[doreen]

Hi, Today I bought some week old Cherry Valley ducklings at auction to rear for eating. I have put them under a heat lamp and they are drinking water and eating chick crumbs. How long do I keep them under the lamp, when do I take them off the crumbs and what do I feed to grow them on?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[HesterF]

Ducklings grow really fast. Gradually raise the lamp, you'll get a feel for it. If they cluster underneath it, they're too cold, if they sty away from it, it's too hot. They do naturally cluster so that's not a sign they're too cold necessarily. My ducklings were off heat between three and four weeks and I switched to growers/ finishers (same pellets for both) at the same sort of stage - when you start giving them food several times a day! Mine are about six or seven weeks now nd in with the main flock by day. They're still smaller but I've started to do the odd double take between them and the adults so they'd be good eating soon.

H

[MAK]

Ducklings are amazingley quick to adapt to feed , climate and their environment. Within 4 days I spotted ours keeping an eye on a Kyte even though Mum was inside the hutch.
Tey cluster and nap after eating and will suddenley wake and run to dive into their feed tray.I keep it topped up all the time and fill it at night only to find it empty in the morning. Nevre used a heat lamp but if it is cold they go under mum's wing who will be sat inside on straw. If hot they gather under the shade of our bay tree. Easy birds to look after really. We don't even give them chick crumbs -j ust grind up some layers pellets for the first 2 days. They are off catching flys and eating grass when very young but we only give them a shallow seed tray of water so that they do not drown.

[HesterF]

Yep, if they've got a mum, they won't need a heat lamp but without a hot mum, you do need some sort of heat to begin with at least. Same with predators - they're far more vulnerable if they don't have an adult to look out for them although I can't imagine many predators below the size of fox carrying mine off now.

H

[MAK]

Ooops sorry but I did not realise they are mumless.

[HesterF]

Forgot to say as well that you have to check the crumbs - some chick crumbs contain medication against coccidiosis which is good for chicks but not good for ducklings. So you must make sure you're giving them unmedicated chick crumbs or specialist waterfowl crumb.

H