How to Take Care of Ducklings

Newly hatched ducklings need a warm, safe environment for healthy growth. If kept in a safe environment with plenty of food and water, the playful, restless ducklings can walk and swim on their own before you realize it. It is necessary to create favorable conditions for ducks to develop, to provide them with delicious foods as well as to protect them from external threats.

Table of Contents

Making a Duck Coop

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Prepare the warming box. Newly hatched ducklings need to be warmed up after spending 24 hours acclimatizing to their new world, after which they can be transferred to a warming box. ^{[1] X Research Source} You can use a plastic container, a cardboard box, or a large glass tank.

The incubator box must have good insulation, because the ducklings need to be provided with enough warmth. Do not choose a box with too many holes on the side or bottom.
Place shavings or old towels on the bottom of the box. Avoid newspapers or other slippery materials. Newly hatched ducklings are weak, so they can’t walk properly for the first few weeks, so they are easy to fall and get injured when walking on plastic or newspaper surfaces.

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Install heating lamps. Ducklings need to be warmed for the first few weeks to gradually acclimate to the cold air outside the eggshell. Buy a heating lamp from a hardware or home appliance store and install the light just above the top of the incubator.

Use a 100 watt light bulb. This type of bulb will create the right temperature to warm the newly hatched ducklings.
Place part of the incubator box away from the heat source, in case the duck needs a cool place to lie down.
Make sure the bulb is not placed too close to the ducks. This can cause overheating, or the duck can get burned if it touches the bulb. In case the warming box is a bit shallow, use a solid wooden bar or pole to raise the bulb higher.

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Check the installation location of the heating lamp. Periodically check the location of the heating lamp to ensure that the ducks are warm enough to the appropriate required temperature.

Depending on the different development stages of ducks, the temperature and power of the lights need to be changed to suit their characteristics.
If the ducklings are clustered around a heat source, it is a sign that the ducks are cold, need to move the bulb closer to them or use a higher wattage bulb to increase the temperature.
If the ducks are scattered away from the heat source and breathing rapidly, it is due to excess heat, need to move the bulb away from the flock or use a lower wattage bulb to reduce the temperature. Keeping the temperature stable and warm is the ideal condition for the development of ducks.

Provide Food and Drink

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Provide adequate water for ducklings. Place a moderately shallow drinking trough inside the coop, ensuring that the ducks can use their beaks to drink water without having to lower their heads. ^{[2] X Research Source} Ducklings like to clean their noses when they drink water, but if you let ducks get into deeper water, they can climb up and dive into the water. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Regularly change the water and clean the drinking troughs clean to prevent diseases for ducks.
If you are afraid that the deep drinking trough will be dangerous to ducks, you should put some pebbles or a few marbles in the bottom of the tray to ensure their safety. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Start feeding your duck with small pieces of food. Ducklings will not be able to eat food for 24 hours after hatching because after hatching, they also contain a yolk that continues to provide nutrients to the duck. After this time, the duck can eat the crumbs, small pellets available at the store. ^{[5] X Research Source} Buy a plastic feeder, fill it with food, and place it inside the incubator.

If ducks show signs of hesitation when eating, try adding a little water to the food to make it easier for them to swallow. You can add a small amount of sugar to the water for the first 2 days to get rid of all the toxins in the body and give them more energy.

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Add egg yolks to weak ducklings. Very weak ducklings need to be supplied with the nutrients in the egg yolk before they can eat other food scraps on their own. Feed the ducks mash pea porridge with egg yolks until they are more interested in crumbs. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Create a permanent path to the food source for the ducklings. Ensure ducks have access to food 24/7. Ducklings grow very quickly, so they will eat whenever they feel hungry. Ducklings need water to swallow their food more easily, so be sure to stay hydrated at all times.

After about 10 days, ducks can eat the same pellets as when they first learned to eat, but with larger sizes.

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Change feed for adult ducks. When ducks grow up, around 16 weeks old, they can eat food intended for adult ducks.

