Author Topic: baby ducklings (Read 10632 times)

OhLaLa · « **Reply #30 on:** November 10, 2010, 10:45:23 am »

Doganjo, to try to help you - my ducklings hatched same day as yours. Have been mixing with adults now for just over a week and sleeping in same quarters for last few nights. This is how I did it, don't know your setup but maybe you could adapt it:

Appx one week of:
Night - Ducklings in sep sleeping quaters to others. Day - Ducklings could see out through temp chickenwire fence but not get out, so all could see each other. Fed inside sep to others.

Followed by appx 3 days of:
Night - Ducklings still in sep sleeping quarters. Day - Ducklings out with others (they have lots of room to get away from others if necessary).

Now:
Fulltime with adults. Night in same house but a few sep haybeds made up inside so ducklings can stay together.

OhLaLa · « **Reply #31 on:** November 10, 2010, 10:57:44 am »

.....couldn't add anymore text to last post but re food:

When the ducklings still had sep sleeping quarters, I fed them separately in the eve but when they mixed in the day I let them have breakfast outside with the others. I made sure there were enough feed containers down and let the ducklings out first to have first 'raid'. The bigger birds will barge them out of the way so keep an eye on them at these early stages.

Now they are all together I still make sure I have plenty of feed containers out, but they all have both meals together. The bigger birds will race out over the ducklings when I open their door first thing so you have to be careful they don't get trodden on by an eager hungry adult. The adults might show who boss a bit but overall they should be fine. Just keep a careful watch on them.

If they aren't getting their fair share you may have to give them an extra meal and keep the adults back (with a bit for them) whilst the little ones scoff.

Hope this helps.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #32 on:** November 10, 2010, 11:22:05 am »

Ohlala, no offence taken. We did have NO choice. They were and would be everywhere eating not just our food but my books and actually the house, floorboards, and beams. We tried all humane methods including the frequency thing, traps, you name it, for years. As I said - no choice. How do you cope with them then?

doganjo · « **Reply #33 on:** November 10, 2010, 12:37:08 pm »

Thanks for help, Ohlala, re integrating ducklings but I have no way of separating them from the adults - once they are out there they eat the same as them and sleep in the same place, so maybe best I keep them separate for a couple more weeks.

doganjo · « **Reply #34 on:** November 12, 2010, 08:37:40 pm »

Anyone know when I can give them adult food - they just scatter the chick crumbs unless I moisten them. When they go in with Mum and Dad I will have to feed them the same anyway, but with egg laying more or less stopped for the winter they could probably eat the chick crumbs and growers pellets too, couldn't they? These ducklings re getting almost as big as the parents now so I think they'll be OK to integrate in about a week. Plus I'm pretty sure at least 2 of them are girls. I just need to cover the sheep wire with netting so they can't get out of their run.

Sandy · « **Reply #35 on:** November 12, 2010, 10:13:21 pm »

I think you will be OK at 6 weeks old!! Ducks, well male ones are sexed crazed bests!!!

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #36 on:** November 12, 2010, 10:36:26 pm »

absolutely, Sandy! Maybe not so much at this time of the year

But the youngster boys are usually troublemakers until integrated!

doganjo · « **Reply #37 on:** November 12, 2010, 11:15:27 pm »

Right, I think next weekend is free so they are going round to the front run with their parents then. I'll start introducing some pellets gradually too.

OhLaLa · « **Reply #38 on:** November 13, 2010, 06:49:11 pm »

Mine (same age) get a mixture of chicken pellets and about a week later I introduced duck pellets (which are a little larger).

doganjo · « **Reply #39 on:** November 16, 2010, 06:01:35 pm »

I put them in the shed last night after I put Mum and Dad in. When I opened up and let the parents out into their run Dad immediately went over to them and I thought he was going to threaten them through the wires - but no, he went and lay down beside them. Mum was too busy eating to notice they were there!

It was dark when I got home tonight so they were still out, obviously didn't know they should go inside with Ma and Pa. So I shuffled them into a corner and put them in one by one, opened up the hatch and they all went inside. Will just have to remember to feed them their chick crumbs after letting Jack and Jill out to the big run for their pellets. So far I think I have at least two females and the third is the smallest so with a bit of luck they all are.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #40 on:** November 16, 2010, 07:12:05 pm »

How nice, good you chose to do it now! Would have loved to see their Dad with them!

doganjo · « **Reply #41 on:** November 18, 2010, 12:34:29 am »

Here they are - http://s164.photobucket.com/albums/u16/doganjo/

sabrina · « **Reply #42 on:** November 18, 2010, 11:50:58 am »

Good to hear your ducks are doing well Annie. My four can go outside during the day and do sometimes but often or not they are running around in the stable building. I have two Saxony drakes who quake but they are males, the Indian runners make more of a honking noise, only three have the curly tail so it was a bit confusing at what I had. Mike my friend breeds ducks, he came to collect what I thought was a female but he assures me it is male. I have mine just as pets so not bothered about no eggs, over the summer they will be outside in a large inclosed run with their pond. I love to watch them when I clean this out and fill again with clean water, they are like kids playing in a bath. Its a childs paddling pool that is easy to move about. Mine are now on wheat which I put into a basin of water, this stops the chickens stealing their food and it does say to give it soaked.