Raising ducks is a profitable business. In everyday life, this bird is unpretentious, not capricious, and does not require much attention. With proper management, within 7-8 weeks you can get nutritious meat, fatty liver, and warm fluff. To achieve good results, caring for one-day-old ducklings should be carried out according to all the rules on compliance with which the immunity of an adult depends.
What do day old ducklings look like?
Day-old chicks are small fluffy, shiny, clean, dry lumps that actively move and scream loudly if something does not suit them. External indicators of a healthy flock of ducklings:
- clean, shiny eyes;
- uniform pink beak color;
- the stomach is soft, the navel area is closed, dry;
- tail and anus without dried feces;
- smooth, without defects or damage to the feet.
A healthy duckling, turned over on its back, actively resists and tries to get to its feet. Specimens that are too small are suspicious. There is a high probability that in the future they will lag behind in growth, and their maintenance will negatively affect profitability indicators.
Where to keep little ducklings
The ideal option for raising chicks is to leave them under the hen. She will provide the right temperature and teach all the duck tricks.
But, if the flock was hatched in an incubator or purchased at a poultry market, the breeder will have to nurse the livestock.
Cardboard box
Baby ducks are placed in a large cardboard box. To prevent them from freezing, place a plastic container with warm water wrapped in a rag inside the box. But this method of keeping is practiced for no more than a week. The chicks grow quickly, begin to swim even in the drinking bowl, and the bottom of the box quickly gets wet.
Wooden box
In early spring, day-old ducklings are placed in a barn. To prevent them from freezing, they knock down a wooden box. The walls are insulated with foam plastic or cardboard. A hole is made in one of them through which the bird can enter the box. A container of hot water is placed in the box (it is better to take a 10-liter canister). Cover the box with a blanket or blanket. In this design, heat is retained for up to 8 hours.
Rules of care
In the first week of life, ambient temperature is of great importance for the growth of chicks.
Conditions of detention
Recommended conditions for keeping ducks:
| Time period, by week | Temperature, ˚С |
| First | 28-33 |
| Second | 18-26 |
| Third and subsequent | 16-18 |
At home Brooders are designed to keep ducklings warm from table lamps with lampshades attached to them. To control the temperature, thermometers are attached at the growth level of the chicks, at a distance of 10-20 cm from the edge of the umbrella.
Experienced breeders judge whether the necessary conditions are met not by the temperature in the brooder, but by the condition of the ducklings. If the chicks are evenly distributed throughout the room and do not form flocks, the parameters are normal. Refusal to eat, open beaks, heavy breathing, frequent trips to the drinking bowl indicate that the chicks are hot and need to lower the temperature. If they are cold, they squeak pitifully, climb on each other’s heads, and huddle together. Overheating of ducklings from the first day negatively affects their immunity. Subsequently, the chicks often get sick.
Feeding
As soon as the ducklings are dry, they are given food:
- from birth to 5 days, young animals are fed every 2 hours. The diet consists of finely chopped hard-boiled eggs mixed with crushed barley, oat or millet grains and herbs (clover, dandelions);
- from the 6th day of life, mash is made on the basis of dairy or lactic acid products with the addition of fish oil;
- starting from a month, ducklings are transferred to a 3-meal diet. Vegetables and food waste are added to the products they are already familiar with. Ducklings happily gobble up duckweed.
The bird should not be fed sour feed. A prerequisite for proper maintenance is fresh, clean water in the drinking bowls.
Cleaning
The health and growth of chicks directly depend on the cleanliness and maintenance of ducklings. Every 7 days, feeders and drinkers are first washed with warm water and then disinfected. The premises for keeping young animals are also thoroughly cleaned. This helps to avoid most diseases that lead to stunted growth or death of the herd.
At what age can birds swim?
Water procedures in open water are recommended for waterfowl starting from the age of three weeks. By this time, the coccygeal gland of the chicks begins to produce the fat necessary to lubricate the plumage. This way they won't get wet. Also, swimming in cold water can cause a cold.
Until the age of 21 days, it is better for ducklings to limit themselves to bathing in a small container indoors.
