Surprise, Surprise! 49 Chicks and 3 Ducks Arrived Friday! - Page 7

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Originally Posted by sarasweatman 

Sounds like fun!!  Christmas in March.  I am waiting to see what you get too!

Did you mean me? I know this thread is getting long and you may not have read through the entire thing.

My father received the surprise shipment this morning. He told me he had 49 chicks and 3 ducks.

After these 3 ducks are out of the brooder and spending their days in the pond, do the ducks go into the coop with the chickens at night, or do they need their own pen, or what? Or do the ducks just stay in the pond at night?

I was thinking that something could kill the ducks at night in the pond.

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Originally Posted by hitgsd 

Our ducks have lived on our pond 24 hours a day since they where about 6 months.  And nothing ever got after them. If something did they could just jump in the water to get away.  The only time we contained  them was during a hurricane, we put them and a kiddie pool in the garage. The ducks did not appriciate our efforts, and since then we have let them stay out.  When our pond froze they freaked, as you can imagine, but no animals seems to bug them.  By the way these are big peking ducks, in case that makes a difference.    

Thank you. I was hoping the ducks could just live in the pond. I was thinking maybe an owl could glide down and snatch a duck. I am sure it helps being a large duck.

My father might figure out what breed of ducks he received, but since they were part of the surprise, right now they are just ducks.

Do you throw feed in the pond or on the ground, or do the ducks get enough to eat in the pond?

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Originally Posted by BigOJoe 

 

 

Wed. i received my Cackle chick order.   i didn't get the special, I was afraid with my luck i'd get 50 nakedneck cockrels and a goose. 

I was afraid the order would be 50 bantam roosters.

I guess buying the chicks through the mail works pretty well. That must be why there are so many hatcheries selling birds this way.

It sounds like you have some kind of predator killing your ducks and carrying off their eggs. You need to build a little island in the middle of the pond or build something that floats and can be anchored with a nesting box. Then the predators couldn't get to the ducks or the eggs. The only possibilities would be things like hawks and owls.

I saw on some show where the guy built like a cage for his geese, and the geese went under water and came up in the cage. The cage was on the bank of a pond and stuck out into the water. This provided a very secure place for the geese. I don't think a raccoon would swim under water to get into this cage in order to eat eggs or birds.

I talked to my father today. He said 4 yellow chicks died. But he said the rest appear fine, because they are eating, drinking, and running around the brooder. He said the three ducks also seem to be doing well.

My father said you have to expect a few out of 49 chicks and 3 ducks will die.

Hopefully no more will die.

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Originally Posted by 2seth2 

any pics yet

It will be a while.

My father will take pictures, have prints made, mail the pictures to me, and then I will have to have the pictures scanned into a disc or flash drive so that I can post pictures on here. My father is old-fashioned.

Maybe in a week, if I am lucky.