when should i let my baby duckling go for a swim?

[Zesty108]

Ive read online that withouth a mother, they should not be let in water to swimuntill they have their feathers. my duckling still has his fuzz but i feel like hes bored. is it ok to let him in even though hes not producing his oil yet?

 

[Speceider]

Let him swim. All the oil stuff is urban myth. A duck, or duckling, doesn't rely on oil for it's floatation (Bakken, G.S., M. R. Banta, C.M. Higgenbotham, and A.J. Lyunott. 2006. It's just ducky to be clean: water repellency and water penetration resistance of swimming mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings. J. Avian Biol. 37:561-571). Letting them swim will speed up their behavioural response to water and help with water repellency.

Clint

 

[Kmoreau]

It's more or less that they can get tired quickly, let the swim just make sure they have a place to either get out or rest if needed. I'm my kiddie pool I had bricks set up like steps and my duckling would swim then lay on the bricks when she was tired. Also you just want to make sure they don't chill when they are wet.

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

Quote:
i let my 4 scovy ducklings swim around a week old (under supervision) and they loved it! they are now around 4 weeks old and are doing great and still love their pool

i think the issue with the oil is mainly so they don't get cold from the water soaking the feathers. i live in florida so i just let them sit in the sun after their swim plus the water was warm lol. but if you let yours swim you could always take a towel and dry him when he's done if he seems cold

 

[shelleyd2008]

I wait til ducklings are about a week old before they get their first 'tub time'. Then make sure the water they have is shallow enough that they can sit in it with their heads above the water if they get tired. I usually put my baby ducks in the tub while I'm cleaning their brooders, they love it

They can't be in deep water until they have their feathers (when their oil gland is working), around 6-8 weeks old. If they have access to deep water all the time they seem to know when they can go in.

 

[Zesty108]

Thank you all, i put him in a container of water shallow enough where he could stand, but deep enough for him to get the feeling of being in the water, he dident seem to know what to do just kept walking hoping around, and pecking at the bottom of the container ( its one of tose disposable cake pans like a foot and half long and half a foot wide),

 

[kikidee]

Let them swim in any volume of water! I have 2 day old ducklings and they have been actively swimming in (warm/lukewarm) water with no problem! They love it! I just take them out if they start to sink since the furr-feathers they have right now kinda weigh them down. And let them dry in a towel and then put them under their heat lamp

 

[Pinx]

I let my ducklings swim as soon as I got them, they got time in their pool everyday, but since they were in a brooder with chicks they didn't get any water to play in while in the brooder. I never had a problem with them not being able to float/swim, they only got limited time because they got cold easily, and were never left unattended. Now that they are older... I can't keep them out of the water lol. When I let everyone out to roam around the yard I turn the hose on and let the ducks play in the mud, which they prefer over their little pool when given the choice.