OzPoultry
PLEASE, NOTE: as of Sep 2021: OUR ducklings and equipment / feed, etc. SALES are OFF, at the moment, until the further notice. The below information, or any pricing information (comparable in your local timezone or not) and advisory and tips - are valid only under the normal market and environment conditions only, thanks.
UNTILL YOUR Ducklings GET 6 WEEKS OLD - NOT TOO MUCH RAIN !
This is in the situations if you do - or don't have a sitting hen available, or larger ducklings to warm them, depending on what is going on.
When less than 6 weeks old: keep ducklings away from too much rain, or Ducklings may die if their skin gets directly too wet, and you're not there to quickly dry them with the towel, or cleanex paper, or a mild-set hair dryer, etc. (If they fall into cold Hypothermia, will have the mobility blocked, live for 1 hour more and: die if the wet and coldness continues to take them away, and - you are not there to save them from cold-wet-death, any way you can heat them back to life). If you ARE there, however, and you have spotted this happening to ducklings, you must act QUICKLY:
Collect them into the house, in some plastic bucket or box, with the dry shower towel or cloth already at the bottom and dry them by a hair-dryer on [SLOW speed, and [MID warm] setting. Not hot warm, or you may fry them ! Alternatively - put the ducklings in the warm Brooder box, if you have prepared one for such situations ahead, as it's best to have one like that in the shed (garage) [eg. why that not be a larger plastic bin with the lid (with few holes) at the top with a shower towel or some thicker dry cloth or cardboard at the botoom ?] Always think of hypothermia, and be ready *before* it happens to them. Since - in some cases - you can save a few.
So: if ducklings are not too wet - you just put them to a warm brooder box, untill they dry and the walk ability returns to them, after a roughly an hour of being inside. If they are too wet, or in the hypothermia phase already - put some heater at the bin top, and cover the top, at only up to 80%, and later remove the lid gradually, untill ducklings are dry and responding and walking normally again, with the interest for the things around, than just remove the lid and heating element, and the job is well done.
Got this, all thus far ? Alright: you have to think ahead all the time - or you will loose them before you know. Have you kept any very sensitive pets before ? The same ... Duck babies are little kids and your are their only protection - whether you liked it or not: they are your family. (you will loose some, get new ones, raise some, get some being very popular, and so on).
After ducklings are dry, plus the maybe a 30 min of sleep - you can let them outside again, for a run !
... some ducklings, at the explained, proper settings, at a deep-warm, and happy sleep, after mild-drying, with a hair dryer ...
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DAILY TIME, TO WATCH OVER DUCKLINGS FOR THE RAINING and WET:
(For the following solution to work, ducklings need to be older than 6 weeks - ideally, so 6 weeks or more):
It's good to have, and assign to them: some DRY corner in the backyard (or pen area) THAT NEVER RAINS, in which case: they should know to go there, on their own, when it rains too much (yes: they know when to), and will not require your attention, in that case, you can sleep calmly, knowing that: a warm corner is there for them, somewhere in the backyard). (sometimes you need to gently point them in to that safe warm corner, but only in the start, untill they learn it). (You need to check this, because ducklings will initially often gather for sleep in the exposed rainy corner part of the their pen/backyard). Once, to few times corrected, they will not do that again. (Such a dry corner can be provided by you, or already exist (eg. under your barbeque, if larger, or corner of your fence with a few tree branches over it, or just improvize a cover, a such corner with some larger plastic lid, so it can never rain under it - and get wet, or - this simply can be a dry corner of your pen, which is still correct, to the need).
AFTER YOUR Ducklings are 6 weeks old: you can leave them on the rain, they love the water, and enjoy rains, and is where all these mentioned initial heat-care nightmares stop. Minus: the safety issue, that still remains. (however, common sense, if you think they need help on any day - do it, collect them, and apply what care is needed untill the rain and wet, or danger passes !). Care also, that you don't keep them in the areas with the noisy (constant) machines on, next to them, and avoid exposure of your poultry to the noise with the infamous 7 Hz and other, harmful-to-birds frequencies. Though the ducklings can survive it, with a lot of headache for their lifetime, the chickens will certainly not, if exposed for too long to the 7Hz, and alike. The music does not count unless too loud or composed in a too over repeatedly monotones fashion.
