According to my research...

It’s finally beginning to feel like spring!! Thank freakin' goodness, I thought I was going to lose my mind if it was cold one more day. 

In a fit of excitement/spring fever, I bought ducks. Surprise! 

I’m not going to say it was a rash decision BUUUT I've never actually raised ducks. Thank god for google. My new saying these past few weeks has been “according to my research…” 

I’m sure everyone loves it and is completely charmed by my new obsession.

In case anyone else has a similar burst of spring fever, here are a few things I have learned about ducklings:

FOOD:

It's a 24hr all you can eat buffet for these little guys & girls, and they're getting their money's worth. We raised baby chicks a few years ago (who are now our very sassy and entertaining backyard chickens). I assumed ducklings would eat about the same amount as chicks. Nope. They eat a lot of food. Like so much food. 

There are a LOT of opinions out there on the exact protein percentage they should be eating at every stage of their adolescence. We have been feeding them a non-medicated chick starter feed, treats (chopped veggies), and a niacin supplement. 

There are also a lot of opinions out there regarding niacin. Here's what I've learned after reading dozens of forums: Ducks need more niacin than chickens do. If, like us, you can't find duckling feed at your local farm store, starter feed for chicks is fine if you add niacin to their diet. You can crush it up and sprinkle it on their food or mix it in with their water. Don't be all willy nilly though, it's important to get the right amount; too little and their bones may not develop correctly, too much and they could overdose. I found this blog post very helpful: http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html

Like chickens, ducks use little rocks to help digest their food. If your ducks are outside they will pick up little pebbles on their own. But if they are not yet outside, you'll need to add a little grit to their food.

WATER:

This might be an obvious statement since ducks are waterfowl, but water is pretty important ingredient to their health and happiness. 

Ducks use water to swallow and digest their food, so they need a water source very close to their food. Without it they might choke. Ducks also need to be able to dip their entire bill into water so they can clean out their "nostrils". Otherwise they could get all clogged up (which is probably gross and definitely not good for them).  

They LOVE to swim. It is so much fun to watch! When they were really small we put a couple inches of water in the sink and let them splash around. Then we graduated to the bathtub when they got a little bigger (which they were pretty stoked about). Now they're having a party outside in a baby pool. I'm currently trying to figure out how to add a pond to the backyard. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: You have to watch them the entire time they're playing in the water when they're small. Before they get all their feathers, and before their oil gland is up and running, they're not super buoyant. They can get tuckered out pretty fast and might drown. 

SHELTER:

If you're starting you ducklings in a brooder you need food, water, bedding (we used pine shavings) and a heat lamp. 

Ducklings are so messy. There's nothing fun about scraping poop. And it's extra un-fun when everything (the ducks, the bedding, the food, everything) is wet.  Twice a day we empty the brooder, wipe everything down, replace the bedding, wash out their waterer, wash their feeder, replace with clean food and water, and let them play in the bathtub. 

HEAT:
Using a heat lamp (with a red bulb) start your chicks at 90 degrees and slowly lower the temperature until they are fully feathered and ready to move outside. Use your best judgement, too; If they are all huddled up right under the lamp, they're too cold. If they're at the far end away from the heat lamp and panting, they're too hot.