Hatches happen on Fridays from May through to the end of July. To find the next guaranteed pick up time, click the "check next availability" button, and it will navigate to the next open spot. If that spot is too late, then you'll want to grab a waitlist spot instead! Click the chick or duckling waitlist button on the book a program page to get your name on that list. We will be in touch as soon as we have an available spot for the hatch you want. That could be if someone cancels, or if we have extras hatch the day of, so be prepared for a last minute contact.

When you book, the time you select will be the time you come to the farm to pick out your ducklings or chicks. The 15 minute window is for you to pick out your birds and ask any questions you have for us.

For the first day or so, they will peep as they get used to you and their new surroundings. Sometimes this is because they're cold. If the area is less than 20 degrees Celsius, try moving them to a small room like a bathroom, giving them an old stuffed animal, or using a small space heater if the room is particularly cold. At night, we recommend putting them in a small quiet room with the lights off. They may quack a bit the first few nights, but should settle down to a good 12-hour nighttime!

When ducklings come back to the farm, they either spend the rest of their lives here with us in the barnyard in our layer or breeder flocks, or they go to other families who have raised ducklings and have decided they want more! We have a waitlist for socialized ducklings; they're in demand! Rest assured that your ducklings will have a good home.

We get it. Sometimes a toddler's hands turn into vice grips, or you stumble and fall, or a predator gets into a pen. Though not common, losses and injuries happen and that is part of having livestock. ​ If something happens and one of your ducklings passes away or is injured, we will work with you to get a replacement buddy for your duckling (no charge), or we will take the remaining duckling back at the farm. Please do not let this concern keep you from having an awesome experience!

We do not sex ducklings here, as the process can be damaging to their little bodies. We are typically able to tell the hens (females) from the drakes (males) by 5 weeks. This is when their voices change! The females will make the distinctive quacking sound you expect from ducks, while the males will make a raspy “mepmepmep” type of noise. Drakes often retain their peep longer than females too,

All of our day-old ducklings leave the farm via the duckling program. This is to ensure that they have a safe place to come home to in the event that someone can no longer care for them. Often this happens when people get day-olds and do not have a plan for male birds. If you're looking to build a duck flock, send us a message. We can discuss your flock goals and help you set up a group that will coexist peacefully for years to come.

We will provide you with a duck-specific starter feed. It should last 4-6 weeks. It is all they need to thrive, and they do a great job at regulating their food intake themselves. You can simply take a margarine container or Tupperware and fill it with feed. You can place a stone inside to reduce spillage as they may enjoy digging in the feed with their bills. ​ If you want to give them treats, that's ok! Try shredding greens into their water bowl, or roll them some frozen peas. Most fruits and veggies are ok for them, just no onion, raw potato, citrus, or avocados.

That depends on the size of your brooder bin/tote. But all you'll need to do is dump the whole thing out into your compost or green bag, and replace with fresh shavings. If you do not have a garden or compost to dispose of waste, this can be collected in a garbage bag and returned to the farm. We highly recommend that you stick to the bedding provided, as newsprint and other bedding options can be too slippery and lead to leg problems. Do NOT use cedar shavings if you have them from other pets - they can be toxic to ducklings! Additional bedding can be purchased for $15 a bale if you need it.

When you're inside, use the biggest plastic tote bin you can find. This will be your "brooder box". You'll want it to be at least 12 inches high. Remember that ducklings grow quickly, and you want to get a food and water bowl in there too. As the ducklings grow, you may want to increase their living area (bigger tote, dog crate, baby enclosure over a tarp, etc.) If you choose to keep them for their lifetime, you will want to explore coop ideas that have both an indoor and outdoor space. Google has lots of creative designs!

Young ducklings like to snuggle and cuddle. Keeping them warm is important for the first few weeks. They will enjoy the 20-22 C temperatures in your home. You will know if they are too cold if they are shivering (not out of fear) or if they're not up and about ready to explore. As the ducklings age, they can tolerate cooler temperatures as a baseline. It is normal for them to explore and then come back to the heat for some rest.

Ducks love water, but they don’t need to be in or near water - it just needs to be available for drinking. Keep water available to them as much as possible, similar to free feeding. You will find that they want to be IN their drinking water bowl. To avoid this, we tend to use a bowl with a lid that has holes cut out of it. That keeps them from swimming in their drinking water.

