Kiddie Cats Preschool Duckling Project
May 2 2006 - July 14 2006

Tips and Suggestions for this experience

Links of helpful sites

Supplies we used and purchased

     OUR DUCKLING BLOG   

Supplies I purchased during our project:

2ft by 25 ft wire mesh to wrap the brooder (2006)
zip ties (2006)
Little King Still air incubator
1 small child plastic pool
1 larger child plastic pool
Chicken wire for outside run
Chicken waterer
Chicken feeder
2 Ostrich feather dusters to mimic momma
Red heat lamp
Clamp brooder lamp with guard on it
Paper towels to use on top of newspaper for first few days
20 lbs of 1st duck/chick feed
Small pet shredded bedding from Walmart
Disinfectant hand sanitizer

Tips and suggestions from trial and error:

Have 2 thermometers to keep track of the internal incubator temperature.  The one they give you is okay, but it doesn't seem to get a super accurate reading.  We had a thermometer/humidistat indoor/outdoor one that I was able to slip into one of the air holes in the incubator.  I could get a better feel for temperature and humidity with it being right next to the eggs.

I found a little humidistat that came with a humidifier we had.  I put that into the incubator and this gave an even better humidity reading.

Wet paper towels with hot water and place into incubator to create more moisture.  A wet sponge also works very well. 
2005-I used 2 sponges and it worked very well!

Have cardboard on hand to build up the walls of your brooder.  They are little ducks, but boy can they jump when they want too!
2006 - This year I decided to try something more sturdy and wrapped the brooder with wire mesh and used zip ties to secure it to the swimming pool.  I put duck tape around the top of the wire to prevent children from getting cut.

If the ducks hatch on different days, I would recommend a second smaller brooder until you can give them a bath.  It seemed that they could rest and get stronger if separated from the older ducklings.  The newly hatched duckling is covered with yolk which just makes his brother or sister want to peck them even more. 

Warning 2004!
Be careful when trying to help duckling hatch out of their eggs.  We had to help 3 of them out this year and it was very difficult.  One duckling almost died due to blood loss.  If you see any blood when you are helping the duckling, STOP and put the egg back into the incubator for 2-4 hours. 

If the duckling seems very weak, do not put them with the other ducklings.  Place back into incubator for 1 hour to see if they perk up. 

2006
The ducklings were almost 2 weeks over due and I had to help two out of their eggs because the yolk was like glue.  We had Doyle lose some blood from his umbilical area, but I applied pressure and stopped the bleeding. 

Prepare the children for the possibility of the ducklings not making it. 
2005 - We had one duckling that did not survive the hatching process.  It started to hatch, but was too weak to survive the whole process.  We talked about why it did not live and had a furneral for the duckling.  A sad but valuable life lesson.

Links

http://www.youngchildrenslearning.ecsd.net/hatching_chicks.htm
http://www.ravenna.portage.k12.oh.us/schools/willyard/ducklings.htm
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/hatch.htm
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html
http://www.hoovershatchery.com/html/care.html
http://www.ideal-poultry.com/care.htm