Do You Have To Have A Heat Lamp For Baby Ducks

Keeping chicks during summer months can be easier than winter because your house may be hotter.

Do you have to have a heat lamp for baby ducks. Are heat lamps really necessary for baby ducks. Be sure to use a lamp with a ceramic socket. And also the ideal temperature is at 95 farenheit the first week and then go down 5 degrees until you reach 70 this can be done by moving the lamp up higher which will make the temperature go. But you should know that ducklings don t need heat for as long as chicks do.

Use a thermometer to register the heat in your brooder. If home temperatures range around 75 degrees you won t need a heat lamp past week four. The porous material wicks moisture away from the feed and seems to keep it drier. However as long as the chicks aren t crowded a regular white bulb should be fine.

Use a 100 watt bulb to start. Buy a brooding lamp at a feed store or hardware store and affix it to the top of the brooder. You need to hang a heat lamp above the storage container or bed. This ensures that if they are cold they can go under the light for some warmth and if they get too hot they can move out from under the light.

The lamp is normally hung about 18 from the bedding where it should be 90 95 degrees. It is also a good idea to place their feed under the heat lamp where the heat will dry it a bit. Ducklings and chicks need to be warm since they are not with their mother. Baby ducks need to be kept very warm in the first few weeks after they hatch to give them the chance to get used to the chilly air outside their eggs.

If baby ducks aren t being kept warm by their mother they need extra heat for the first couple weeks of life. But in barns or garages which may run 60 degrees chicks need supplementary heat until they are fully feathered at six weeks of age. The lamp must be secure and feature guards to keep it from directly contacting litter if it falls. One heat lamp can handle about 35 ducklings 20 goslings 40 guineas or 60 pheasants.

You can place a thermometer in there if you like to regulate the temperature but it is pretty easy to see if the temperature is right. You can put a heat lamp over the brooder at a corner. Plastic may melt with the heat produced by a heat lamp. I provide constant feed and water for ducklings.

For very young ducklings this should create the right amount of heat. There should be some type of solid wall or partition around the pen to prevent drafts which can be deadly. Once they are about two months old and presumably living outside you can remove their feed and water at night if you wish.