Author Topic: Sure someone else has asked this, but couldn't find the post  (Read 3500 times)

CameronS

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • North East Fife
I got home from town to find a strange, but appealing "gift" waiting for me - a duck egg.
It turned out my sisters friend was given a trio of ducks (god knows what breed, will sort that later), and wanted to find out if the eggs were indeed fertile, so it is in the incubator, 28 days to go.

But appart from that i don't know what to do,
What do i feed it once/if it hatches?
 
What sort of dish should i put drinking water in?, (i have a small chick drinker but the rim doesn't look wide enough for a duck bill)

At what age to i allow it to have access to swimming water?

What sort of bedding should i use?

Thank you  :&>

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
Re: Sure someone else has asked this, but couldn't find the post
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2010, 08:45:01 pm »
My ducks are fed the same as the hens, have the same bedding, so I'd treat it the same as a chick, Cameron.  I use metal dog bowls for my ducks and a big fibreglass dog bed for them to paddle in.  Plastic ones cracked with the frost
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Hermit

  • Joined Feb 2010
Re: Sure someone else has asked this, but couldn't find the post
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2010, 10:32:54 pm »
Hi mine get fed the same as the chooks as well and I use a chick water drinker for the frst week.Then you need something they can get the whole bill in so they can clean their nostrils  as they get clagged up with food as they dabble rather than peck. As soon as you are satisfied they are fit and healthy after a couple of weks introduce a shallow pond that they can get easily in and out of. I put an upturned dustbin lid in the inside brooder run, when they go outside in a small pen I use a dog bed. Then they go on the burn. If you look at wild chicks they are straight onto water but they have someone watching them 24/7 :&>. The ducklings just get a good shavings bed as they get wet quickly. Also if it is on its own a soft toy to snuggle up to. Oh and another thing watch the heat lamp, they explode if splashed, get a pot heat lamp if you are going to get one.

I would wait and candle the egg before making any purchases by the way

CameronS

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • North East Fife
Re: Sure someone else has asked this, but couldn't find the post
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2010, 08:36:26 pm »
Can confirm it is developing  ;D  :&>

jameslindsay

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Nr St Andrews, Fife
  • "Blossom" one of my Pygmy Goats
Re: Sure someone else has asked this, but couldn't find the post
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2010, 09:21:37 pm »
Cameron I feed mine on chick crumb then growers pellets before finally layers pellets. I like mine to be swimming on day 2 as they love it so much but watch them the whole time. Drinking water must be in a proper water feeder as they could drown if left to exposed water. I keep them on an old towel for the first few days which is easily changed but keep a bin liner under their brooder box as they make so much mess. Good luck.

 

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