HEATING YOUR DUCKLINGS / CHICKENS / BIRDS
Any time you (from any reasons) think it is good to heat them, and is recommended in general until they are 6 weeks old, and get a decent plumage. From our experience, we heat them only if the temperature gets lower than 8 celsius, and not a sigle one ever died using that system, over the past years, and all of them lived for up to 25 years. (which is some normal ducky lifespan is to expect, anyways). This is more of the critical issue overnight, when temperatures can get lower, even in the summer, so it's good to have some heating ready, in a larger box, or a standard brooder box, at any predator-safe space outside, until the morning comes, when they should be released again, out for a healthy daily run. Remember that: you are that 'overwatch genius', over their care.
At the summer nights, it just enough to put them into box in the garage, and cover up to 80% of the top with lid, or something else, so - no exact need for the heating even if it's lower than 8 celsius, if it's not a winter time, so on the most warmer nights - you will get away with it.
*** Do NOT use any "temperature" bulbs, or any light bulbs, to heat ducklings . chickens, EVER, it's not good for them, or the chickens ! Rather, get a new Fish Tank Heater (these days online are not expensive any more).
And, simply set their inbuilt termostat to about 30 deg.c - and immerse it into a bottle ( jar ) of water, and put the jar with heater inside - all into your designated Ducklings bin / box / brooder, where you keep them overnight, or - over the cold days.
This way - Fish Tank Heater will turn itself on: only 2 or 3 times per night) and if lid is covering the bin up about 80%, as said - all will be ok, and temperature inside will be even, and you will have the economy covered, as well, regardless your energy bill, it will be very affordable, to heat them this way, whenever you think they may need such heating. (and is very healthy for them, each time, instead of blinding them with bulbs, and spending a lot more electric energy that way). Look online for fish tank heaters 30 to 50cm long, with inbuilt thermostat, from 300W to 1000w are the best Fish Tank Heaters for this purpose, and including for the fish tanks, as well.
300 w Fish Tank Heater "Thermal" (good as the example, since we use them, as well).
1 Remove any fittings from the heater (such as those fitted on it, to stick them inside of aquarium),
2 Just immerse heather into a straight standing) bottle (or jar with lid, as on the photo), filled with 90% water.
If say, a jar with lid is used (as on this photo) - on the lid - make a hole, fill jar with water, and insert the heater, and than - just grab the jar now, with your fish tank heater inside, and put it into the ducklings bin. Now - plug / turn heater on, set it to 30 deg.c, and cover the bin top with ducklings inside up to 80% at the top, with something (you can cover with: bin original lid, or some cardboard, etc). All done.
*** you will need to clean the bin occasionally, and the jar, and change the water in the jar, every few weeks, if it gets too low, or messy. Use your already present dishwasher liquid detergent, (it's best, and it's already in the house), to wash the walls of the jar inside, and the heater, as well.
... all set, for the cold night (or a cold day) in the shed ... just add: ducklings, and not too much seeds, at the bin bottom, so it doesn't get too messy, as they eat it all, every time. One hand palm of mixed seeds is enough for one night (12 hrs) if you have up to 10 young ducklings inside ... the Mini Drinker can be also inside, filled with water (available also online, or at your local pet shops), if they are to be inside more than 6 hrs.
The mice are also problem AT the TIMES only, as you will notice: they tend to "come and go" for the periods of the year.
ALSO, FOR YOUR OWN SAKE:
* Ducklings that will live - will live, no matter that much if you heat them, or not, or how much.
* Those that will die to you - will die, and no matter how much you care, or heat them, it's the nature, simply: buy few more, to make up for those that die, and never go emotional about that, you can't change this - no matter how much care you offer. (remember this well, kids, adults, and adults that are "kids alike", or worse).
CAGING / FEEDING THE DUCKLINGS OVER THE NIGHT / MICES / PREDATORS, NOCTURNALS, FERAL'S (eg. feral cats / dogs, etc...)
