How to Take Care of Ducklings

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Ducklings that have just hatched from their shells need a warm, safe environment to grow up strong and healthy. If you create a home free of hazards and provide them with plenty of food and water, your curious, playful baby ducks will be able to waddle and swim on their own before you know it. Learn how to make ducklings feel at home, feed them what they like to eat, and keep them safe from harm.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Making a Duckling Home

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  1. After ducklings have hatched from their eggs and spent about 24 hours getting used to their new surroundings, they're ready to move to a brooder. [1] A plastic storage container, sturdy cardboard box, or large glass aquarium can all work for this purpose.
    • The box should be well-insulated, since the ducklings need to stay warm. Don't choose a box with too many holes in the sides or the bottom.
    • Line the bottom of the box with wood shavings or old towels. Avoid using newspaper or other slippery material. Ducklings are still wobbly on their legs for the first few weeks after they hatch, and they can slip easily and hurt themselves on surfaces like plastic or newspaper.
  2. Baby ducks need to be kept very warm in the first few weeks after they hatch, to give them the chance to get used to the chilly air outside their eggs. Buy a brooding lamp at a feed store or hardware store and affix it to the top of the brooder.
    • Use a 100-watt bulb to start. For very young ducklings, this should create the right amount of heat.
    • Make sure part of the brooder is located away from the heat, so they have a place to cool off if they need to.
    • Make sure the bulb isn't too close to the ducklings. This may cause them to overheat, or if they touch the bulb, they could get burned. If you're using a shallow brooder, prop the lamp up higher using blocks of wood or another sturdy prop
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  3. Periodically check the lamp’s placement, ensuring that the ducklings are getting an appropriate amount of warmth.
    • The heat and wattage of the lamp should be altered based on your ducklings' behavior as they get older.
    • If the ducklings tend to huddle close together under the lamp, they may be too cold and you should move the lamp closer or get a higher wattage bulb.
    • If the ducklings are scattered out and breathing heavily, they're most likely getting overheated, and you need to move the lamp further away or use a lower wattage bulb. Comfortable ducklings should be warm and settled.
  4. As the ducks grow older, they will need less heat. Raise the lamp or change the bulb to a lower heat when they stop sleeping under it.
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Part 2
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Providing Water and Food

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  1. Put a shallow drinking bowl inside the brooder that is deep enough for the ducklings to dip in their beaks, but not their entire heads. [2] Ducklings like to be able to clear their nostrils as they drink, but if you give them access to deeper water they could climb in and drown. [3]
    • Change the water and clean the bowl every day to make sure the ducklings don't get sick from drinking dirty water.
    • If you fear the bowl you have is a little too deep for your ducklings to drink from safely, lining the bottom with pebbles or marbles will make it safer for them. [4]
  2. Ducklings don't eat for the first twenty-four hours after they hatch, since they're still absorbing nutrients from the yolk inside the egg they hatched from. After that, they graduate to starter crumbs, tiny pellets of duck food available at feed supply stores. [5] Buy a plastic feeder, fill it up, and place it in the brooder.
    • If the ducklings seem hesitant to eat, try adding a little water to their food to make it easier for them to swallow. You can also add a very small amount of sugar to their water for the first couple of days to help them get off to a good start and give them energy.
  3. Very weak ducklings may need a little extra yolk nutrition before they're ready for starter crumbs. Feed them a bit of mashed duck egg yolk until they become more interested in the starter crumbs.
  4. Make sure the ducklings have access to food 24/7. They need to be able to eat whenever they're hungry since they grow so quickly at this stage of life. They also need water to help them swallow their food, so keep the water bowl full at all times.
    • After about ten days, ducklings are ready for grower's pellets, which are the same as the starter crumbs, only bigger.
  5. When the ducklings become adults, after about 16 weeks, they're ready for adult duck food.
  6. Many foods humans eat, like bread, don't provide them with the nutrition that ducks need, and some can even make them sick. [6]
    • Even if the ducks are interested in food such as bread, it is not good for them.
    • Ducks can have very thinly cut fruits and vegetables as a snack, but make sure their main meal is duck food.
    • Don't give ducklings food made for baby chickens. It doesn't have the right nutrient makeup for ducklings.
    • Never use medicated feed for ducklings. It can cause organ damage.
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Part 3
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Raising Ducklings into Healthy Ducks

