So the other day me and Mike were outside playing in the garden and feeding the ducks and up from our back pond comes a little baby duck! My first comment was, “oh look Sweetie, the duck adopted a baby chicken”, lol. I was tired, and I had never seen a duck this young before but MAN he’s a cutie!
I just want to pick him up and hold him, but, some sad news today. I was looking out my window last night and I saw the neighborhood cat carrying this little yellow ball of cuteness in his mouth:( I couldn’t get outside in time but thankfully my neighbor (who I now know as The cat’s owner) saved the little duck and put the cat inside. I totally get it’s natural instinct for the cat and I don’t blame him, to him the ducking is his caviar! lol But still! The duckling was alone for a while in the pond, and I am considering catching it, and feeding it, the mother is no where’s in sight. I do not know if the baby duck is still around, but if it is! I want to keep him!
I did a bit of research on keeping a baby duck and here is what I have found:
- Provide a heat lamp in an area with enough room for the duckling to move away from the heat if needed. New ducklings need a temperature of 85 to 90 F. with the temperature lowered 5 degrees each week. You’ll have to guess at its age.
- If a ‘duck and goose’ starter feed isn’t available then the duckling can have ‘unmedicated’ chick starter with some brewer’s yeast added (to meet a duckling’s need for extra niacin). A ‘grower’ feed would also suffice since the starter should only be used for the first 2-3 weeks.
- Ducklings also need greens–chopped tender grass, dandelions, clover, cabbage, lettuce, etc. Also provide some fine grit.
- Some pine wood shavings for bedding
- You probably don’t want to hear this but, a lone duck is an unhappy someone had suggested to put a mirror in with them.
A few other suggestions were getting duck diapers and feeding them eggs, I think I’ll pass on those 2 for now! lol