We set up the program with the assumption that many participants will want to keep the females and start a backyard flock. Given that 50% are expected to be male, six chicks should leave you with 3+ hens for your flock. You can certainly choose to take fewer than six, but we highly recommend taking at least three. We have found that two chicks may pick on one another (particularly if one ends up being a rooster), but three will keep peace. If you want more than 6, chicks can be added to your package for $10 each. Please let us know early if you think you'd like to add chicks so that we can ensure there are enough for everyone who has booked for that hatch.

That really depends on the time of year you're picking up, and where you're going to keep them. Young chicks like to be warm. If the area you're going to keep them in is <20 degrees Celsius, then you'll want a heat source (a heat lamp, brooder plate, or space heater). A few ideas: Keep them in a warm room in the house such as a bathroom that is less frequently used, or add a space heater. Keep them under a heat lamp or incandescent light bulb that provides some heat. As they age, raise the heat lamp or increase their space so they have the option to get away from the heat or come closer. If they are trying to get away (huddled in the corner away from the heat or are panting), it is too hot.

When you're inside, use the biggest plastic tote bin you can find. This will be your "brooder box". You'll want it to be at least 12 inches high. Remember that you want to get a food and water bowl in there too. As the chicks grow, you may want to increase their living area (bigger tote, dog crate, baby enclosure over a tarp, etc.) If you choose to keep them for their lifetime, you will want to explore coop ideas that have both an indoor and outdoor space. Google has lots of creative designs!

If you book a chick program, we will supply you with a custom starter feed. It is all they need to last you 4-6 weeks. Free feeding is the best approach, which means having feed available to them whenever they are in their tote. They do a great job at regulating their food intake themselves. You can simply take a margarine container or Tupperware and fill it with feed. You can place a stone inside to reduce spillage as they may enjoy digging in the feed.

If at any time during the spring or summer you decide that you would like to keep your birds, that's totally okay with us. Through the programs, we will accept birds back with no rehoming fee until Labour Day of the year they hatch. After that, a $20 rehoming fee will apply per bird. If you want to keep them for eggs, females will start to lay around 24 weeks of age if they are provided with 14-16 hours of light per day. This means you will need to provide some additional light, assuming you're living in Ontario. A LED on a timer works quite well.

Like all birds, ducklings and chicks potentially carry bacteria in their guts that can make you sick. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your ducklings, chicks, or their environment. Also, we know it is tempting, but we would advise against kissing your birds or letting your ducklings swim in your bathtub.

We will accept chicks and ducklings through the programs back at the farm anytime before Labour day the year they were hatched, with no rehoming fee. After that date, there will be rehoming fees of $20/bird. ​ Chicks and ducklings purchased outside of a program are subject to the rehoming fee. Please contact us on socials, by text, or the chat box on the website when you're ready to bring them back to the farm.

There are a number of reasons! We benefit because our flock is now very comfortable with us, and with our kids. That means we feel safe allowing our kids to collect eggs and feed the birds, and the birds feel safe around us, which makes it much easier to pick them up and check on them if they need some attention. ​ Also, we've had issues with mink here on the farm previously. Having our most vulnerable babies out with families means that they're safe and well cared for - and they're much bigger and faster once they return, so they can get themselves to safety when our big geese tell them to! ​ Finally, we want to be able to share our knowledge about birds and agriculture with families. More and more, people are losing connections to the people and places where food is grown (or in our case, where eggs are laid!) The chick and duckling programs allow us to answer questions and teach people about what small family farms can look like in Ontario!

ABSOLUTELY! We would love to see pictures of your family with your ducklings! Please tag RiverBound Farms on Facebook or @RiverBoundFarms on Instagram so we can share in the fun and cuteness!

When you arrive at the farm, you can park in front of our garage. We will meet you outside. If the weather is nice, we will have all of the young birds in wooden boxes on the grass by the barn. You'll get to choose the ones that you like the best! We will be available to answer any of your questions, and there's time to take a look at the parents, and meet our geese! ​ We will have a bag of custom feed and a wrapped bale of shavings for you, and we're happy to help you get those into your vehicle.