Idealy, you should have your brooder set up, warmed and all ready before the ducklings arrive. Brooder SetupĪ brooder is very simply a warm area to safely house ducklings while they are very young until they are able to care for themselves.

I wanted ducks for egg production and have Pekin ducks, with a small hatchery order of Female Buff Orpington Ducks coming at the end of the month. You can usually get day old ducks at the same places where you can purchase day old chicks, but I’ve found larger out of state hatcheries have the best selection of breeds, and aren’t bound by New York State’s minimum purchase of 6 live birds under the age of 2 months. There several breeds of domesticated ducks to choose from and it is important to choose a breed that best suits your particular needs, so spend some time reading up on the different breeds. Electrolyte and Vitamin Supplement for Poultry.You might already have some supplies on hand, but the rest you will want to purchase so you have your setup ready before you bring your ducklings home. So I thought I would share eveything I learned those first few weeks,īefore you get ducks it is a good idea to put togehter a duckling starter kit for yourself. Everyday I felt like I was tweaking their set-up or learning something new. Ducks are messy and grow incredibly fast. I’ve raised chicks before, so I assumed ducks would be similiar.ĭucks are not more difficult to raise than chicks, but they are different. We left the store that day with dog food, 6 ducklings ( NYS minimum) and a bag of duck starter.

This spring while we were shopping for dog food at Tractor Supply my daughter talked me into getting ducklings, she didn’t need to twist my arm I had already been thinking about ducks for a couple of years. I was always hesitant because I wasn’t really sure if they would be a good addition. I’ve always enjoyed having chickens, but I was always curious about adding ducks to my backyard flock. Raising ducklings is a little different that chicks, this is everything I learned when raising my first duck flock. Raising backyard ducks is a great way to supply your family with farm fresh eggs, and their quirky antics and personalities make ducks a fun addition to your backyard flock.

Make room for ducklings book