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  1. Ducks love to swim, and they'll start as soon as the first day after they hatch if you let them. Do not let them swim unattended. Baby ducks are covered with down, which isn't waterproof, and their bodies are still too fragile to cope with swimming alone at this stage.
  2. The paint roller tray makes a great environment for starter swimming. You can supervise them closely, and the slope in the tray creates a little ramp to help the ducklings get in and out safely.
    • Don't let the ducklings swim too long, or they'll get chilled. When they're done swimming, dry them off gently and place them back in the brooder so they can warm up.
    • You can also let them sit on a heating pad covered with a clean towel for a few minutes.
  3. When ducklings are fully feathered with their waterproof, adult feathers, they can swim without your supervision. Depending on the type of duck, full feathers should be in place by 9-12 weeks of age.
  4. Make sure the ducklings are supervised at all times while they're still growing their adult feathers and learning to swim, particularly if letting young ducks swim in an outdoor pond. Older adult ducks that may share the same pond or water source may try to drown or kill the younger ducks.
  5. Ducks, particularly when young, can be targets for predatory animals. You can free range your ducks when they are adults, but remember you may lose ducks occasionally to predators. You should make every effort to keep them safe from predators.
    • If you're raising ducklings in a garage or barn outside, make sure no other animals can get near them. Wolves, foxes, and even large predatory birds could harm your ducklings if you aren't careful.
    • Ducklings raised inside your home need to be kept safe from dogs and cats, which may try to attack or even play too roughly with the ducklings.
    • Once the ducklings move from the brooder to a larger pen, make sure there's no way for predators to get in.
  6. It's tempting to cuddle with the sweet, fuzzy ducklings, but if you get too close to the ducklings, they might imprint on you too strongly. To make sure your ducklings grow up into an independent, healthy adults, enjoy watching them play with each other, but don't join in the fun too much.
  7. Once the ducks are too big for the brooder, move them to a large dog kennel or a shed with a latching door. Feed them adult duck feed and let them spend their days swimming and splashing in a pond. Make sure to bring them back into their shelter at night to keep them safe from predators.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Do ducks get red spots when their feathers start to grow in?
    Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
    Veterinarian
    Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
    Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
    Veterinarian
    Expert Answer
    As the feathers push through the skin, it can give the duckling the appearance of red bumps (a bit like goose bumps) under the skin.
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  • Question
    How do I raise an orphan duckling?
    Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
    Veterinarian
    Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
    Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
    Veterinarian
    Expert Answer
    If you find an orphan duckling then following the steps listed at the beginning of this article should get you off on the right foot to raise them to a healthy adult.
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      Tips

      • When you are petting a duckling pet it very lightly because ducklings have very fragile bones.
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      • When your duck becomes an adult, it's still a good idea to keep it away from larger predators even if it will get big.
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      • If you have other larger pets like dogs or cats, keep the ducklings away from them.
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      Tips from our Readers

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      • If you live near a lake or other body of water with predators like hawks or big fish, watch your ducklings closely when they swim to be sure they don't get attacked. Stay close by in a canoe or kayak if possible.
      • Only let ducklings swim for 1 minute at a time since they chill easily without waterproof feathers, then gently dry them off and warm them up afterward.
      • Never feed ducklings medicated chick feed or food not specifically made for baby ducks. It often lacks the key nutrients they need to grow.
      • Don't keep wild ducks as pets — they need wide open spaces to thrive. Stick to domestic breeds.
      • Introduce pet dogs to baby ducklings slowly so they have time to get used to each other.
      • Give your lonely duckling a stuffed animal for companionship when you can't be there.
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      Warnings

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      Things You'll Need

      • A brooder box
      • A brooder lamp and 100-watt bulb
      • Hay or bedding such as clean towels or crumpled newspaper
      • Starter crumbs and grower's feed with a feeding dish
      • A shallow water dish
      • A paint roller tray


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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about ducklings, check out our in-depth interview with Alexandra Doss .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/animals-and-wildlife/raising-ducks-caring-for-ducklings
      2. ↑ https://www.vetwest.com.au/pet-library/duckling-season-rescue-and-care
      3. ↑ https://www.liveducks.com/duckcare.html
      4. ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/animals-and-wildlife/raising-ducks-caring-for-ducklings
      5. ↑ https://www.liveducks.com/duckcare.html
      6. ↑ https://www.liveducks.com/duckcare.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To take care of ducklings, place them in a cardboard box lined with clean towels about 24 hours after they’re born. Place a 100-watt brooding lamp inside the box to keep them warm, and fill a shallow drinking bowl with water, replacing the water every day. You should also fill up a plastic feeder with starter crumbs from a feed supply store for the ducklings to eat, switching to grower’s pellets after 10 days. Additionally, teach the ducklings to swim by filling a paint roller tray with water and supervising them while they swim around in it. For more tips on how to help your ducklings mature into healthy ducks, read on!

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