Uploaded July 2013 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
The Duck's first day at our farm. These baby ducks, ducklings, were just picked up from a farm where they sell ducks. They are not even a week old. CHECK OUT DUCK GEAR! teespring.com/stores/duck-gear-2.
Pekin Ducks swim at just days old, but their feathers are not fully formed enough to keep them warm and dry. Baby ducks are not producing the oils needed as a water barrier. Their mothers, in nature, keep a careful watch on her ducklings and don't allow them to swim in the water for too long periods of time. The baby ducks will get tired quickly and can drown. Be very careful when introducing them to the water for the first time. It's best to start the ducklings in a shallow enough pool or in this case, a sink where they can touch the bottom. I will start the baby ducks in a shallower pool, but when they started diving, I will give them some more room to dive under the water. Then I will take them out so they could dry off under the heat lamp. You will notice them shivering if it's too cold so have a warm towel ready for them to stand on when they get out of the pool. You don't want them to get a chill, so get them back under heat soon.
There is a lot of information online about how to raise ducks as pets. Do some research before buying ducklings so you are ready to give them a proper home and a the right food. Most of your local farm supply stores that sell ducks and chickens can help you find out what to feed a duck. Most people don't know that bread is not good for ducks. You may have, or seen people take a bread to a park to feed the wild ducks. The ducks go crazy for it, but that doesn't mean it's good for them. Bread is considered junk food for ducks and it can make them sick. Avoid feeding your pet ducks bread, popcorn, crackers and stick to treats like meal worms, crickets and other natural foods. These snacks provide the protein that a ducks need. You are going to be adjusting your pet duckling's diet as he grows. The protein requirements change as they grow, so make sure you are buying the right duck feed for the different stages of growth.
Raising baby ducks requires some work, so make sure you are prepared to care for them just like if you got a new cat or dog. It is also recommended to raise pet ducks in pairs since they need that bond to be as happy as possible. It could be considered cruel to raise just one duck by itself. If they are kept outside, they need to be sharp in their instincts in case a predator comes for them. Ducks are codependent and they feel safe in numbers. Ducks who are raised alone tend to lack natural flight instinct and confidence. Hanging around and relying on humans too much is not a good thing for young ducks. They need to be as independent and having a buddy will keep them acting more like a normal duck rather than the human who is raising them as pets. It's also good to raise your ducklings near a safe pond so they can get in the water for safety if something comes after them. Make sure the pond is free of snapping turtles that will eat a duck. Ducks are much happier when they have access to water. Water is a natural safety zone for them and if they don't have a place to run away to, then they won't ever feel safe. If you do have your pet ducks in a pen, keep a clean pool for them to bath and play in. Make sure you have a separate source of clean water for them to drink. The duck pool gets nasty pretty quick and should be cleaned daily. Coyotes, raccoons, opossum, foxes and dogs will eat your ducks. Pet ducks are a free meal to them so don't give them the opportunity to get at them. Keep them locked up in a suitable duck pen at night so predators can't kill them. Please like, subscribe and share. You can't help but feel great when watching these little ducks. I could watch these baby ducks all day.
The Duck's first day at our farm. These baby ducks, ducklings, were just picked up from a farm where they sell ducks. They are not even a week old. CHECK OUT DUCK GEAR! teespring.com/stores/duck-gear-2.
Pekin Ducks swim at just days old, but their feathers are not fully formed enough to keep them warm and dry. Baby ducks are not producing the oils needed as a water barrier. Their mothers, in nature, keep a careful watch on her ducklings and don't allow them to swim in the water for too long periods of time. The baby ducks will get tired quickly and can drown. Be very careful when introducing them to the water for the first time. It's best to start the ducklings in a shallow enough pool or in this case, a sink where they can touch the bottom. I will start the baby ducks in a shallower pool, but when they started diving, I will give them some more room to dive under the water. Then I will take them out so they could dry off under the heat lamp. You will notice them shivering if it's too cold so have a warm towel ready for them to stand on when they get out of the pool. You don't want them to get a chill, so get them back under heat soon.
There is a lot of information online about how to raise ducks as pets. Do some research before buying ducklings so you are ready to give them a proper home and a the right food. Most of your local farm supply stores that sell ducks and chickens can help you find out what to feed a duck. Most people don't know that bread is not good for ducks. You may have, or seen people take a bread to a park to feed the wild ducks. The ducks go crazy for it, but that doesn't mean it's good for them. Bread is considered junk food for ducks and it can make them sick. Avoid feeding your pet ducks bread, popcorn, crackers and stick to treats like meal worms, crickets and other natural foods. These snacks provide the protein that a ducks need. You are going to be adjusting your pet duckling's diet as he grows. The protein requirements change as they grow, so make sure you are buying the right duck feed for the different stages of growth.
Raising baby ducks requires some work, so make sure you are prepared to care for them just like if you got a new cat or dog. It is also recommended to raise pet ducks in pairs since they need that bond to be as happy as possible. It could be considered cruel to raise just one duck by itself. If they are kept outside, they need to be sharp in their instincts in case a predator comes for them. Ducks are codependent and they feel safe in numbers. Ducks who are raised alone tend to lack natural flight instinct and confidence. Hanging around and relying on humans too much is not a good thing for young ducks. They need to be as independent and having a buddy will keep them acting more like a normal duck rather than the human who is raising them as pets. It's also good to raise your ducklings near a safe pond so they can get in the water for safety if something comes after them. Make sure the pond is free of snapping turtles that will eat a duck. Ducks are much happier when they have access to water. Water is a natural safety zone for them and if they don't have a place to run away to, then they won't ever feel safe. If you do have your pet ducks in a pen, keep a clean pool for them to bath and play in. Make sure you have a separate source of clean water for them to drink. The duck pool gets nasty pretty quick and should be cleaned daily. Coyotes, raccoons, opossum, foxes and dogs will eat your ducks. Pet ducks are a free meal to them so don't give them the opportunity to get at them. Keep them locked up in a suitable duck pen at night so predators can't kill them. Please like, subscribe and share. You can't help but feel great when watching these little ducks. I could watch these baby ducks all day.
