Around Easter (shocking I know), time I acquired to baby Pekin ducklings. Apparently a few of my buddies (ex-buddies) thought it would be a great April's fools joke to purchase them and put them in my bedroom while I was at work... NOT FUNNY AT ALL... Then when they said they were just going to just drop them off at the local pond; I had to step in! I have raised/bred show pigs all of my life, so I have a pretty good understanding on what baby animals need... And I know that sure as hell wouldn't work out to well for them... So of course I couldn't let them ditch these innocent ducklings! So I have been taking care of them since then, practically the same way as all of the ^above posts, heat lamps, proper food, plenty of water, safe bedding, etc. The one huge problem I am having with them thus far, is how skittish they are around people (including myself). Now I am a full-time student with a job, so I may not always be home, but I make sure that I go and check on them before I leave in the mornings and make sure to sit with them as soon as I get home everyday. Eventually they may lay down while I am around them, but as soon I move they are gone! This is becoming a huge issue because I know they need/would love to forage, enjoy the sunlight, and simply exercise, but two ducklings are QUICK and there's only one of me!!! There's just to much traffic, loose dogs, hawks, and tight places where I live to chance it. Everyone say's to feed them by hand, but they have a huge duck feeder that I always keep full! So when I go to work with them by hand feeding them (with their regular feed); I feel like they aren't even hungry so its pointless!?! When we use to have a skittish piglet, we could give them Vanilla Wafers and BOOM! Problem solved! They couldn't get enough of them and soon enough, you couldn't get them to leave you alone! So... In conclusion, I have two questions: 1) Is there anything else I can do to help them become a little bit more comfortable around me? Maybe some kind of a special treat that is safe for ducks that they like? A different method possibly??? 2) I'm guessing they were born some time around Easter. They are still yellow, but are slowly starting to show a slight white tint in color and their tail feathers are kind of spikey (well, lets just say different from the rest of their bodies) Any idea how old they may be? Or how much longer until they get their down feathers and turn completely white? Any advice is welcomed, Thank You

They'll know how to swim. It's your job to offer a diet similar to what they'll be eating in the wild, supplementing with store-bought. Chances are when they get older they'll couple up with a wild one and learn from them. Imprinting may be a problem, I'd minimize contact with them as much as possible, and when they have feathers start to really let them out, free-range, instinctual feeding habits will kick in quickly. They'll probably return home for a while until they find a mate, a nice pond, or not. Make them a safe pen when they are older, maybe something like a chicken tractor you can move around while they eat grass or bugs? They'll need some type of heat source until they get some feathers (where are you located? is it still cold?). Protection from predators (a weasel can get in a 1x2" opening), water & of course what natural food you can scrounge up, and shade. If they survive in captivity when young I think they'll cope & adjust well. Sometime wild animals just don't do well in captivity, so be forewarned. That's all I can think of for now. Brendasue

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.

I had a piece of window glass and built a box out to used 1/2" plywood using the glass as the top. The front side hinged down. About 2 1/2" off the floor was a 1/4" wire mesh. The moisture supplied by a casarole dish under the mesh. At the top of the box was a light fixture at each end. 40 watt on one end, 60 watt on the other. An exterior thermometer (the kind that has the prob on the end of a wire) was wired to the mesh so that the top of it was level with the top of the eggs. At the back between the bulbs was a waffer thernstat I ordered from Strombergs. I heated the box, put in the eggs and watched the thermometer so that I could adjust the thermostat accordingly. Turned the eggs every four hours (3 o'clock and 11 o'clock). On the 15th day I soaked each egg for 30 seconds in a deep bowl of warm water, once a day. As the embryo developes, the eggs will bob in the bowl of water. Don't throw any that don't bob, they like to play with you even at this stage. I have raised ducklings for a few years with this old box of wood, glass, wire and light bulbs. Went through a day of no electricity. These little guys are tough. There are two problems that I have had with ducklings. One is an electralite imbalance. Not the whole batch, just 1 or 2 birds will stiffen out like a rubber chicken. Go to the feed store and get the water additive for wild game birds. The second is a problem with a drake. If you have a drake in your flock, pen him or the young to keep them apart. The drake will break their necks and you will find little bodies thoughout your yard. As soon as they get big enough so that the drake can't lift them off the ground they will be safe. Just wanted you to know that your grand gramma raised birds under the wood stove and didn't need an expensive box to do it. It's all what you feel you can handle.