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Avoid letting ducks eat food that is not specifically for ducks. Ducks should not be fed the foods we normally eat such as bread, because they do not contain enough nutrients and can even cause disease in ducks ^{[7] X Research Source}

Although ducks like to eat bread, it is not good food for them.
Ducks can eat thinly sliced fruit and vegetables and some snacks, but make sure the main meal is still duck foods.
Ducklings should not be fed chicken feed. The nutritional composition of the chicken feed is not compatible with that of the ducklings.
Absolutely do not provide food containing chemical ingredients to ducks. It can harm the organs in the duck’s body.

Raising Ducklings into Healthy Adult Ducks

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Create conditions for ducklings to swim. Ducks love to swim, and often learn to swim very soon after only a few days of separating from the eggs. When ducks swim, don’t forget to watch them. In the early stages, ducklings are covered with absorbent fluff, and their bodies are still weak to swim alone. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Make a small swimming pool outside the roller chute. The roller trough is an ideal place for ducks to learn to swim. ^{[9] X Research Source} Pay attention to the ducks, the slope in the trough will create a short slope to help ducks get in and out more safely.

Do not let ducks swim too far, ducks are easy to catch colds. When the ducks are done swimming, gently dry the feathers and place them back inside the warmer to keep them warm.
You can place the duckling on a clean towel-covered pad for a few minutes.

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When adult ducks swim, you don’t need to keep a close eye on them. Adult ducks are covered with waterproof feathers, they can swim without your support. Depending on the type of duck, their feathers are formed between 9-12 weeks of age.

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Be wary of larger ducks. Make sure the ducklings are supervised at all times from the time they grow, feather and learn to swim, especially when the ducklings are swimming in the pond. Larger ducks swimming in the same pond or in the same water can drown or even kill the ducklings.

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Protect ducklings from being harmed by wild animals. Ducks in general and ducklings in particular, are the targets of predators. For adult ducks, you can let them go freely, but do not forget that wild animals are always lurking and waiting for the opportunity to eat the ducks at any time. Therefore, you should pay attention to protect your ducks.

If you keep ducks in a shed or outside barn, make sure no animals can get close to them. Wolves, foxes, and even large predatory birds can harm ducks if we are careless.
Domestic ducks need to be protected from dogs and cats, as they can attack or play too much, endangering the ducks.
Make sure wild animals can’t get into your new home when you move your duck from the heating box to a larger space.

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Keep an intimate distance from the ducks. Ducks are easily attracted to gentle cuddling, but if you get too intimate, you’ll leave a deep impression on them. Let your ducks grow up healthy, independent, and watch them play together, but don’t join them too much.

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Move the ducks to a more spacious place. As ducks grow, they need to be moved to a larger space or barn equipped with latches. Provide food for adult ducks and let them swim and play freely. Remember to bring the ducks back to the barn when it is dark to protect them from the threat of wild animals.

Advice

Do not feed your ducks with grapes or other fruit with seeds.
Do not feed the ducklings with onions, nuts, or bread. Ducks can eat beginner duck food, peas, corn kernels, chickpeas, butter beans, prepared carrots, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, crickets, worms, small fish, grass, milk and turkey feed.
After the duck is in the water, spread some floating food such as fish or dog food so that the duck can eat it. Convert the basic diet into a good quality, chemical-free diet, which is usually available at most feed stores.
If the duckling is sick, call your veterinarian or consult online methods to find the most appropriate solution.
If you have pets such as dogs or cats, do not allow ducklings near them.
Cuddle and gently stroke your duck, because their bones are very soft and fragile.
If this is your first time adopting ducklings, create enough space for them to adjust to their new home. How do you feel when you live in a new but cramped house? So, give a certain amount of space for ducks to live.
Although ducks grow and mature, keeping ducks away from threats from wild animals is still the best option.
Provide ducklings with heat, food, water and whatever they need to help them grow up healthy!
If you are standing among the ducks, be careful with your steps lest you step on the propeller.

Warning

Always keep clean water available next to the food place, the water will help the duck swallow the food easier.
Watch carefully when ducklings go out, because wild animals can invade them.
Do not take your eyes off the ducks as they swim.
Keep an eye on the ducklings in the early days.
Do not feed the ducklings with medicated poultry food!

Things you need

Warm box.
Warm lamps and 100-watt bulbs.
Dry grass or a haystack, a crumpled towel or newspaper.
Duck feed crumbs and adult duck feed with food dish.
A shallow dish of water.
A roller chute.

Steps