Hi Genny 60 watt bulb should be ok, and abut 4" from the eggs, put them in a shoe box that way the heat from the bulb will cirulate around the eggs in a small area. keep them warm and spray mist them with a small amount of plain water. That will raise the humidity of the eggs and make them easier for the babies to hatch from, just like when the hen sets on them, her down feather sweat putting off a high humidity which is what the eggs will need in order to hatch. Good luck Sandy

shawnamaverick You should probably get some duck feed as ducks require different nutrition than other birds. Provide some small gravel for digestion. With our farmed ducks we have the heat lamp at about 90 degrees F the first week and decrease it by 5 degrees per week. It may be illegal where you are to keep a wild duck so you should check into that. Duck will need fresh water every and food that meets it's nutritional need. Depends on the type of duck, but if it's a water fowl it will likely roost on the ground so just a safe place for night. You may find that the duck will not accept the chukar. Ducks imprint very strong on what they see when they hatch. In this case it believes it is a duck. If it was hatched out by humans it would believe it was a human. Ducks can be very aggressive so be prepared for that. You may find you have a loudly quacking baby on your hands for a while, they are flock animals.

Hi Julie, I too started my ducks out in the house. I got the first duckling a companion early on so she could have a friend. The first one acted very much like yours, with the chirping and the fear of hands coming at her (so did the second one). I know it's not my business, but why are you going to keep this duck in the house after it's big enough to live outside? Ducks are not indoor creatures, they need room to forage and a small pool to bathe in and a secure pen to spend the night in. Please don't put a diaper on your duck, it sounds awful. I know there are people who have done just that, but don't you have a yard, even a small one? Ducks are messy, which I'm sure you know by now. Do right by the little guy; get it a friend, an outside space with a water source, even if it's small will do. My ducks went outside when they were six weeks to a pen with a small foot tub as a bath. They went out with the chickens after they seemed big enough to defend themselves and come in willingly at dusk back to the pen. If you have a yard, please do your duck justice, get it a friend, build a small secure pen, and create a small water source (for bathing). Your duck will still love you, in fact, it will love you even more!

Hi Duckcrazy, We brooded our ducklings, chicks and goslings last spring in modified plastic storage containers (big ones) under a brooder lamp. We lined the bottom with newspaper to soak up the gross stuff. To prevent them from laying and pecking at the newspaper, we created 'grates' out of 1/2" squ coated cage wire (taped around the edges to cover jaggeness) which were cut to fit the length of the bottom. For a final layer, we placed soft screen material cut also to go the length of the bottom - this to give them good footing and prevent sprattle leg. Our brooder was planned with materials that could be lifted out of, sprayed down & sanitized easilly. We didn't have the luxury of using wood shavings. This worked well for us as a whole, but once those ducklings discovered their inner passion for water, we found ourselves cleaning the flooring layers & replacing soggy newspaper daily, and twice daily toward the end. They were continuously out of water too since they would 'blow bubbles' and play in their water until it was gone. We had to check the water supply numerous times a day. It was exhausting. Our runners were much happier the day we moved them to their spacious pen outside, which they share with our two hens. (I can say "hens" now. They're a year old!). I'm glad the hens roost though. In only a week, the bottom of the chicken coop is goop! To ducks, mud is simply succulent! and they see no need to dry off or wipe their feet before 'hitting the straw' for the night. Our coop is designed so that I can muck it out and bleach it down once a week. We provide fresh straw, weekly too. We're in the Pac. NW so while we don't deal with cold temperatures and snow very ofteh, we DO have to battle moisture problems, particularly to protect the health of our chickens. I gave up on nest boxes for the ducks. The hens keep theirs pristine! I never cringe when collecting chicken eggs. The duck eggs were always more filthy. Their nest boxes became litter boxes and those clumsy feet didn't help. I found it better to just allow them to lay in the fresh straw, and thankfully they've selected a laying corner away from the corner they use to dirty in. They're great layers though. Every bit as dependable as our hens. They eat lots of slugs -no shortage of those in these parts, and a kiddy pool was about the best $6 I've ever spent. We give them a fresh pool of water daily, they drink and bathe in the same water, so we provide raised watering containers for the hens (fortified with molasses/vinegar). Since we have so much rain, I've been experimenting with the deep litter method on the ground outside of the coop - in the pen area (see Roberta's? post, "Big fan of.." for details). I saved all the fall leaves in piles and add a layer now and then over the muddy ground. I also spread layers of the cleaner straw from the coop after I clean it out. I can see it all composting slowly. THere's just so much moisture here that I worry about all the bacteria and bird doo mingling with mud. As I said, ducks love mud and spend a lot of time snuffing around in it. I therefore keep the muddy ground heaped with straw and leaf matter. The chickens churn it up pretty good. I think it's working. Our ducks are total characters though. Like cartoons! They're RJ's favorite on our lil hobby farm. They're very patterened animals though. Once you've established a routine, don't go changing! Hope our experience was helpful. Of all the birds we keep, they are the most challenging with regards to cleanliness, but the best behaved (easiest to work with) I think. Best of luck! LF