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Keeping Baby Ducks
Whether you have freshly hatched ducks just out from their egg shells,
or you have day-old ducks from a farm or a shop, raising and keeping
them can be quite a very challenging task, and that’s because they
always need special attention and care. Nonetheless, with persistence,
it should be fairly easy for you to keep and raise your baby ducklings
until they are mature ducks.
The first thing you need to do is to find a warm and comfortable
resting place for your baby ducks. When they are newly hatched, ducks
are totally wet. Typically, it takes at least 3 hours for them to
naturally dry, and before you can take them to a farm incubator, they
need to be completely dry. Also, you should take note that a sudden
removal of the baby ducks from the incubator can shock their young
system.
A surrounding with room temperature is a significant change as compared
to the comfort of the incubator that is around 85 – 90 degrees. Thus,
if your baby ducks were hatched during spring, it is wise to have an
incubator or a warm place where you can keep them temporarily. A small
room, small enough to keep the needed temperature would be great.
A small box would be a safe place to keep your baby ducks. At first,
you should keep them in a small place. To do this, you can use a sturdy
cardboard box, with thick paper or cloths in the bottom. I would
suggest putting a plastic sheet on the bottom too if you use a
cardboard box to avoid the box from getting wet, when the baby ducks
begin playing with water. You can use a small lamp, and place it near
the box so that it can provide the needed warmth. Avoid using lamps
that are brighter than 40 watts to avoid extra temperature.
At first, the baby ducks will huddle together because it is their
natural instinct. They have the tendency to do this behavior during
their early days in the incubator. Also, they will spend most of their
days sleeping. If the baby ducks are hatched during summer, when the
weather is hot, they tend to be more active.
In feeding baby ducks, you should give them starter pellets since they
are well formulated to have all the needed nutrients that their young
body requires. You can place their food in a small container such as a
bowl. You should expect them to be unruly when eating; they commonly
play with their food and splash water around.
Baby ducks need to have enough source of water. Like any pet, they need
water to survive. However, they are not yet ready for swimming.
Primarily, you should place a small container of water in their box.
Avoid using large water containers since they can get drowned while
playing.
After a few weeks, the baby ducks are ready to move out from the box.
If the weather is fine, that means it’s warm; they can play outside,
and start enjoying your yard. However, you should keep them initially
in a small area of your yard because they are too young, and they are a
potential meal for predators such as cats.
Articles
Keeping Ducks:
Mating Systems
Keeping Ducklings
Keeping
Ducks: Frequently Asked Questions
Keeping
Ducks: Feeding and Behavior
Keeping Ducks: Breeding
Keeping Muscovy Ducks
Keeping Black
East Indies Ducks
Raising Pekin duck
Keeping Ducks For Eggs
Keeping Cayuga Ducks
How to Raise
Ducks In Your Home
Keeping
Ducks: The Top Duck Breeds
Keeping
Ducks For Meat
Feeding Ducklings
How
to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Ducks
Keeping Ducks As Pets
Keeping Crested Ducks
Two
Respiratory Diseases Common to Ducks
Keeping Ducks:
The Mallard Breed
Hatching Baby Ducks
Keeping Ducks As
Poultry
Keeping Call Ducks
Keeping Ducks:
Pinioning
How to Feed
Fully Grown Ducks
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