Ducklings and heat plate question!

[hotmessmom]

Hey y’all! Long time chicken, first time duck owner here!

We have five 1 week old mallards in our brooder right now, they are healthy and thriving! We are using a large heat plate instead of a lamp. I have the plate on a tilt so the ducklings can find the right spot to get cozy in but the last 2 days I’ve noticed they are leaving their heads out and only keeping their bodies underneath it. They aren’t panting and don’t seem too warm but now I’m wondering if a need to level the plate out and adjust the height up a little bit? I’ve never had chicks do this so I’m not 100% sure if it’s just a duck thing or not lol! Thank y’all in advance!

 

[Miss Lydia]

This I found on line.
Use the yellow legs to set the height low enough so it almost touches the backs of chicks. Height adjustment is important. As the chicks grow, use the adjustable legs to increase the height of the plate above the bedding and chicks.


Worried that the plate feels hot to the touch? It isn't. If chicks get too warm, they can and do move out from under it for a time. Don't overcrowd—chicks need to have space to move around as they like.



it may be that they just want to keep an eye on what is going on around them. When my ducklings were in the brooder under the heat plate they spent more time on top than below it. lol {I took the plastic top off]

I did slant mine too so they had more room in front than in back. Also ducklings don't need as much heat as chickens so you'll just have to do some tweaking to get it right.

 

[LAYAM]

Mine is slanted (with one end being at the lowest possible setting) and the 2 and 4 day old Runner Ducklings run out from under it and climb atop of it and go back under as they see fit ... I think your babies are 100% fine!
I have a second brooder setup with Chicks in it and they do the same thing as the Ducklings ... I think I'm going to buy another Heat plate and kiss the bulbs bye-bye for good

 

[CoriM]

I don't tilt my plate. I also raise it enough so they can easily be under there without bumping their heads. Mine does feel hot to the touch and if they had prolonged contact they would get burned. When my ducklings are super tiny I drape a small hand towel over the plate so it feels like a cozy little cave to go into. They're plenty warm with no worries of burning.