Hi
we really hope we can get some sound advise
we have a pair of call ducks
she has laid and sat on the eggs and today they hatched !
our concern is that they live within a secure pen, but in the open, the eggs were laid and have hatched in a small house within the pen, todays temperatures have been freezing or below
the ducklings seem fine and are moving and chirping when not under the mother

our question is:
should we move them into a shed and give them heat or leave them with their mother and let nature care for them ?

today they have been out and walked around the pen
they appear to be drinking and eating, and all look healthy
oh and there is 9 of them !

we still have concerns about the freezing temperatures !

Soooooo cute!!! And very early in the year!!! If they were mine I'd have them in a shed at this time of year - make sure it is totally rat proof though as rats love ducklings! I would give them a heat lamp as well as mum - 9 is alot to fit under such a diddy duck especially as they grow so fast, and you don't want them using all their calories to keep warm rather than grow. Make sure you only have a very shallow water dish so they can't get wet or they'll get very cold, and just give them add lib chick crumbs and before you know it they'll be the same size as the parents!!

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sadly the rat that we thought wasnt around, returned and took his chance and took 2 of them
3 others were found dead but untouched
4 still remain and are growing by the day and extremely noisy and lively
we have moved them into the shed following the severe snow on Sunday, they all seem quite happy and content, we have given them a 60w light bulb for a bit of heat but they seem uninterested in it when not under mummy

as you say 9 was a lot to care for, so perhaps the culling was a bit of a blessing

That's a shame you lost 5! Rats are a nightmare with birds - birds can't see at night so the rats just pick them off, my neighbor had a pen with 40 chicken chicks under heat lamps and one duckling that had been given to her - the rats chewed through the cage and took only the duckling, I think it is because they have a high fat content that the rats go mad for them! Mind you I had an adult sized young peacock eaten by rats one night, i had it in as it had been injured by a quad bike, it was up high on a perch but they still got it and stripped it clean - horrid things!!!!!
A call duck can raise a large clutch just not as well in winter, it is unusual for one to sit at this time though, we had chooks going broody in december which was very odd - I think the weather has been fooling alot of things. I wouldn't let them sit this early again - either use fake eggs/hard boiled ones or just keep taking them out everyday, if you leave it till spring before letting her sit you can have them outside in a run so they get sunshine and plenty of bugs!! Good luck with the remaining 4!

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i totally agree with you
we are fairly new to ducks so were surprised when she started sitting, seems against what they are meant to do ! I am sure the mild december/january have attributed
rats are very clever, we have had traps set for weeks without a sign of any interest, just when you think the coast is clear !
we have only had them visit since the ducks and they seem only interested in the duck pellets, totally ignoring the chicken pellets

the 4 seem to be doing well so fingers crossed