Welcome
back to our series of posts to help you get ready BEFORE your
ducklings and goslings arrive!
To read our post on the brooder and bedding, go to Getting Ready for Your Ducklings and Goslings: Brooder and Bedding.
To read our post on water and waterers, go to Getting Ready for Your Ducklings and Goslings: Water and Waterer.
To read our post on feed and feeders, go to Getting Ready for Your Ducklings and Goslings: Feed and Feeder.
Heating
and Heating Lamp
Ducklings
and goslings are vulnerable after hatching and require a source of
heat for a period of time. Originally, this was mama duck's job, but
as there is no mama duck, you will have to find another source of
heat.
Heat
lamps are the easiest and most common way of heating your brooder.
Here on the farm we use and offer heat lamps with 150 watt bulbs. The
hood is aluminum and has a ceramic setting. If you want to find your
own bulb, we recommend finding a clear white bulb. You can use a red
bulb (infrared), but those are used primarily for chicks to prevent
cannibalism which is rarely seen in ducklings.
Heat
lamps can be hung using chains from the ceiling or clamped onto a
wall of the brooder. Temperature is controlled by lowering and
raising the lamp. In the picture above, we have cut out notches in an aluminum flat bar and attached them to heat lamps to easily move them up and down.
We
typically suggest starting at 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit under the heat
lamp, but if you live in a warm area you may only need to turn on the
lamp at night. It typically takes about a month or so for ducklings
and goslings to start growing in their feathers. You can normally
shut off supplemental heat within two to three weeks.
Make
sure the heat source is off to the side so that they can leave the
heat to cool off if they want. The important thing is to observe
them. If they start huddling, you know they need more heat. If they
stay away from the heat lamp, you can raise or remove it. If they
start panting, then they are too warm and you can remove the heat
lamp.
Brooder
Thermometer
In
order to know the temperature
of your brooder, we suggest using a thermometer like the one we offer.
Warning!
Heat
lamps can be a fire hazard if improperly handled.
Alternatives
If
you decide a heat lamp is not for you,
you can try a BrinseaEcoGlow Brooder.
They make two sizes and Brinsea claims they are safer as they use 12
volt power for heating.
Hot water bottle and knit cover. |
We
encourage you to get creative. There
are many different ways of setting up your heat
source.
What setup do you use?
No comments:
Post a Comment