How to Raise Ducklings Successfully

Before the ducklings arrive, set up a warm place for them to live, a brooder, either in your house, garage, or barn. A large plastic storage container works well, or you can make your own out of wood.

Place a heat lamp securely above. This can be a flood lamp from a hardware store or a bulb used for reptiles found at a pet store. Adjust the height so that a thermometer placed in your brooder will read 95 degrees. Make sure it has time to heat up before your ducklings go in.

Fit your brooder with a protective top. This could be a screen from a window or one made with wire. Beware if using a window screen that the heat lamp does not melt the material.

For the first few days, use paper towels as a soft bedding. Wood shavings can be used later on. Beware, ducklings are very messy, and soon those towels and shavings are going to need changing. If you want something a little cleaner, consider making a raised wire floor so that the splashed water and droppings can fall through.

For a feed dish, you can use just about anything shallow enough for the little ducklings to reach, or you can purchase an actual poultry feed dish at a farm supply store.

The water dish should prevent the ducklings from getting their whole bodies in the water. You can find these at a farm supply store. They consist of a bottle and attached tray that is tipped upside down to let the water out gradually.

It might be a good idea to purchase some sort of electrolyte mix to put in the ducklings' water for the first week or so. This will give them an extra boost. You can get electrolytes from most poultry supply stores.

Feed ducklings a special game bird or duck/chick feed. They should not be given medicated feed, unless the medication is "amprolium." If you don't know what medication is used, stick to non-medicated. Also make sure it is crumbles and not mash; which tends to get stuck in the ducklings' throats and cause choking.

Okay, you are set up, and the ducklings have arrived. Introduce them to their new home. The ducklings will need to be shown the food and water, just like a mother duck would. To do this, simply dip their bills in the water and feed. They'll pick up the idea quickly.

Ducklings usually double their size each week. As they get older, raise the heat lamp to lower the temperature progressively, about 5 to 10 degrees lower each week. A good way to tell if they are too cold or hot is by looking to see if they are huddled together under the light, or staying as far away as possible.

As your ducklings grow, you can put them outside in a secure pen for short amounts of time. DO NOT leave the ducklings with a pool of water that is deep enough for them to float. They do not have any waterproof oils yet and can drown. A shallow pan they can walk in and out of is fine so they can still splash around. If you would like to let them swim in something deeper, do it under close supervision and take them out when they look too wet.

You may need to move your ducklings to a different brooder as they get bigger. If they are still in the house, get a larger box. If you have a barn, shed, or space in your garage, make a secure pen inside so they have more space. They may not need the heat light at all by this time, or maybe just at night if it is cold out. Also adjust feeders and water dishes according to their growth.

After a month, switch your quickly growing ducklings to a pellet feed for poultry/gamebirds. If possible, try to get a feed with 14-16% protein in it. Many feeds have higher amounts of protein meant for fast growth, but this can result in health problems in ducklings. They can stay on this feed until adulthood.