When to give ducklings bath

[Dogved]

How old do my ducklings have to be to take a bath?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's advised to wait until they are fully feathered or else they could become chilled.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I let mine have a bath at about a week old nice warm water and get them out before it’s starts cooling then Pat dry and straight Under heat to finish drying. Start out with warm water just up to top of their legs then add a little every day and always supervise. No soap just nice warm water. This will get them preening too which will get their oil gland going.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I have raised many little ones
I start mine bathing at day 3
1-2 times a day ( tbey just love it )
I use warm water and deep enough they can swim but shallow enough they can stand up
Only 5-10 mins and I take each one out and pat dry with paper towel as it absorbs the water
Then I set them by a heat source
I use a heat plate in my brooder so after a bath I add a plug in heater for extra warmth as they dry off
This allows them to preen while standing up and not getting cold
If you use a heat lamp you don’t need the extra heater
My little ones immediately start using the oil gland and cleaning their feathers
I have never had one get to cold or have any issues bathing that young
In the wild mom duck is taking her babies into big ponds at 2 days old
Just need ti make sure they have warmth

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm glad those more experienced with hand raising ducklings gave their advice. I have had only hen raised ducklings. They go in the water on day one sometimes.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I'm glad those more experienced with hand raising ducklings gave their advice. I have had only hen raised ducklings. They go in the water on day one sometimes.

My broody duck hatched 6 babies last summer
She took hers into water at a few days old but it was middle of summer with hot days
I only filled a little sled that’s a few inches high for them
My brooder babies I have to be more careful of heat cause they don’t have a mom to keep warm

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

When I started raising my ducklings I put them in the bath when they were about 5 days old. Of course I had my wood stove going before them so it was impossible for them to catch a chill.

 

[Duckduckgoosie]

I’ve let mine have a warm bath in the tub pretty early on. Supervise, take them out after 5 or so min and dry off thoroughly after.

 

[Fawkes]

I think it's probably advisable to give them a bath by at least 7 days old. It's a good way to prevent eye infections.

Just follow the precautions that others have said. *Always* supervise as ducklings can drown so easily, keep it short so they don't get too wet or tired, and make sure they have a heat lamp or similar heat source afterwards.

I usually use something small when they're tiny, like a large bowl or a plastic shoebox etc for their bath. Although that's if I'm giving 1 duckling a bath, if you've got several you may need to use the bathtub or a large wash pan. I just wouldn't put too much water.

 

[Tram]

Got two Cayuga this weekend and have never raised ducklings but have seen lots pf videos. I know to keep their food away from the water or it becomes a mess. I decided to use a shallow metal pan with a waterer sitting in the center. Partially under the heat lamp, seems to be a nice place for them to sleep and constantly get a drink.

Setup a cement mixing tub at an angle and added a heath lamp over the top. This warms their water but also allows to to get warm while they bath. I sit and observe them for about 10 minutes before picking them up one at a time and dry their underside off and place them back in the stock tank.

So far so good but that doesn't mean I am doing it correctly. They love bath time though.

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