Wild baby duck!!!!!! ALL ALONE!!!

[Pampered Hen]

Hi there,
if that orphaned duckling is a mallard, then chick starter/game bird starter will be fine. However, there are other species of ducks such as wood ducks that are strictly insectivores and will not survive on a vegetarian diet. If you are unsure what you have, I suggest you talk to a local wildlife rehabilitation service. I'm sure you can call your State's Department of Natural Resources and they could point you into the right direction.
Remember it is a wild duck that is imprinted on its mother duck. It will have a tough time adjusting to life in confinement.

Good luck!

 

[JoJo 95]

Quote:
Why can't an orphaned duck be allowed to swim until seven months?
I have raised waterfowl for eight years now and there is no reason at all they can't swim as much as they want once their adult feathers are in and they no longer get water-logged.

sorry about that. i meant seven weeks.

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Quote:

ALSO I WAS JUST READING A WEBSITE AND IT SAID DUCKLINGS SHOULDNT BE KEPT ALONE SO YOU MIGHT WANNA ORDER YOU A COUPLE OF CHICKS(THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPURTUNITY TO GET A FEW SILKIES) AND RAISE THEM WITH YOUR DUCKLING. HOWEVER IF YOU DONT WANT TO ORDER THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO KEEP YOUR DUCK INDOORS UNTIL ITS OLDER AND PLAY WITH AND HANDLE IT ALOT.

Yeah i know right!!!, it is hard to find poultry lovers!!!! Thats why i LOVE byc. uuummm i don't think my mom will let me get any more chickens! I raised chicks so i know the basics, but i didn't raise ducks, i have a "chicken bible" as i call it with everything i need but no ducks. I will definetly handle it a lot if i end up getting it, but im not sure what to feed it beside its normal starter feed

**8. Do not post overly personal information like your phone number, address, age (especially if you are a minor), also do not ask other's abut their ages for the same reasons. **

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Quote:
Its a mallard, btw

 

[Anny]

I just had a baby duck my self just a few days ago.

He went to a wildlife rescue since he is a wild animal and I felt that, that would be best for him.

Some one told me that baby ducks can eat water soaked cheerios (tell they are very soggy) or oatmeal or make him a little scrambled eggs. Although it is best to feed him dusk mash.

You shouldn't feed him chick food unless it is UN-medicated, as the medication can KILL ducks.

The little duck will also need a heat light (just a normal light bulb places near this box will help to keep him warmer.) Since he doesn't have any other ducklings to keep him warm.

If you plan on keeping him I would recommend getting him some friends, ducks like buddies.

 

[JoJo 95]

I Don't recomend giving your babies a bath a lot until they are older, but ducklings do love to swim, and it is quite good for them too. So if you really must give them a chance to swim about, then fill up a sink full of shallow WARM water and let them have a go.
Ducklings naturally know how to swim, but never leave them unguarded as they can easily tire and could drown. When your ducklings are done having a swim about make sure you have a warm dry towel (Perhaps even a hair dryer, on a cool setting) waiting to meet them. Don't put your duckling back in it's box only half-dry, this can be deadly. Always make sure that you dry off your duckling completly, it should look all fluffy and soft like before you put it into the water, I can't stress enough how bad a damp duckling can be.
Be careful aswell to the positioning of your light, or heat lamp. Sometimes if water, splatterd from your duckling(s) messy drinking hit's the globe it can cause it to blow, sometimes littering your duckling's home with glass. I found I had to keep wiremesh over the top of my duckling's box in order to stop him escaping. This proved useful. By placing my heap lamp ontop (it had long sides, the bare globe wasn't touching the wire) it was close enough to my duckling's "sleeping area" to keep him warm, yet high enough so stray droplets didn't affect it.Your duck will need to eat from a small variety, just like you need to too. Your Duck will need a form of Waterfowl feed, all depending on the sort of duck you have and what you intend to do with it, for instance "layer" Ducks will need different requirements to "meat" ducks and so on. Don't get confused, If your not into specific requirements from your duck it's fairly simple to attain some waterfowl feed from a local feed supplier. Note not many feed suppliers cater for ducks but I'm sure if you politely asked them to bring some in they would do. For all those who ARE wanting specific requirments, check my links page to find out the perfect feed ratio.
Some favorite foods of ducks are:

* Insects- can't get enough of those slugs, snails, grasshoppers etc..
* Pond Plants- yeah, you know the really expensive ones that have been reduced to a muddy stump?
* Left over veggie scraps- Potato & Apple skins galore! (no stones)

If you feel like treating your ducks, then any of these things will really please them!
Ducks usually when out "free Ranging" in the yard or farm forage for tasty bugs like snails etc.. A good thing thats fun for all, Is to hang a low-watt bulb in the middle of the yard at night so all the moths and flying insects get attracted to it, then watch your duck's antiques and they have a delicious midnight feast.

Pond plants. There are VERY few pond plants that ducks wont eat, some of these can be obtained from the "links" section, And don't think getting plants that grow right on the bottom of the pond will stop them, you will be surprised where those ducks can get too!

Veggie Scraps are a nice snack for your ducks, Everything thats "veggie/fruity" (apart from large stones and pits) will do your ducks good.
Things not to feed your ducks, is bread, yes its true, Bread because it is made from yeast and yeast is a type of fungi and fungi is basically a mould, and a huge killer in ducks is, you've guessed it, mould. sure a little bit now and then is fine, but bread alone or included as a main part in a meal isn't a good idea at all. Another one not to feed your ducks is solely dogfood or catfood, yes some people feed their ducks petfoods which is wayyyyyy to high in proteins for a duck, so don't even think about it. If your duck is low on protiens feed it bugs, see above with the moth light idea. Medicated Chicken food is also a killer in ducklings and not healthy at all for your duck, so avoid them. (just print this out and it should get you started)

 

[Shanay235]

Quote:
There are different things you can use for bedding but DO NOT use anything that is smooth and/or slick. Young ducklings can slip on smooth surfaces, injuring their legs very badly.
You can use wood shavings, (No cedar chips though, the oils in cedar cause respiratory illness) straw, grass, an old towel, or the compressed paper litter like is used in pet stores. Watch very closely that the duckling does not eat the bedding. This to can cause a number of health realted problems. If it does try to eat the bedding, cover the bedding with something until the duckling learns it is not food.
You also need to make sure that it cannot drown in whatever you use for a water dish and it needs to be kept warm with a heating lamp. Give it a stuffed animal so it won't be lonely.

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

OK, i got an oatmeal packet, a sandwhich bag of cheerios, sugar (for the water), and scrambled eggs in the fridge to take to school tomorrow! Im gonna go get some wood shavings, and a water & food container.

 

[Goat_Walker]

Quote:
.....seven months....?

ummm.... where are you getting your information?

 

[Goat_Walker]

I dont think you need sugar... he can just have regular water.
Be careful witht hte wood shavings as some ducklings have been known to try and eat them and end up chocking or having a reaction. I agree with paper towel, staw and/or grass.

Ive never heard of feeding them oatmeal, but you can give them peas

The water dish needs to be only dep enough for him/her to dunk its bill in, but not big enough for her to get in. If all you have is something that she will be able to get in to, I suggest placing a rock( not small , but big enough to fit in there and not over flow the dish) in there so she doesnt get stuck or knock it over.
Also, if you dont have a mother who will adopt it, I suggest giving it a stuffed animal or a fetaher duster and a mirror. That way he wont be lonely.
your first duck experience is always full of laughs.

**8. Do not post overly personal information like your phone number, address, age (especially if you are a minor), also do not ask other's abut their ages for the same reasons. **