REARING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DUCKLINGS, GOSLINGS, KEETS, CHICKS & QUAIL
How to set up a brooder prior to bird’s arrival:
* Brooder: Clean, dry area with no drafts
* Heat Lamp or Plate: Initial temperature at 90-95 degrees
* Shavings: At least 2” of pine shavings or hay for bedding
* Feed: Waterfowl Starter or All Flock Starter feed
* Water: Elevated to a height where birds can drink, but not get wet or make a mess
* VitaMetz Waterfowl Boost: Vitamin, mineral, electrolyte, probiotic supplement
Prepare a place for your birds that provides the protection and warm environment they need. Usually this is in a barn, outbuilding or garage. Clean and disinfect a space that has some type of solid wall or partition that will prevent drafts (which can be deadly). Make sure dogs, cats, rats, and predators are kept out. Initially, they need about 1/3 square foot per bird. Start with 2 inches of wood shavings (not sawdust as they may eat it) or straw for bedding. Turn the heat on the day before you expect your birds so the bedding is warm for their arrival. One heat lamp can handle about 35 ducklings, 20 goslings, or 60 chicks / guineas. The lamp is normally hung about 18" from the bedding where the temperature should be 90-95 degrees. Heat plates are also a great tool for providing supplemental heat. Place the water in the pen a day in advance so it is not too cold for them initially. For the first several days we recommend that you supplement their water with a hydration supplement, such as our VitaMetz Waterfowl Boost (1 tsp per 1 gallon water). VitaMetz is specifically designed for waterfowl, but is suitable for any poultry.
Purchase a waterfowl starter feed. Newly hatched ducklings and goslings need crumble starter feed for the first 3 weeks of their lives. Ideally you should find starter feed specifically formulated for waterfowl, but an “all flock” starter feed is fine so long as it has niacin and at least 20% crude protein. Any less protein can result in developmental problems in your birds. After 3 weeks of age, birds can be moved to a grower feed where the protein drops to between 17 to 20%. Too low niacin can cause leg issues and too much protein can cause wing issues.
Waterfowl can be very messy with their water. It is best to elevate their waterer to shoulder height so they can dip their beak in to drink, but not splash and make a mess. We suggest you put the waterer on a platform that allows any spilled water to drip through the platform so they cannot play in it and won't dampen their bedding. For babies it can be 1/2” hardware cloth nailed onto a wood frame or a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. For adults it can be 1” welded wire nailed onto a wood frame. The platform should be large enough to extend at least 6” out from the edge of the waterer for the babies and 30” for adults.
They have arrived!
Normally the post office phones when your birds arrive and asks you to pick them up. When you get your birds home, dip each bird’s beak in water and tip their head back to ensure they drink. If they look sleepy with squinty eyes, this means they are dehydrated and they will only survive if you ensure they drink several times within the first 2 hours. Again, we recommend a hydration supplement like VitaMetz Waterfowl Boost. Make sure they can’t get in the water and get chilled. A wet duckling is not likely to survive. The best way to judge the comfort of the birds is to watch them. If they are huddled under the lamp, they need more heat. If they are all bedded down away from the lamp or breathing with their mouths open, it is too warm in the pen. The ducks should be spread throughout the pen with some eating, some drinking, some sleeping and some playing.
Ducklings and goslings can be introduced to swimming water as early as three weeks of age, but they must be able to walk in and out of the water very easily. The water should not be too cold and they must be able to find their heat lamp for rewarming without difficulty. Do not allow them to become soaked and chilled! Use a soft blow dryer if they become cold and lethargic. In nature, a mother duckling will provide the oil to help waterproof the babies’ feathers. Hatchery born ducklings will not start producing the oil required to be waterproof for about 5 weeks.
Check the pack slip on your box for any important notes we may have made regarding your order. If your birds were sexed, they will be distinguished by colored rubber bands. For an explanation of the band colors, go to the back of your invoice or our
Sexing page on this website. The bands should be removed within 3 days or sooner if you notice it getting snug. Supplements or feed will be packed under the bedding.
As they grow:
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 than to clean it out every day. Usually the temperature can be dropped about 5 degrees a week and the heat
lamp turned off after 2-3 weeks. Though goslings grow faster, they will need a heat lamp longer than ducklings or chicks. As your birds grow and add weight, you can allow them to venture outdoors for brief periods during the day. In the spring and summer this might be at 10-14 days of age. In cooler weather, they might need to be 3 weeks before going outside on a sunny day. Bring them out of the rain if they are not completely feathered. Once they are fully feathered
(7-9 weeks of age) they can stay outside all the time with shelter from the sun and heavy rains. If you notice they are making a big mess, double check your water set up. They do not need access to swimming water inside of their run/coop.
At 3-5 weeks you can switch from starter feed to grower feed.
When you see your first mating activity or first egg, you can switch to layer feed. As adults, waterfowl do much better with pelleted feed.