Welcome to our web site. We hope we can teach you a thing or two about brooding and succsyfully raise your brood of chicks.
1. Shelter: Setting up a baby chick house also known as a brooder. Provide them with somthing that can be cleaned fast and easy. A kiddy pool will work very will. The brooder should be up to 12" high or bigger.
2. Heating: Waterfowl don't need as much warmth as other birds, but they do need a little extra warmth, especially at night, for the first week, 10-15 days. provided with a lamp and a 250 watt bulb set over the container. keep the tempture at 90-95 for the first few days.
3. Water: For the first few days add 4 tbs. per gallon of water. 1 tbs. per quart of water. Clean and refill water daily to keep clean. If you have day old birds dip there beak into the water this helps the bird to know how to drink. All Water fowl can drown easily, so only a shallow dish of water should be used. Never put you day old ducklings in a pond or deep water I know it might look cuite and the mother does it but the mother duck has a oil that gives to its babies and with out this oil the chick can chill and die.
4. Feed: Feeding your waterfowl, The best thing is duck or chicken starter purchased at a feed store. IT MUST BE UNMEDICATED. Don't worry if you have a tiny baby that won't eat. They are nourished by the egg yolk and don't need food during the first 48 hours, but will usually drink a little water.
5. Litter: I always feel the floor with feed for the first 3 days of life. This makes it easier for the chicks to find food. Never use news paper, because it can cause Spraddle Leg. Some times I use paper towel. Another option is the brooder floor should be covered in a small holed hardware cloth.
IF your birds are not starting good or any other information, things to wary about click here.
The above diractions remains the same exept for the following. Temperature set at 90 - 85 degrees. Lighting for 10-12 hours; Adjust feed and water for growth. Typically the temperature can be dropped about 5 degrees a week and turned off after 3-5 weeks.
The above directions remain the same except for the following: Temperature set at 80-85; Lighting for 8-10 hours; Adjust feed and water for growth. Typically the temperature can be dropped about 5 degrees a week and turned off after 3-5 weeks.
The above directions remain the same except for the following: Tempture can be turneed off at 3 - 5 weeks. Watch your birds make sure their ok with out heat. Adjust feed and water for growth. It is now the time to prepare the coop area for the chicks arrival. The baby chick coop area should be close enough to any other chickens as to allow viewing, but separated to provide protection for the small chicks from the adults and from any predators. Place chicks in the coop once a day, remove all chicks during the night and place them in the brooder again.The chick coop should also provide protection from heavy winds and rain, and it must have a heat and light source if temperatures are not above 65 daily.
Once they are fully feathered they can stay outside all the time (7-9 weeks) though they should still have some shelter from the sun and heavy rains. Poultry (and especially waterfowl) grow very fast. Make sure you enlarge their pen as they grow and add clean bedding as necessary. Typically it is better to add clean bedding on top of the old bedding instead of removing the soiled bedding every day. Clean it out once the birds are moved to a new pen. The bedding can be removed from their permanent pen every several months.
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