The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Maria1969 on June 25, 2012, 01:17:54 pm

Title: 5 Cayuga Ducklings and counting! :0).... What next?
Post by: Maria1969 on June 25, 2012, 01:17:54 pm

Hello All
 
My beautiful Cayuga Duck has only gone and hatched 5 ducklings (around another 5 eggs to go :0)) last night.
 
So I am presuming the next step is to put some drinking water in a shallow dish & chick crumb in?? Mind you mum ain't gonna be happy about that she is one grumpy cow at the moment...lol
 
Any advise would be a great help...
 
Many thanks
 
Maria
 
ps.. the nest is in the duck house and dad has been banish to the run (she wont let him in..lol) should I consider moving her, babies and the duck house (I can give dad an outdoor shelter for time being)????

Title: Re: 5 Cayuga Ducklings and counting! :0).... What next?
Post by: jaykay on June 25, 2012, 03:25:40 pm

You need somewhere safe for mum and ducklings, including a house to shut them in overnight and a run. Can you leave them where they are and accommodate dad somewhere else, or divide off the run?

When I have ducklings with mum, I put in a gravel or holeless seed tray full of water, and then a flat stone in the tray and one immediately outside it, so that they can get in and out. Ducklings brooded by mum get a bit of waterproofing from her feathers, so they can swim in shallow water ok.

The chick crumbs you use for ducklings must have no ACS or coccidiostat in them. Most do, cos chicken chicks need it. The Smallholder range of chick crumbs is ACS-free and there will be others, but the common makes, ie Farmgate and similar, contain ACS which can make duckings ill or even kill them.

Sounds like mum is doing a good job of protecting her babies, can you get close enough for a pic?  ;)

Title: Re: 5 Cayuga Ducklings and counting! :0).... What next?
Post by: Maria1969 on June 25, 2012, 03:58:18 pm

Hi
 
Why didnt I think of dividing the pen or removing dad...DOH...lol
 
The only local chick crumb I can buy here is from The CopDock Mil,l Baby Chick with Eimericox Crumbs... it dosnt appear to have Asc or Coccidiostat in it?
 
Just bought a small cat litter tray & a paint tray for there bath
 
Will get some pictures tommorow as dont want to pee mum off again today..lol
 
Thanks for the advise :0)
 
Maria

Title: Re: 5 Cayuga Ducklings and counting! :0).... What next?
Post by: jaykay on June 25, 2012, 05:14:43 pm

I'm sure the Eimericox stuff is ACS.

Ok, instead of that then, you can feed them porridge oats with scrambled eggs added, made wet with milk, to increase the protein levels of the oats to what growing ducklings need. Mum will eat it too but that's fine while they tiny, will help build her back up after laying and sitting.

My free–ranging call ducklings don't eat much crumb, but then they're busy digging for grubs in the edge of the beck all the time.

Cat litter and paint tray sound perfect for a paddling pool :thumbsup: