Pet Information > Others > Pet Articles > Thinking Of Raising Baby Ducks? What You Need To Know

Thinking Of Raising Baby Ducks? What You Need To Know

2016/5/3 16:17:50

Raising ducklings is a fun task, usually a little delicate the younger the ducklings are but the difficulty of taking care of them gradually lifts when they grow older. After artificial incubating of 28 days, the ducklings now need a brooding spot. It can be a corner of the barn or in the garage, as long as the area is well ventilated-not directly exposed to wind, and well lighted. The brooding spot is a place with good conditions so that the baby ducks will live. The usual brooding nest is a cardboard box that is enough to house all the baby ducklings. It must be enclosed in a cage to prevent entry for predators, even dogs and cats.

The brooding spot is then kept dry by the beddings which is usually made up of hay. Do not use moldy or dusty beddings because they might affect the young ducks negatively.Wet spots on the beddings should be replaced.

The temperature of the brooding area should also be kept warm-warm not hot. This can be done with a single 50-watt reflector bulb for about 10 to 20 ducklings. A 50 to 100 incandescent bulb can also be used in heating. The important thing is to position the bulb at the right distance in the brooding area so that the ducklings can move towards it if they feel cold or away from it when they feel hot. In raising baby ducks for commercial purposes, more bulbs or with higher wattages are used.

Another important element in raising baby ducks is the food. They cannot digest whole grains yet so don’t feed them with rice or corn. They may be fed with finely chopped fruits and vegetables. Don’t give them bird seed and dry bread too. You may catch small worms for them too. Unmedicated chick or duck starter can be fed to them too. A special water dispenser should also be used so that a water height is maintained; so that the ducklings can drink without drowning if they jumped onto it.

Note that keeping ducks can also be done in a contained environment, like an incubating system where the temperature, humidity and air can be easily adjusted, especially when they are 2-3 weeks old only. But if you have a few newly hatched ducklings in your farm, or if you received a few young as a gift, nothing can be as rewarding as watching and helping them grow with your own hands.

This setting is for a huge number or by-batch raising. This is the preferable method in raising ducklings at home for commercial purpose. If you want to learn more regarding caring for ducks and ducklings correctly, just go to: howtoraiseducks.com