When we moved into our new house, which has a creek running through the property, my first thought was DUCKS!!! Lets face it people they are the cutest feathered animals on earth. As far as homesteading goes they lay huge eggs and can be raised for meat purposes, though I've read that duck meat is greasy. So a week ago we brought home two Pekin ducklings and as usual made some mistakes. We decided they would be too cold in our usual brooder (its too big for only 2 birds) so into a cardboard box they went with a small heat lamp. So begins mistake number one. By the next afternoon they were panting like crazy. We were unaware of their exact age and apparently they were old enough to maintain their own body temperature...so off went the heat lamp.
The ducks in their box
Next lesson, ducks are MESSY!!!! We only provide our ducks with a small dish of water, just enough to drink, and yet it ends up everywhere in a matter of minutes, same with their food. They soaked through a cardboard box within a day so we started layering newspaper and wood chips to help with the moisture.
Now that we have the basics down we're doing okay...at least for now. So, here are a few quick duck tips...
Duck Tips
- Ducklings start off by eating standard non-medicated chick starter
- They are social birds and create family bonds that they keep for life so, you need more than one duck to keep them happy.
- DUCKLINGS CAN DROWN!!! This was news to me. When you provide them with a wading pool or in our case, a creek, you need to make sure they can get in and out safely on their own.
- Duck feet are sensitive and easily injured. No wire or rough surface material should be used in their brooder or permanent housing.
- Ducks are very affectionate. Unlike chicks they love to be snuggled so, handle them often. Trust me you wont be able to resist!
Happy Homesteading!
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