, ducklings predominantly forage during the daytime, not during the night.

thank you. At least removing the food lowers the concern that they can’t swallow because they’ve ended their water source benfore we can get to it. I notice that by 6am, they’re down to the end of their one quart waterer,and the dog bowl with rocks is empty. I have a larger waterer showing up tomorrow.

Hopefully removing the food will slow down the poop at night too. Seems they have poop parties all night as well

 

[Chicalina]

Ducks are disgusting mess makers!!!

PP are right. Remove all food and water at night, keep it dark and warm , i.e. don't use light bulbs as heaters but use a darklight or a brooding plate or a heat mat instead.

They wouldn't eat or drink in the nighttime if raised by a mama duck.

 

[Katicorn]

Ducks are disgusting mess makers!!!

PP are right. Remove all food and water at night, keep it dark and warm , i.e. don't use light bulbs as heaters but use a darklight or a brooding plate or a heat mat instead.

They wouldn't eat or drink in the nighttime if raised by a mama duck.

I have the red bulb on the brooder lamp.Is that a “dark light” or Is that ok? They’re in the garage in the middle of a mountain forest, so it’s pitch black. But its also in the 30s/40s as night so they need the heat.

 

[Chicalina]

No that's a red lamp. A dark light is a ceramic heat emitter like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273412280854?hash=item3fa8a45216:g:E5AAAOSwZ-lbdnp8&var=572794698733

It just emits heat, no light. Lasts for years.