[Eastling]

Update of the 7 eggs we had one we had to discard due to the crack but have 5 hatch successfully. What a mess they make! but very cute all the same.

[graham-j]

Hi,loverly picture I'm glad the hatch went so well for you,welcome to the mess,ducks have got to be the messiest creatures I have ever come across.
I have some in a brooder in the living room once,they actually manages to get s**t onto the celling.
I love ducks but they are just soo messy.

Graham.

[Eastling]

LOL know what you mean Graham. We have got them in the lounge but have a lid on them so all contained! What age can they go on to  wood chip?

[graham-j]

Hi,why didn't I think of that a lid.

I put them on shavings pretty after only a few days,they eat a few but it doesn't seem to do them any harm.I like to have them on a towl or mat for the first couple of day,just so they have a nice grippe surface as they can be a bit prone to spraddled legs.

Graham.

[HesterF]

They're so cute! You've got three different breeds there? Mine look similar - I've got 12 that hatched over four days last week six black (Cayugas), one pure yellow (Aylesbury) and five yellow with brown touches (Silver Appleyard). All really cute too. I'm beginning to wonder whether my brooder set up will last them until they're off heat in a couple more weeks. They all seem to have doubled in size already and, yes, so much mess - I've refilled their water four times today and most of it is going straight onto the shavings (which they've been on from day one). I've got the drinker stood in a bowl so no idea how they splash it so far.

I'm hoping if it gets warm enough they can go into an outside run sooner. Graham, when do you normally move your ducks outside/off heat? They all cuddle together anyway - and seem to spend more time on top of the brooder (which is not warm) than they do underneath it.

H

[graham-j]

Hi,this is more aimed at geese which is what I mainly keep and the ducks just go in with them.
I normally keep them in a brooder in the house for the first week or two.I then move them outside into a shed with a concrete flaw covered in wood shavings,topped up daily.After about 3 weeks I put them out in the day time on to grass.I have a  8' x 4' movable run,if it looks like its going to rain I cover the run with a polythene sheet.You need to keep an eye on them at this age if they get wet or look cold move them back into the shed.If they get wet and cold up to about 6 or 7 weeks they will die,wet is the big killer I tend to air on the side of caution here,I only put them out if I am about ready to move them.At 7 weeks I puts them out in the orchard my geese then stay out 24/7.
Heat,I keep them with an electric hen up to 4 weeks and then after that I have a low hanging 40w bulb in the shed this mainly for if they get wet.
I feed them chick crumb for the first 3 weeks then growers pellets.When they go into the grass run I put growers pellets out with then so they have a choice.
I moved these into the orchard a couple of days ago,they were instantly adopted by a goose and gander.

Graham.

[Eastling]

Hester  the chap that gave me the eggs had runners and a couple of other breeds wandering around so not sure what we will get!
 Aylesburys and Cayugas  are very pretty, may have to get some at a later date. Ours are using the water as a paddling pool at the moment! will have to put them into something bigger soon. They seem to grow quicker than chickens.

Lovely picture Graham.

[HesterF]

Thanks Graham - very helpful and sounds like it makes sense for ducks too. Still not got a suitable (predator free) outbuilding but I have just bought a big duck house which can have a run attached so I'll get that ready (if the weather holds long enough to finish painting it - ever). Then they can stay inside if it's wet or I can cover the run.

Lovely orchard but looks like at least one tree needs a prune - I can have a go at it next winter if you want!

H