why r ducklings not allowed to swim untill 7 months?

[luckyducky9]

why cant ducks swim before they r 7 months old??? i let mine swim for about 30 minutes in a kiddy-pool at age 8 weeks!!!!!

where r u getting ur info?? (i have 3 khakis)

from:luckyducky9

 

[luckyducky9]

i need to know soon!!! i'm new i need to know facts about ducks to be a good owner!!

from:luckyducky9

 

[tabetha]

I don't know who told you this, but ducklings begin to swim from a young age with their mother. What is important is waiting until they are able to walk well and have their oils on their feathers, and at first only letting them in very shallow water. As they get bigger you will be able to put them in swimable water as you feel they are ready for it. Just make sure you have an area shallow enough, or put something in the water they can stand on when they get tired. Room temp water, so they dont freeze or over heat as well. You can see a pic of one of our newest pets taking her first swim (at an older age actually then we planned, just got busy) today on my instagram, username: tabetha_m you'll know its me from the duckling photos and my profile pic with pink and teal hair

 

[nurse_turtle]

It's not recommended until 3-4 weeks of age due to the down feathers not having as good water proofing as when they're younger. In the wild, the babies follow Mom into the water at a very young age, but hatchlings progress much slower when raised by us human parents.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

All ducklings we hatch get swim time daily starting at 3 days old. At 2 weeks old we add knee deep water to their pens pools and an escape ramp for them. We also stop using heat lamps much sooner than others and have seen a difference in feather growth.

 

[HauiBali]

My ducklings have gradually deepened trays of water as they grow - first it was just a lid of a 5litre can (day 2-5), then a plate (d6-10), then the lid of a rainwater-barrel (d10-20), now they have a washbasin in their pen where they can submerge as needed but their leg can reach the bottom. Beyond this, twice a day they can swim under my supervision in a baby bath tub (deep, they love playing torpedoes underwater). All and everything has two "escape route" out from and in to the water, I found that they like it better than having just one. They always dry themselves thoroughly, even as it is not really needed in this extremely hot summer.

 

[twinmama]

My 5 ducks are 12 1/2 weeks old, and they've been swimming since they were tiny. The 1st few weeks I supervised shallow water for splashing and gradually deepened it for diving for short time periods. Once I moved them outside at 5 weeks old, they had a baby pool and deeper 30 gallon tub that fits 2 at a time. They have access to these throughout the day whether I'm there or not. This week the temp has been at or just over 100 degrees, and they spend almost the entire day sitting, splashing, and sleeping in their baby pool.

 

[Missy60]

If your ducklings are very young you have to worry about chilling and drowning. I have been told that when the babies are with their mother they get her oil on them from her so they can swim longer. When humans raise them they can get water logged from the down so they have to have close supervision. Chilling is also dangerous for young ducklings so just be careful of that also. My ducks swam at a very early age, but with constant supervision. You can make them a swimming pool appropriate for their age, like paint tray liner or other ideas that have been given to you. Don't release them in a pond or any deep water until they are fully feathered.