![]() This can be placed over a pan for the babies or over a pit in the ground for the adults. For babies it can be 1/2" hardware cloth and for adults it can be 1" welded wire nailed on to wood cross pieces. For them it is best to make a wire platform on which the waterer sits. Waterfowl can also be very messy with their water. Once they are fully feathered they can stay outside all the time (7-9 weeks) though they should still have some shelter from the sun and heavy rains. As they grow and add weight you can allow them to venture outdoors for brief periods during the day. If you are raising them in a warm climate, they may not need extra heat after a week or two. Typically the temperature can be dropped about 5 degrees a week and turned off during the day by 2-3 weeks and turned off completely by 3-5 weeks in cooler weather. The bedding can be removed from their permanent pen every several months. Clean it out once the birds are moved to a new pen. ![]() Typically it is better to add clean bedding on top of the old bedding instead of removing the soiled bedding every day. Make sure you enlarge their pen as they grow and add clean bedding as necessary. Poultry (and especially waterfowl) grow very fast. Go to the back of your invoice or our Sexing page on this website. If your birds were sexed, they will be distinguished by colored rubber bands (we no longer use plastic leg bands). They should be spread throughout the pen with some eating, some drinking, some sleeping and some playing. If they are all bedded down away from the lamp, the lamp is too low or it is too warm in the room. If they are all huddled under the lamp, they need more heat. The best way to judge the comfort of the bird is to watch them. If you do have a few that are weaker than the others, it is best to separate them to another part of the brooder until they regain their strength. If they have had a rough journey and seem weak, you may need to check them every 30-60 minutes to give them more water and make sure they are not being run over by the others. Make sure they tip their head back to drink. When you get them home, dip the beak of each bird in water as it is the most important nutrient at this time. Normally the post office phones when your birds arrive and asks you to pick them up. Make sure dogs, cats and rats are kept out. There should be some type of solid wall or partition around the pen to prevent drafts (which can be deadly). The lamp is normally hung about 18" from the bedding where it should be 90-95 degrees. One heat lamp can handle about 35 ducklings, 20 goslings, 40 guineas or 60 pheasants. Turn the heat on the day before you expect them so the bedding is warm for their arrival. Place the water in the pen a day in advance so it is not too cold for them initially.įor the first several days you can add our Poult Vitamin/Mineral Pack (1/2 teaspoon per three gallons water) or sugar (1/2 cup per gallon water) if you want. Start with 2 inches of wood shavings or straw for bedding. Initially they need about 1/3 square foot per bird. ![]() If it has had poultry before, it is best to clean and disinfect it. Usually this is in a barn, outbuilding or garage. You need to prepare a place for them that provides the protection and warm environment they need.
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