If your neighbourhood has the mices around, and you leave Ducklings in the backyard over the night: you will need a MICE-SAFE Pen (which is not same as BIRD-SAFE pen). The bird-safe pen can have the mesh squares larger than 12 mm, while for the mice-safe pen you will need a mesh with 12 mm max size squares. (if your squares of the pen mesh are larger than 12mm, your young Ducklings are not mice and redator-safe). (Also: if each of the squares is not regular-checked and closed wher eneeded, and closed PROPERLY eg. using C-clips -than they are not safe either ...). This is against LARGER mice and RATS, that ARE able to eat or hurt Ducklings, and there is also a 7mm mesh / pens, if the smaller mice is a big problem to them (usually - is not, in most of the backyards / suburbs).
Also: do not feed Ducklings over the night, at a first sign of the dark - gently show them the way into the pen, than close the door on it. The ducklings should SLEEP over the night, and not allowed into the habit of moon-wandering, over the night, eating around, and being noisy. They NEED to sleep over the night the described way, just like we do, and are not different from us, regardlesss that matter. This way ducklings will also eat better over the day, and be much healthier. Remove all feed (seeds) at first sign of the dark from backyard, and all other food leftovers that may be there, to discourage mices coming, and other nocturnals around. Never drop to ground any more daily feed / water than they can eat per day, or you are just feeding and attracting all the (day/night) predators, straignt to your ducklings. At first sign of the dark, the Ducklings will look around for what to do, can get attacked by mice if you're not there to collect them into bin, or the cardboard box (and take them into garage/shed) or send them to mice-safe outside pen, as described. (Ducklings just need a bit of water over the night, in a mini-drinker, or you can simply spill it on the soil in the pen or around, where they can reach it). Use some car-cover material to cover the entire pen over the night, if you don't have dry corner for it, but: put 1 longer brick or so - under the each end of the pen, so in this case they can't touch the any WET GROUND part of the pen if it rains, till the morning. Be the water & moist extra-aware, always, until the ducklings are about 6 weeks old, at least.
So, more tips here, as we hope that in in your each (professional or not) situation, raising ducklings will be of enough help, and that everyone can learn - at least something.
DRIVING DUCKLINGS, AND INTIAL CARE:
(* make shure you have a cardboard box, or some pet equipment where the Ducklings can breathe properly. (*do NOT close cardboard box completely, leave one leaf open a bit, so: ducklings can have some fresh air coming in, while you drive them to the destination). Do NOT drive them into the car trunks, with no air, but, if must - use your car back seat mat, it's also ok. (they will NOT jump onto the seats, but: will settle gently on the floor mat, and be ok).
(When at destination, put them out, for 3 hours, or up to 3 days, in some cases, so they can de-stress from the new change, first, and adopt to your backyard, and start to eat later). (if they don't eat or drink for the first few days, it's ok: LET THEM BE, they are de-stressing from the change). (start with small pieces of bread, immersed in the water, in the small box, in the backyard). (you can also offer some thin cutt Lettuce pieces, or polenta wheat or just immediately: move to our recommended foods under our section: FEEDING DUCKLINGS, on this page).
DUCKLINGS LOOK AT YOUR BACKYARD AS "HOME" AND NOT INSIDE OF THE HOUSE.
The times with Ducklings, inside the house is everyone's dream (kids and adults), and is fine, BUT:
it's ok - for few hours only. After that, they need to be back in your yard, as soon as possible.
*For ANY "no answer" questions: sales, or not related, and news - contact us
(our mad scientists, waterfowl specialists, and ducky nerds, knowing so much about the duckys, and few other sciences), by email ONLY, here: contact email
DUCK EMERGENCIES - OTHER QUESTIONS:
For the Dr. Michael's duck-advice, 24/7, send an email above (we aim to answer the emails 24/7). contact email
------- F E E D I N G the D U C K L I N G S -------
BE SHURE TO READ THE FOLLOWING SECTION WITH CARE Day old - to any age later: DON'T FEED MILLED SEEDS, eg. 'MESH' ! ( NOTHING MILLED ! ).
