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Ducklings |
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So, through one reason or another, you have aquired some, perhaps even one duckling, If your sat there thinking "Oh no what do I do now??" The answer is read below, and don't be too hard on your kids for letting the ducklings "follow them home". If you're not thinking that, then look below for some helpful tips and enjoy! This information is only brief, If you have anymore advanced questions perhaps they can be answered from one of my many links in the "Links" section |
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The Basics |
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Housing |
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Your Ducklings or Duckling will need a normal cardboard box lined with newspaper and shavings of some form to live in at first, as they grow, so must their box wih them until they can live outside. Be creative with their living quaters but don't spend too much money, because they should be ready for out side life around 3-5 weeks of age. This is of course, if it's summer, and you are living in a hot climate. If it's winter, or you're uncertain if the weather might be too cold, keep them inside for awhile longer and let them out at 7-8 weeks of age. An old paddling pool could be an idea as living quaters, but i'll leave that up to you. The box doesn't have to be any particular size just large enough to accomodate your brood, their food, their water, and a place slighty away from their food and water to sleep.
The shavings are important, don't just line your box with newspaper and put the ducklings in, as the newspaper is slippery for the unsteady ducklings and can cause leg injuries. the shavings can be sawdust to even shredded paper although personally I prefer the sawdust or wood shavings to shredded paper as the babies might easily tangle themselves up or worst, strangle themselves. |
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Water |
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Your Duckling's water must be placed further enough away so as not to get their bedding or feed wet, this is very important as WET DUCKLINGS ARE NOT A GOOD THING! Ducklings lack the adult ducky oils that keep them warm and dry when they get wet, and eating wet feed can cause deadly cheast infections and other fatal problems. So much for the saying "water off a duck's back".
If you're wondering why then, do all the wild ducklings swim about after mum? Well mum actually preens her babies alot and gives them oils onto their skin and feathers that way.
The water bowl must not be big enough for the duckling to be able to climb inside and have a paddle, however it must be deep enough for the ducklings to wash out the feed from their nostrils, a way to beat this is to get something similar to a budgie water dispenser, This should be deep enough for a duckling to be able to wash his nostrils out but not big enough for it to have a nice paddle. Or if you can get a small cat's bowl, fill that full of water, then place wires over it allowing a duckling's head to fit through and have a drink but not it's body. Plastic milk cartons also achieve this very well, see my experiment page for more details. It is very important that ducklings are able to wash out their nostrils, it prevent's food particals blocking up the duckling's nose and causing breathing problems. |
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Continue to Page 2? Click Here! |
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