Cirrus Hill Farm

Before you take delivery of your ducklings or goslings, you should have a plan, and the following materials on hand for the initial brooding period. The basics are the same for all artificially hatched babies.

20% un-medicated waterfowl starter feed

"chick" grit

vessels for water and feed,

Some device to catch spilled water you can set the water dish on

A big box.

This could be cardboard or a large plastic tub, or wooden crate with a wire bottom, each has its advantages. Or if you have a secure barn, garage or coop with electricity, a round enclosure of cardboard, 18" tall and 4' around will confine the babies to the area warmed by the brooder lamp, right on the floor. Corrugated can be bought for this, but pasted together cardboard boxes can work better if you leave some flaps on for support. Fashion it to avoid square corners, make it a rounded shape.

A "brooder" heat source or lamp. Choose a water-resistant bulb of wattage proportional to size of brooder box, number of ducklings and ambient temperatures. Suspend it about 18" above floor to start, adjusting height with your thermometer and observations of the birds comfort. Indoors, use your judgment, the warmest area should be no warmer than human body temperature. Remember, they need it 24/7.

A thermometer for checking air temperature

Bounty paper towels to cover absorbent or wire floor initially

Planer shavings, straw or hay for absorbent bedding under the paper towel layer, not necessary if you are brooding on a wire screen floor or in the house in a plastic tub or a cardboard box protected with a waterproof layer to start.

Screen cover for the box to exclude pets and kids if necessary

Predator management plan (household pets indoors, and rats, weasels and coons in the barn)

Tips:

Never leave baby waterfowl without water for more than a few hours. Do not leave food without water, as they may choke.

Try to control the wetness, before the whole brooder is a slurry of water, feed and poop.

A dirty baby's down loses its warmth, it will stay wet and become chilled. If the mess gets ahead of you, put your dirty duckies in an inch or two of warm water in the sink to play, while you clean up their quarters. Rinse and towel them gently and replace under the heat lamp. They will be dry and happy again. They make up for this messy stage by requiring so little effort later.

Teach them to eat their vegetables. Float greenery on the water at first. Introduce the grass and weeds you hope they will love to eat from your garden, if available. Lettuce, chard and kale are OK too, if you don't mind them getting a taste for those plants.

If you give them bathing water, be sure they can get in and out on their own. It is even more important with swimming depth water (after 2 weeks and under supervision) that they can climb out and in. They are not agile.

Waterfowl are more skittish than chicks and turkeys. Handle them frequently and calmly, especially if they will be pets or show birds.

Take pictures. Ducklings and goslings are killer-cute!