My 10 year old son, Andrew, talked me into ordering a pair of Khaki Campbell ducklings which arrive on Tuesday. ( I have to admit I didn't need a lot of persuading!)

I keep chickens but have never dealt with waterfowl before. Can I feed them on the chick crumbs I have for my 6 week old pullets or do they need special rations? How long would they need to stay under a brooder lamp ( fortunately my chicks no longer need it)? Any usefull tips on duck care would be appreciated. I have enough space to keep them separate from the poultry which seems to be advisable. Andrew will be their main carer, but I need to know that we are doing the right thing. While a few eggs would be nice, they will be considered as pets. Perhaps someone could point me in the direction of a good book or website. Many thanks. Barbara

Dear Barbara, I'm a brand new duckling owner myself and I have found info on the internet warning us NOT to feed ducklings the medicated chick mash--they can eat too much, overmedicate themselves and even die. This was on a web site called "Raising ducklings and goslings without their mom" Well, that's the title of the article anyway but you'll be able to find it. I've heard that 3 or 4 weeks under the lamp is sufficient since ducks have a greater body mass than chicks do. It seems the most recommended book to read is "Raising the home duck flock" I don't have it yet but plan to buy and study it! I let my 4 ducklings swim in the bathtub for 10 min. or so a day and they absolutely love it (make sure to supervise them when little-they can drown) Good Luck!! Debbie Jean

Dear Debbie Jean,

Thanks for the reply. The ducklings are here now and are wonderful. I have them in a spare guinea pig cage at the moment, bedded on old hand towels which I can easily change- a quick shake, rinse and throw in the mashine. They are very messy. They take a mouthful of food - you're right there, non-medicated crumbs- and then waddle over to the water and spit most of the food into it then they spend a few minutes catching it again. The water quickly becomes smelly. I change it 4-6 times a day. The water is in a shallow dish, deep enough to get their heads in but I have had to put in a few rocks, both to keep the dish stable and also to stop them sitting in the water. They have been for a swim in an old dishwash bowl which they loved. The water was warm, we toweled them off and put them straight back under the brooder lamp afterwards. I don't think my children got this much attention! They are very different from chickens and I have to say much more entertaining. I think I'm hooked.
Barbara

Sounds like you're having fun! ducklings are great.
Only advice I'd add (from my favourite duck book)is
watch the ducklings don't get chilled as they don't
have the benefit of their mother's oil on their down. I
wouldn't normally allow brooder or broody hen reared
ducklings into water until they're feathered and oiled
as they are as vulnerable to getting wet as a chick
...only they have an instinct to love water!
It sounds like your heat lamp is drying them though.
As soon as you can move their water and food
troughs/bowls as far away from the sleeping area

Dear Dulcie,
Thanks for the advice. I have been allowing the ducks a five minute swim every day which they love. I have noticed that they do a lot of preening and scratching afterwards and their oil gland produces a lot of oil at this time. They seem to be getting less wet each time they swim which means they are becomming well oiled. They are outgrowing both the cage and the bowl so I am in the middle of constructing a duck house for them. Its a work of art but I don't think it would make it onto 'This old House'! I think it is sturdy enough to keep out the raccoon that sometimes visits. As soon as it's made they will be going into it. I will be setting it up in a chain linked dog run to start with for added security, which is near the house so I can keep an eye on them.It should also make clean-up a little easier, they are incredibly messy. They like company and I have been surprised at how affectionate they are, unlike my chickens.
One word of caution to anyone reading this. My female came with a pink legband on , one of those wire spring like things. I thought they expanded as the duck grew but it didn't and was beginning to cut into her leg. It was a two person job to remove and has left her leg with a little dent, but hopefully no lasting damage. If you use legbands, check them regularly.
Barbara

Dear Barbara,
They sound great! Ducks do have lovely characters don't they. Ours supervise us whenever we're outside and often offer a running commentary on how we're doing. We made a really sturdy duck pen as we have hungry mink etc round here the only catch is if I could start over again I'd make a bigger door as it's a bit tricky to clean out ! and collecting the eggs each day is a bit undignified (hands and knees and stretch..yes I do look stupid)So if you haven't finished yet go for a large access door! (you probably have more sense than I did and thought this out already ..but just in case)
We also added a small enclosed yard to our pen it's not large but it's well wired in (as in completely)so if we're out all day the ducks are (hopefully) safe they can come and go (into the duck house) as they please and there is another door from the run to the rest of the yard/garden for when we are about.
We have Khaki Campbells too and they are laying really well so they pay for their feed which is nice. (Ok they're pets really but it's a bonus)Thanks for the tip about legbands that sounded nasty. Bestwishes Dulcie

Dear Dulcie,
The duck house is complete and they are now happily in residence. The door is perhaps a bit small for me but I have a 10 year old boy who fits nicely!

Too young to be producing eggs yet but have you any advice on how to use them. I have heard that you shouldn't soft boil them but that they make excellent cakes.
Barbara

Hi Barbara,
If the eggs are clean and fresh you can do whatever you like with them! Duck eggs used to get a bad press but it's only because they have a slightly more porous shell and were often collected from ducks who laid outside in mucky places... so they could have been old and/or contaminated. If you keep the duck pen dry and clean you should have no problems, lots of woodshavings seems to work well.
If you do need to wash an egg (even the nicest ducks sometimes splot on them!) then follow the same rules as for washing hen eggs. Which is use hot water ( cool water can be drawn through the shell) and any that you have to wash don't store them use them soon and cook well (same as hens).
We use them for anything we'd use hen eggs for... they're laying so well at the moment that I think I'm going to try freezing some...app you break them and stir them (but not whip them up) add a little salt or sugar (and label which!) then freeze them in icecube trays and bag them when frozen... 1 cube = 1/2 an egg I'll let you know if it works :)
I think I need to make a new pen or find a 5 year old!!!
Have fun Dulcie