# baby duck care help?!



## beardy mike (Nov 28, 2009)

please help! i was not sure there to post this but here goes...
i have a canal at the end of my garden and so have lots of duck/birds around but today my neighbour knocked on my door and told me that she had just seen a fox kill two adult ducks.(not uncommon unfortunatly).
but she then handed me a box with 6 little fluffy ducklings and said she knew i liked animals!!!!!
iv been up and down in a rowing boat and cant see a duck in sight!
iv contacted my local animal sanctuary and have arranged to take them there but they cant do that for a few days so i have made them i home from a spare rabbit hutch and run and a minnie pond from an old paddling pool but i dont know what i should be feeding them??!iv looked online but not having much luck!iv chopped up some fruit,veg and bread but not sure if this is ok.can anyone help


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Take the paddling pool out and replace with a small dish they cant get in as if they get chilled they will die, they will also need overhead heat
Read this
Waterfowl and Gamebirds

These birds are well coated in down and are able to feed themselves from hatching. waterfowl are rairly left by their mother so if they are found alone then something is wrong. it may be that they have just been seperated and if the mother can be found she will take them back readily. often though, if a single, very young bird is found it may have something wrong and has been deliberetly left. gamebirds tend to stray a little further from the mother, but she should still be close by. they are also more able than waterfowl and are able to fly a short distance from a very young age. if these are brought in they need a larger space, as they are active, and overhead heat. they can be fed on chick crumbs which they should eat for themselves. if waterfowl are reluctent to feed, mixing the crumbs with water can help. gamebirds can be tempted to eat by offering small insects such as mini mealworms. also, puting crumbs on a mirror or tin foil can induce them to peck at it. water must be suplyed in a bowl but not large enough for the birds to get into, as they are not yet waterproof and get cold very easily. this will have to be changed often as they make a lot of mess. Waterfowl and Gamebirds will apriciate somthing to snuggle into and hide under. handing a mop head from the roof of the container works well.


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## beardy mike (Nov 28, 2009)

ok thanks il get the pool out and try and find some lights!


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## Natrix (Dec 9, 2006)

Been there.....done that:lol2:










One of the ducks from the lake had ten chicks last year then got caught by the fox two days later.

These were reared in the reptile room for heat with a spot lamp on one corner of the box for extra warmth when needed. They were fed initially on mixed corn and layers pellets ground to a powder in the liquidizer and supplied with water constantly. 
The food size increased (less time in liquidizer) as they grew and they eventually went into an out side aviary when they were half grown. 

Once full sized I opened the aviary door and waited two days for them to leave. I watched sadly as they finally followed the other ducks down the garden and disapeared onto the lake and I wondered if I would ever see them again.


I then watched that evening as they all came back up the garden and waited to be let back into the aviary. 

A year on and they don't use the aviary any more, they just hang around my garden like a gang of teenagers on a street corner and all run at me for food as soon as I go out the garden.
The weirdest thing is that one of the hens has had a single chick and he treats me like part of the flock even though I've had no hands on rearing with him. He's just accepted me becuase his mum does.

Go on, have a go at rearing them, it's not hard and is fun.

Natrix


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## Bexterminate (Jun 9, 2010)

Natrix said:


> Been there.....done that:lol2:
> 
> image
> 
> ...


Awww thats one of the cutest things I've ever heard :') They must be happy ducks! :2thumb:


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## beardy mike (Nov 28, 2009)

my little ducklings are now living in a rabit hutch with a run attached which has a small paddlingpool/pond in it!!!the hutch has some old heat lamps in and lots of hay so they are nice and warm!!when they are not running around or swimming!!
they have a big bowl of diced fruit and veg and a big bowl of worms which they munch through in no time!!
i would love to keep them and they seem very happy in there new home and they will happily sit in my hands but due to the fact that i have 4cats (one of which is nuts and dreams of a duckling lunch) and also a family of foxes at the end of the garden it would be suicide!!at the moment im having to move the hutch/run into my garage every night because of the foxes!(and the one mental cat)!!!


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## beardy mike (Nov 28, 2009)




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