Bathtub brooder?

[PesAnserinus]

I have 2 ducks. A Black Runner, and a souped up "Golden 300 Hybrid Layer" egg laying machine. She's just as cute as any other duckling! So, being new to the duck thing, it has been recommended to use the bath tub as a brooder. Have any of you done this? If so what are the advantages and disadvantages? I'd think it may be slick footing, but good for waterer run off, and easy poo removal. Any thoughts? Thanks, from a greenhorn leghorn.....

 

[TLWR]

I'd put a towel in there for them so they have sure footing - or something else they can not slip on. Easy clean up - just wash it down the drain. But make sure you water down the drain well so food doesn't build up in the trap.

 

[Amiga]

Tubs have their advantages, as you mentioned.

My concern would be that tubs also suck heat out of water, out of little bodies, and ducklings do have very little bodies - a high surface to volume ratio, it is called - that means they lose heat easily. Body heat loss can be fatal.

My runners (eleven of them) were brooded for the first two weeks in a very large rubbermaid but (about 2'x4'), then transferred into a puppy pen lined with plastic poultry fence to keep them from getting their little heads stuck. I lined the bottom with 6 mill plastic.

I used towels for bedding and that is labor intensive but the rinse water from cleanup was the best fertilizer ever, and I am allergic to shavings. You can work out what bedding to use based on your needs. By the way, shavings are very dusty, too.

Another drawback to a tub (I am thinking you would have no bedding, because that would not rinse down the drain) is that slick surfaces can cause splay leg, an injury to ducklings' legs that is serious though it can be treated, if caught early. So here again, you'd need something to prevent splay leg, which would cancel the benefit of just being able to hose down the tub.

With two ducklings, I recommend you find Wifezilla's pictures and description of the brooder she set up - I love it, and might have done something like that if I did not have initially fifteen little fluffies (four belonged to a friend), and after two weeks, eleven.

 

[PesAnserinus]

Thanks! Our ducks are at about 2 weeks age now. We have moved then from the tupperware to a large appliance box, using 1 inch of straw for bedding, tarp under the box. Curious how long the cardboard will last?

The hardest part has been keeping up with water. We have a small waterer, but they quickly drain it, with slashing about and they both seem to have a small hole in the bottom side of their bills when drinking. We have a 9x13" cake pan under the waterer, covered with hardware cloth, and have to empty that 2-3 x a day. Seems they don't get a lot of water down into their body. Once the water has fallen to the pan they can not get to it. Which is good for clean up, but wondering if they are dehydrated? Hmmm.

12" of snow on the way too! That should not last long though, sunny skies behind that! Thanks for the help all!!!!

 

[Amiga]

I found keeping water managed was the trickiest part of brooding.

They do dribble quite a bit! (c:

Remember to let them get into water deep enough to dunk their precious little heads - they must be able to wash their eyes and nares (nostrils), or they risk serious infections.

Just another piece of the puzzle!