Ducklings love to nap amongst dirt and grass clumps.

      I like to fill my brooder with dirt clumps. The ducklings love rummaging through the dirt looking for bugs and worms – and the dirt doubles as the grit they need to help them digest the grass that they will inevitably end up eating. If they are eating anything other than chick feed, they do need grit in some form, either small stones/coarse dirt or commercial chick grit. Clumps of grass, dirt and all, give the ducklings something to play with, hide behind and nap on. The clumps of dirt also help build strong immune systems by slowly, and in small amounts, introducing them to the various pathogens and bacteria in the environment in which they will eventually live.

      Changing litter. Wet litter should be changed regularly. The moist air in the brooder, warmed by the heat lamp, can quickly lead to mildew and bacteria which can cause aspergillosis in your ducklings, a potentially fatal fungal infection caused by breathing mold spores. If you are using a bathtub brooder, you can greatly reduce the potential for wet litter if you place the water at the drain end – since the water will automatically drain away. After removing the dirty litter, I scrub my brooder down with a white vinegar/water solution (roughly 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) and let it dry before adding new litter and putting the ducklings back in.

      Once they are able to spend days outside, I like to clean the brooder in the morning (after I put them outside) and leave it in the sun to dry all day (if I’m using a tote or crate versus the bathtub, of course!) while the ducks are enjoying play time in their outdoor pen.

      Heat

      A heat lamp is necessary to keep your ducklings warm for the first few weeks. Be sure to position the heat lamp at one end of the brooder so the ducklings can move away if they get too warm. Watch them for cues. If they are huddled under the lamp and peeping loudly, they are cold; if they are panting or clustered at the far side of their brooder area away from the light, then they are too warm.

      An EcoGlow brooder is a good, safe choice for brooder heat for the first week or so, but since ducklings grow so fast, they will quickly be too large to fit underneath.

      The brooder temperature should be started at 90 degrees F the first day, then lowered by 7 degrees per week (one degree per day) until they are fully feathered and ready to go outside full time – at about 6 weeks old, weather dependent.

      An EcoGlo brooder provides heat for young ducklings.

      Brooder Temperature Chart

      Reduce the temperature one degree per day (shown in Fahrenheit):

      1st week 90-84°

      2nd week 83-77°

      3rd week 76-70°

      4th week 69-63°

      5th week 62-56°

      6th week 55°

      At 2-3 weeks old, your ducklings should be able to spend some time outside on warm, sunny days. It’s very important that ducklings get fresh air, sunlight and plenty of exercise, as well as exposure to fresh grass, for healthy development and growth. Of course, this is dependent on your climate – and they need to be protected from predators at all times, including wild birds, crows and snakes.

      For spring hatches: at 6-8 weeks old, once your ducklings are fully feathered, they should be ready to move outside and away from the heat permanently – into a dry, draft-free house.

      Water

      When you first bring your ducklings home (or take them out of the incubator), dip each duckling’s bill into a dish of sugar water (1/3 cup sugar per gallon of water) for an added energy boost. You can give them sugar water for the first few days, then switch to plain water. Room temperature or lukewarm water is best. Position the waterer at the opposite end of the brooder from the heat lamp so that splashing water doesn’t shatter the bulb.

      Adding a splash of apple cider vinegar to the water every few days is also extremely beneficial as a health and immune system booster and thought to help prevent internal worms, bacterial infection and coccidiosis. Be sure not to use metal if you are adding apple cider vinegar, because it will rust even galvanized metal waterers.

      What kind of waterer? A traditional Mason jar chick waterer doesn’t work well for ducklings. The design is too unstable and tips over too easily around rambunctious, clumsy ducklings. Ducklings are also able to empty a fountain (or gravity) waterer in mere minutes. Instead, I like to use a shallow, flat-bottomed dish or stoneware pie plate. Setting the water dish on a rimmed cookie sheet can help keep the water mess contained.

      Ducklings need water at all times, day and night. They are prone to choking if they don’t have access to water any time they are eating, so never leave feed for them unless they have ample water as well to help them swallow their feed. They also need to be able to keep their nostril membranes moist, clear of feed and debris and to clean their eyes in the water. As they grow, they will need progressively deeper water containers, but they can easily drown or get chilled if they sit in the water, so add some stones to help prevent accidental drowning – and be sure the water is just deep enough so that they can submerge their bill and head.

      Setting a waterer in a cookie sheet helps eliminate messes.

      By 2 weeks old, your ducklings will start to preen and activate their oil glands, which help to waterproof their feathers. By providing them a water dish 2 or 3 inches deep, you can facilitate that process for them. By choosing a slightly deeper water container with a smaller diameter you can prevent them sitting in it for the most part.

      Ducklings are drinkers! A week-old duckling will drink about half a gallon of water a week. By the time a duckling is seven weeks old, it will drink almost a half a gallon of water a DAY, so be sure there is always clean, fresh water available. Water should be changed at least daily and very possibly several times a day if you are able, to ensure debris-free, clean water. Remember though, ducklings are messy, so if you expect crystal clear water, your expectations are too high! Feed, some dirt or straw or shavings in the water are not a problem; but feces are.

      Provide ducklings with fresh water every day.

      Feed

      Feed should be provided at all times for your ducklings, away from the heat source and fairly close to the water. Ducklings can choke if they eat without drinking, so you want to keep the feeder and waterer next to each other. Traditional Mason jar chick feeders don’t work well for ducklings any better than the Mason jar chick waterers mentioned above, since the little guys have trouble fitting their bills in the small holes – and the Mason jar feeders are also prone to tipping over. Instead, I use a small terracotta planter base or a sturdy casserole dish for feed. Since ducklings go back and forth between their feed and water, the terracotta also helps

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