Ducks, help!

[Alan_L_Texas]

Mrs. Alan L. came home with 3 ducklings she got at tractor supply today. We have an acre pond, but from what I hear we will need to teach them to go in some kind of cage at night. Right now they are smaller than your fist - 2 small mallards and one bigger yellow duck (I think a Pekit or something like that).

I'm a little concerned that the regular light we have shining on their box in the shop is not warm enough. Its probably 55 or 60 in the shop. Fortunately we are expecting near 80 degree temps tomorrow.

Anybody got some pointers?

[Stoneheartfarm]

Alan,

Don't know about ducklings, but our full grown duck lives with the chickens and goes in and out of the hen house. She would also think 55 or 60 would be right nice about now. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

Steve

[Alan_L_Texas]

the ducklings.

[egon]

Cute little fellers.
Out at the farm I really enjoy watching Momma duck and her young ones skittering over the evening quiet lake water catching surface bugs.

Perhaps if you establish an evening feed station and routine you can get them into a shelter. ????

Egon

[pbenven]

Our friends bought 2 last year for their pond. Like Stoneheart's they now stay with the chickens. At dinner time when they were young, the lady would call them and lead them to the food bowl with a handful of feed. Now they follow her everywhere and she can call them to her if need be.

A really good idea, and our friends will be doing this soon, is to create a small island in the middle of the pond.

[Alan_L_Texas]

I was thinking of some sort of floating, anchored island for the ducks. Our pond is about an acre in size. Any ideas?

[earthmother]

I had ducks when I was a kid. The ducklings need to be kept at 90 degrees, just like chicks. You can keep them in a cardboard box with a heat lamp in the house or garage, etc. I wouldn't put them outside until they either had their white feathers coming in or until it stays in the lower 70's. They don't need to swim as ducklings although I would take them out daily and let them swim for awhile in the kitchen sink. Just like chicks if they get chilled they'll die. Also, as adults they need shelter for night time and winter. I used a dog house. Mine was near the house, but if yours will be anywhere far from the house, you'll want to have a door to close at night for saftey. Ducks are fun- enjoy. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Stoneheartfarm]

Alan,

For a small island, you might try using empty 5 gallon buckets for floats. Often, these are cheaper than plastic barrels or foam.

Steve

[Alan_L_Texas]

Thanks, the 5-gallon bucket deal sounds like a good idea. I can't believe how fast these critters have grown. Here they are tonight.

[Alan_L_Texas]

Here's the duck house I'm building. Its 3' by 5', with a duroc (concrete board) floor. The posts and roof trim are cedar, but everything else is 2 by 4 stock I had laying around.

The roof is on hinges, with a latch on the front, for easier cleaing. Since a solid dog house structure would suffocate the ducks in the Texas heat, I am making the outside walls just half-inch hardware cloth, 24" high. It will go on the outside of those 6 cedar posts, with a gate on the front. I cold winter, I'll screw some plywood over the sides to block the wind.

We took the ducks about 250 feet to the 1-acre tank (pond) today. They really had a good time, but never got more than 5 feet from the shore, mainly diving and pecking away at the vegetation. We wondered how we would get them out, but as we started walking off, they all followed us back to the shop. Now I wonder if they will stay out at the tank at all.