(NO ANY MILLED FOOD MESH, EVER). Ducklings are predominanly SEED EATERS, as many of the birds are, as well. For Ducklings, at ANY age, you should feed WHOLE, UNTOUCHED, MIXED SEEDS ONLY, and more different seeds in the mix - the better for them.
From this reason, and 1000 other reasons: to your Ducklings - give only Free Range seeds . (mixed seeds) (also known as the "Poultry Mix") (you could add into the seeds a bit of Polenta wheat, or Crummies, for the first 4 weeks of age).
YOU NEED TO GET DUCKLINGS TO EAT WHOLE SEEDS ASAP (yes - from day-one, of their lives, you can carefully choose which seeds mix and what size seeds, but it's the law, if you want them to be healthy).
HERE IS, EXPLAINED HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE, PROPERLY, TO GET THEM - TO EAT SEEDS ASAP:
For a day-olds (duck babies): just add a bit of Polenta wheat, or Crummies, into the Poultry Mix (seeds), so your Ducklings can easier switch to Poultry Mix only, as you than decrease the amount of Polenta or Crummies you mix in it, over their first 4 weeks, down to zero, so - after 4 weeks - only Poultry Mix takes over in full, (mixed seeds). And so, you are shure they now know how to eat seeds properly, and (only) that way is good. (sooner on the seeds - the better) (if they still pick the Polenta or Crummies only, but not eating any seeds yet, you should be adding LESS Polenta or Crummies, each week into the favor of the Poultry Mix, just so that you know, and soon - they will start eat the seeds as a main and 'default' way).
(Every week, mix less and less Polenta or Crummies into the seeds, and after 4 weeks, or so - none. (unless as a "special reward" occasionally, when they are much older ...).
PERCENTAGES OF DAILY DIET you give them MUST BE AS FOLLOWS:
>>> IT MUST be always 80% Poultry Mix, and only 10% to 20% of any other extras you want to include, for the daily feed, but - those extras must be thin cut, to very small pieces by scissors, or knife, or using row mill. Polenta or Crummies that you will buy - comes as the wheat in the baggies already, so they should not be a problem, regardless that.
POULTRY MIX ("FREE RANGE") is your MAIN ducklings (ducks) feed. (Sold in the convenient 10 kilo baggies, in the stores and pet shops, ETC - BIRD FEED SECTION IS usually always: NEXT TO THE DOG FEED SECTION. OR: YOU CAN ASK IN YOUR LOCAL PET SHOPS, where you can also get 25 kilo bags of Pultry Mix. ("Free Range"), or similar mixed seeds. *Poultry Mix, a one version ("Free Range") eg. sold in Safeway, as you see here, is a BLUE baggies (10 kg) - you're looking for this baggy, if your local Safeway is your emergency choice to get their feed:
*** You can also buy Poultry Mix in your local PET SHOPS, in large (20 to 30 kg bags, to last for a few months). (The OTHER bird seeds, in the same "Bird Feed" section, may be ALSO OK, eg. for parrots, chickens, etc, as long as you have at least 3 different seeds in it, for example: sunflower, c o r n, and something else). *Ducklings will also love (extra) MANY veggies (just cut it very thin, so they don't choke and die from big uncut pieces). (the same safety concern is as for: with feeding the bread pieces !).
Ducklings/ducks, on most of days, eat approx. from almost - zero -> and UP TO 150g per day. (sometimes nothing, for a day - two, such as: on the day you purchased them, are day olds, and brought to your place, and while they are de-stressing).
Ducklings are also your (24/7) anti-bug-patrol, anti-snail patrol, and anti-ants patrol, so - you'll not have any bugs in the house anymore, coming from the side where the ducklings are in the backyard - your ducklings will eat them with such a precision, such as you will do with the vacuum cleaner ! (Roaches, Flies and smaller lizards and similar are included ...).
Also: if the ANTS are OVER populated and run over your house (inside-outside) you need to find the NEST where they are coming from, and destroy it, or otherwise: spending on insecticides will be a waste of money. There are also modern 'kill-all', for the ants, as the bite food (granular) insecticides, that is enough to occasional-wise spread a bit aroud the property, that ants will take into the nests, and it will than greatly reduce their numbers you have to deal with, as well.
