Hi Tavi,

Here's the basics of caring for ducklings:

1. At first, they will need to be in a brooder, which is a box or tote with heat lamps for warmth. Here are some links on setting up a brooder:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/duckling-care-brooder-ideas.64854/
https://www.thecapecoop.com/diy-brooder-box/

2. Once they are old enough to stay warm by themselves, they will need permanent housing. Most people keep their ducks in a small house, crate, or coop, for the night, and let them into a run or yard for the day. This is a big subject, so I can't cover it in one comment very well, but you can research duck housing yourself. If your weather is good, you can let them outside under supervision even from day one, as long as you make sure they don't get cold and are safe from predators.

3. Here's my article about feeding ducklings: https://www.raising-ducks.com/feeding-ducklings/

4. They need water that is deep enough to dunk their head in. Chick waterers may work for the first few days, but they need some kind of pan or bucket so they can dunk their heads. They are extremely messy with water, so it would be a good idea to build an anti-mess water station. The best one I've seen was a wire platform over a bowl, with the waterer on top. All spillage would go through the wire and into the bowl underneath, instead of into the bedding. (Once they move outside, this won't matter so much.)

5. Swimming water isn't absolutely necessary, but it's nice. As ducklings, you will need to supervise all their swimming sessions. Ducklings CAN drown very easily! When they have a real mother, she can tell them when it's time to get out, but since you will probably be the mother, you will have to do it for them. Limit baths to once a day and probably no more than 10-15 minutes.

6. There are many things you'll need to know, especially once they become adults. Just make sure you research and read as much as you can before you get the ducklings, so you know what you're doing.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Sincerely,
Hannah Miller

Hi Dana,

The females should begin laying when they're around 20-24 weeks old.

Some ducks won't use nest boxes. Some will just lay in the corner of the coop or something. And some ducks will actively seek out nests, and the more private and dark, the better.

You might try something like this, though (plastic totes with holes cut in the sides): https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nesting-boxes-for-ducks-made-easy.1315536/

A few other ideas:

https://www.lifeisjustducky.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/nesting1.jpg
http://petdiys.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DIY-Barrel-Duck-Nest-Box1.jpg
http://blog.mypetchicken.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Duck-Nesting-in-Milk-Crate-credit-Sasha-Fox-e1550070345928.png
https://www.raising-ducks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nest2.jpg

Hannah

Saxonies normally start laying at 5-6 months old, so I would think she would have started already.

Check out this article (if you haven't already) and see if any of the reasons might apply to your ducks: https://www.raising-ducks.com/ducks-not-laying/

Hope she'll start laying soon. :-)

Hannah

Where did you get the duckling?

The only way to know for sure is to find out from the breeder. If they don't know, it's a mixed breed. Purebred ducks, especially rare ones like the Saxony, have to be intentionally bred. It's easy to make random crosses that happen to look like a purebred (in coloration, if nothing else), but that doesn't mean anything. I've seen random Mallard crosses that looked like Blue Swedishes, Appleyards, and other breeds.

You could also compare your duck's characteristics (when she's an adult) to a Saxony and see if it matches. But you'll have to look at conformation, weight, egglaying, and other characteristics, not just color.

Also, do you have any other ducks? Ducks need a companion.

Hannah

Oh, Tractor Supply. Then your ducks are probably purebreds of some kind. They get their ducklings from various large hatcheries (depending on your location). I don't have TSC where I live, but from what I've read, they often don't know what breed their ducks and chickens are. I don't know if it's because they mix all the ducklings together or what.

I've heard of TSC getting their ducklings from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries, Townline Hatchery, Ideal Poultry, Privett Hatchery, and Cackle Hatchery.

Cackle Hatchery is the only one of those that sells Saxony ducks. If any TSCs use Hoover's Hatchery, they also sell Saxonies. So if you can find out what hatchery your TSC uses, and if they stock Saxonies, and if your duck looks like a Saxony as an adult, that would be proof, I guess. A lot of those hatcheries also sell Buff Orpington ducks and some others that have buff or buff-like coloring.

Hannah

Ducks generally live five to fifteen years, depending on breed, environment, care, health, and other factors.

Hannah