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Barnyard Buddies:  Ducks ducks oh messy ducks!!!!!  |
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barefootmama
True Blue Farmgirl
133 Posts
Jennifer
BLOOMSBURG
Pennsylvania
USA
133 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 07:25:27 AM
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Hi ladies!
I have a question for fellow duck mothers....I have had ducks before but I inherited them as adults and they have long since passed on. I love ducks so I decided to buy 6 ducklings 2 weeks ago when I got a few more chicks to add to the flock lol....They are kakhi ducks and are so messy!!! The person I bought them from told me to start them indoors and keep them there till they are big enough to go outside...When is that? is my question....I have them in a very nice make shift home in my house and they are cute..mouthy..little buggers lol they swim in my tub while I clean there home out several times a day because they flood it with their non-leaking h2o dish (ha ha) their outside habitat is ready and waiting for them but they are about 3 weeks old and still fuzzy....Help before they drive me ......well Ducky lol
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves,for they shall never cease to be amused:) |
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magnoliakathy
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Kathryn
Magnolia
Texas
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 11:38:12 AM
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Ducks and geese need just enough water to get their beaks up to their nostrils wet, this is how they clean their nostrils. They don't need to swim, but sure are cute as ducklings,just bobbing around. Ducks need some place to be safe at night. Does your outside setup have a building/kennel/some place to lock them up at night? If so put them out there now, keep them locked up until they get all of their feathers. I raise ducks just like chickens, brooder, then pen with heat lamp until fully feathered and night temps at or above 70. Outside in the daytime only when fully feathered. I have hatched ducks in an incubator and raised them for 6 weeks in the spare bathroom bath tub. I used layers of newspaper on the bottom and torn up newspaper on top of that, heat lamp suspeneded from dowel rod across the tub. I kept the shower curtain closed to conserve heat. I put them in a cardboard box once a day to change out the paper and rinse out the tub, refill the water bowl/swimming pool and put out more food.
When you free your mind your heart can fly. Farmgirl # 714, |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 11:40:33 AM
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Jennifer, that's why I will never have cute little duckies ever again! They are messy stinky critters. I think that when they get there feathers which should not be but another week or so, they could go on out. It's getting warmer here during the day but nights are still a little chilly. It's probably a bit cooler there at night though. Maybe let them out during the day and put them back up at night.
Good luck with the little guys.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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barefootmama
True Blue Farmgirl
133 Posts
Jennifer
BLOOMSBURG
Pennsylvania
USA
133 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2010 : 4:37:25 PM
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thanks girls...this is what I came up with...I built a brooder in an outside pen for them and have a heat lamp over it..during the warmer days I open it up and let them roam aound the enclosed escape free pen..at night they get "unwillingly" put back in the brooder and are in for the night with the heat lamp over them.. they do not have a swimming pool yet because they are living with a few friends..little chicks lol that I am afraid will drown. So the ducks do enjoy a few visits to my bath tub for a swim which the kids love...so thanks again I will keep you posted on duckapolooza!!!!!!!!!!
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves,for they shall never cease to be amused:) |
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Barnyard Buddies: Ducks ducks oh messy ducks!!!!! |
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Ducks ducks oh messy ducks!!!!!
