Brooding Ducklings

Learn about brooding ducklings, duck care, and the difference between brooding chickens and ducks.

I’ve enjoyed brooding chicks artificially for many years. So, when my daughters proposed that we brood a batch of ducklings, I jumped at the suggestion without giving it a thought. “Sure!” I said. “Why not?” Although I’d had no previous interactions with ducklings whatsoever, I was certain that my chick-brooding expertise would make this new adventure a cinch. Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly turn out that way.

Bringing Them Home

Eagerly, we began a thorough study of all the ducks listed in the hatchery catalog. After each of us had chosen a personal favorite, I placed our order for four female ducklings: one Runner, one Muscovy, and two Khaki Campbells. A few weeks later, we received that long-awaited phone call from the post office. Our little brood had been received and was now ready for pickup.

An hour later, I was en route, all the while daydreaming about our pleasant upcoming experience. I smiled as numerous carefree images swept freely through my mind: of ducklings dining neatly and waddling calmly all around on their clean, dry bedding. I couldn’t wait to bring them home. “What a perfect day!” I thought. The windows were down, the sky was clear, and my confidence soared at a dizzying elevation.

At the post office, I heard the familiar sound of peeping just as the postmaster returned with a standard poultry shipping box. With anticipation, I removed the perforated lid and peered inside. Four tiny creatures which, except for their bills and webbed feet, bore an adorable, fuzzy resemblance to chicks. This was all the confirmation I needed in my belief that there’d be no notable difference between brooding chicks and brooding ducklings. This truly was going to be a piece of cake, and I was glad, because it was going to be a busy summer, and I wouldn’t have time for any surprises.

Brooding Ducklings

I returned home to the happy, expectant faces of my poultry-loving family, who gushed over the new ducklings in their usual affectionate manner. With glee, our daughters cradled them in their arms before placing them into the clear plastic storage tub that had long served as our chick brooder. I grinned proudly as the tiny, new residents quickly discovered their food, and I even laughed out loud at their surprisingly spastic dining technique. Feed pellets flew everywhere as their bills feverishly jabbed at the pile with reckless abandon.

A few minutes later, they found their waterer and began wildly splashing its contents all over the place. This too was entertaining, but I certainly hadn’t expected such frenzied behavior. For a moment, I privately began to wonder what we might be getting ourselves into, but I soon reminded myself that the ducklings had just completed a long trip. Anyone would be stir-crazy after traveling all day inside a little cardboard box, I reasoned. Somewhat reassured, I laughed along with my daughters and headed outside to get some much-needed work done.

As time went on, however, the ducklings’ jackhammer-eating style only intensified, as did their splashy water fun. As a result, I soon felt a growing need to change their bedding continually. If not, I was left with an unworldly mess, the likes of which only duck owners can conceive. Ducklings instinctively root all around, looking for seeds. Inside a brooder, this action churns up everything lying on the floor, including droppings, scattered bits of feed, fine wood shavings, and plenty of spilled water. Disturbingly, the well-blended final product looks just like a creamy frosting, and let’s suffice it to say that it didn’t exactly smell like roses.

Evolving Care

After only a few days of this, I could see that my busy summer plans were quickly becoming mothballed. Not only was I cleaning the brooder constantly, but I also realized that I was actually going to need another coop for the ducks. I’d originally planned for them to bunk with the chickens, but I could see that the accommodation was inadequate. The plywood floor would surely not stand up to the wetness of a veritable water park, and as for the wood shavings on the floor … well, you can imagine that scene on your own. As it turned out, I had just enough scrap construction material on hand for a small-ish coop, so with a major sigh and a newly cleared schedule I began building one in my “spare time.”

Meanwhile, as though I needed more incentive to hurry and finish constructing the new coop, the ducklings grew at alarming speed: nearly twice that of most chicks. I was afraid that if I didn’t finish it soon, they would outgrow their brooder completely. I imagined the tall Runner’s head stretched up above the sides of the brooder, her dark, round eyes desperately staring at me, while the other three squirmed and squabbled for elbow room. Fortunately, these things didn’t happen. I finished their new coop in three and a half weeks, and immediately moved them inside.

This experience taught me that there’s a large difference after all between brooding chickens and brooding ducklings. The ducklings were definitely a challenge, yet an enjoyable one. From their sweet, little peeps to their rambunctious feedings, they were fun for all of us to watch. The swimming and head dunking at bath times were humorous, and even when covered in goo, they were cute as a button. I decided that brooding the ducklings was well worth the work. In fact, I declared that I would do it all over again … but … maybe not right away.

Mark Hall lives with his wife, their three daughters, and numerous pets on a four-acre slice of paradise in rural Ohio. Mark is a veteran small-scale chicken farmer and an avid observer of nature. As a freelance writer, he endeavors to share his life experiences in a manner that’s both informative and entertaining.

Originally published in the April/May 2025 issue of Backyard Poultry and regularly vetted for accuracy.