DON'T FEED PETS BY FORCE, OR WATER THEM BY FORCE - THEY CAN DIE
Some people purchased a few Ducklings, and on the first 3 days forcefuly feeded them the stuff they didn't like, (and haven't got the patience to wait 2-3 days that Ducklings start eat normally), and as the result: their ducklings died. Some also die, from being too much harassed by the people's hands. Moistening the food impoperly and with no control: may cause it to sour or to go mouldy. Provide adequate fresh, clean water at all times. (Ducklings need to frequently immerse their eyes into water, in order to keep good vision + health). You can for an example exercise them, in a longer bath tub (mild warm water) from day one, at swim through / and diving under the water, than everywhere around the tab water as well, and let them alone as well, to do so for about 1 hr on their own, and than is the time to: dry them, as per that section instructions, on this page. Do not take a shower with them, as you can step on them, all too easy. While it's good to weekly get them under the warm shower, and have them sprinkled with the baby soap first. That way: they can never have any mites.
WHEN YOU GET TIRED OF FILLING-UP AND CLEANING DRINKER(s) - DO THIS
You can get affordable Water Timer from online, that is adjustable from minutes to hours of watering, some of them today are solar powered, and don't work if it rains, either (they have sensors for rain too), you will insert iside of your Water Timer only: few good batteries, and it will last for months). Each of such water timers today have also one knob position saying "off" for direct watering when you need it, and after returning the knob to preivous time setting - they will just resume the program again. (Water could be in a simple kiddie pool, or anything smaller, ducklings can climb into easily, or just overturned plastic lid, with NOT TOO HIGH sides, so ducklings can climb for the swim, every time they need to). You might have even a property pond, which is the much better option. But, such suitable plastic lid can be as small as 50cm x 50 cam, by 20 mm height, as the most of them are, or large as much as you want to, as long as it's sides are not higher than 10 to 20 cm, in which case will always contain enough amount of water under the sun for them to exercise and clean themselves. And also will be easy to clean, daily, or weekly, and refill with fresh water whenever you see it went total mud.
ALSO: If you want to feed the bit extra wet bread to ducklings (untill you get a more appropriate feed, eg. Poultry Mix, or other mix of seeds you may have, the bread only has a lower energy value, but it's OK to feed it as an extra, or a main feed, in the emergency, as said, or even - as the extra, but: Seeds have to be 80 % od the birds diet you give daily - and everything else is extra, and no more than 20 % extras in that ratio, [ or you are in a big trouble, teaching them somehtng not good for them], more bread and less seeds you give - more noisy + anxious they will be, at the end: not manageable, noisy, demanding, and most importantly - imballanced (sick). So: the bread is alright, but: only if kept UNDER 20% of daily feed, with other extras and if larger pieces - must be served to them IN THE WATER (never dry bread, if the bread pieces are larger than a nut size !).
DISCLAIMER
THIS PAGE IS WRITTEN WITH SO MUCH LOVE AND RESEARCH, FOR YOU - DUCK, BIRD AND ANIMAL SUPPORTERS, AND YOUR LOVED ONES
All materials on this site are provided for the informational purposes only, and we would not be held liable for any damages, resulting from the (correct or wrong) interpretations (or usage) of any content from it, or the usage of it's parts from it. You may totally, or partly agree / disagree with any content here, if it works better for you and your situation, as well. By coming (landing) to this website, it is assumed that you have automatically agreed with the terms of this disclaimer. We have given up on too much spell-checking and making-too-perfect for all of our sites, so thanks for the understanding, while we rather hold that content itself always matters more.
Thanks for reading, ducking aorund on any day, being the "ducky minded" and supporting the wildlife - and our native heritage, for the generations to come.
Dr. MichaelMV, of: OZAV Intnl - Aviator, educator, mentor, duck breeder & waterfowl care enthusiast,
OzPoultry & Partners,
Melbourne, VIC, AUSTRALIA.
