Recent content by dehave

There might be snapping turtles, although I have never seen a turtle in or around our pond in the 3 years we have lived here. It's a big pond and I don't know how to catch it. The pond is about 150+ feet across. I am so sad that there is not a way to save this baby. It is hiding in 2...

My ponds seem to be a death trap for ducks. I don't know what is getting them, but every year, they seem to get eaten by something. This year we have lost already 3 wild duck families. Yesterday there were 4 Wood Duck babies and Mom, and 8 or so Mallard babies and mom. Today, there is 1 Wood...

Never mind...she died.

Sorry, didn't realize that I should keep it to one post. Will try to do that in the future. The reason that she needs a high calorie diet is that she has a heart defect. I have taken her to the vet and she said that all her caloric intake is going toward how fast her heart is beating, and...

I need to get a high concentration of calories into my sick duckling. What is the most concentrated calories she can/will eat? Someone suggested bacon fat? Is that safe? I think sunflower seeds are high in oil, therefore fat. I have a large bag from last years sunflowers. If I ground those...

She's a runner. I will try the oatmeal and see if she likes it. Years ago when my grandmother was very sick she could not maintain her weight. They would add powdered calories to everything she ate. It had nothing else in it, if I recall correctly, but just a ton of calories. Is there...

I took my little duckling to the vet today because she is 1/3 the size of her hatchmate. Well, to be exact she is 99g and her hatchmate is 345g. They did an ultrasound and the lower part of her heart is enlarged. She is using all the energy from her calories to make her heart beat and doesn't...

Yeah, my brooder had wire sides and they were able to poop all over my walls. Fun. Now they are outside and sooo much happier. What I wonder is, are goslings as messy as ducklings, and bigger? I really would like to get a couple but don't know if my bathroom could take it.

Well, I went out last night to check and they were all snuggled near, but not directly under the heat lamp. I decided to leave them. Like I said, they had water inside the doghouse too so that they wouldn't have to go into the cold run for water at night. I kept an eye on the temp all...

Do you think they won't go in if they are cold? I never thought about that! Should I go down and close them in somehow? It's almost 11 here. The little weaker one seemed to go in and snuggle under the heat when she was cold today. If they have water inside will they maybe stay in then? Oh...

I built my duck house this weekend. My 3 ducklings are only 2 weeks old but one of them is a few days older. He/She is a black runner/Rouen cross and is just too big to be in the house already. Here is the setup. Tell me if I should go and bring them in. I have a wooden dog house that is...

There has been no progress on the egg. It is still in my friends incubator for another day or two. I am not holding out much hope. Meanwhile mom and her 2 little babies are doing really well. I had to burry the other little baby that got smushed in her shell and it was very hard. I don't...

The duck she hatched belongs to someone else. When she came to take it home she offered to take my egg and pop it in her incubator. She is hatching ducks so I know the humidity might be too high, but I figured it was our best chance. Fingers crossed. Dana

I put it in a wipe warmer wrapped in a warm wet towel. The temp was only around 78 so I wrapped the wipe warmer in a heating pad. The problem is I can't see anything. I do have a way to read the temp in there though. I If the egg still has blood veins would that mean there is a chance it is...

On the 27th she hatched one duck egg and on the 28th she hatched 2 chick eggs. I could tell the chicks were getting restless before I left this morning and had a feeling she would take them out today. I just wonder if she gave up after her chick died.