Email

info@muscovysanctuary.org

Duckling Question?

(813) 616-9639

Facebook-f Instagram
DONATE 501(c)(3)

Overnight Duckling Care

Thank you for caring for the duckling(s) until they get settled.

Please do what you can to follow the guidelines below to care for the duckling until it gets to us.

 

Create a Brooder (a temporary home for your duckling)

 

1. Put the duckling(s) into a container that is at least 16 inches tall and place a towel for warmth and cushion in the bottom with a pee pad on top (if you have one). DO NOT put a lid on the container. The ambient temperature on the sleeping end of the container should be 98° if the ducklings are new. If you don’t have a heat lamp or some other type of heater to achieve this temperature, place a heating pad under the duckling(s) on the sleeping end of the container or add a sock filled with rice, warmed in the microwave. If you use a heating pad, please make sure it’s set to stay on and not go off after two hours. Place a stuffed animal or a feather duster in that end of the container and a small dish of water at the other end, along with duckling food.

 

2.  If you only have one duckling, keeping it company is imperative. If it peeps a lot, it’s doing so because it needs you. Adding either a stuffed animal or a clean feather duster (or both) for it to snuggle up to is very important. A mirror is also good to add to keep the baby company. The best thing you can do for it, though, is keep it with you during the night. Ducklings do not survive in solitary circumstances. When our fosters have single ducklings for a night, we sleep with the container next to us so we can assure the duckling that it is not alone if it peeps for us. This could be a critical time for the duckling, so we’d appreciate anything you can do to help it feel safe.

 

Get the duckling(s) to us as soon as possible the following morning. This is especially important if you have a single duckling, because the longer it is in the care of a human without other ducklings, the more likely it will be to imprint on the human. If this happens, the duckling won’t ever realize it’s a duck and will be lonely its entire life.

What To Feed Your Duckling

  • First and foremost, please note that ducklings must have water to wash their food down, as their mouths don’t create much saliva like other animals.
  • If a duckling is cold and is acting lethargic, it can’t swallow very well. While you work to warm it up, you should try to get it to eat a drop or two of honey. This should kick its metabolism into gear and allow it to eat.
  • Though it’s not good to feed ducks bread or crackers on a daily basis, it may be the only thing they’ll eat at first. You can crumble up crackers or tear up bread into tiny pieces to get them to eat, then move on to other things if they accept those.
  • DO NOT feed the ducklings medicated chicken feed, as it may contain a drug that can be harmful to them.
  • DO NOT feed the ducklings anything that contains artificial sweeteners.

 

We understand that most people don’t have duckling food on hand when they find a duckling, but it’s important to get it as soon as possible so the duckling will get the proper nutrition. If you don’t have duckling food, you can feed the duckling(s) any of the following items either torn into small pieces, crumbled up, or pureed for the first 24 hours you have it (after that, please feed them duckling food):

  • Lettuces and other salad greens (finely chopped)
  • Hardboiled egg (no shell)
  • Cut grass (that hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals)
  • Kale (finely chopped)
  • Swiss chard (finely chopped)
  • Radish & turnip greens (finely chopped)
  • Cucumber (finely chopped)
  • Peas (frozen then thawed, NOT canned)

 

You can add the following treats if you like:

  • Tomatoes (only the fruit because the vines and leaves are toxic)
  • Pears (mash them up or finely chop)
  • Apples (NO SEEDS. You’ll also want to mash them or finely chop to make it easier for your ducklings to consume them.)
  • Bananas (mashed is best – flesh only, not the peel)
  • Peaches (just the flesh – remove the stone)
  • Cherries (remove the stones)
  • Strawberries
  • Berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)

For more information, please contact us to receive our Duckling Care Guide For Unprepared Caretakers