New Australian Hatching Mystery Egg at Home

[LFchixranch]

Great story glad it all worked out for you. Well except for the, "he's gonna drive you bonkers" part.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Oh my heck,,, he will look like one of these? Beautiful!

Australian Wood Duck

 

[piglett]

i guess tieing a string around his leg so he can't keep jumping up out of the brooder is out of the question

hey i was only kidding so hold off on the hate mail for now folks

 

[ozexpat]

i guess tieing a string around his leg so he can't keep jumping up out of the brooder is out of the question

hey i was only kidding so hold off on the hate mail for now folks

seems appropriate

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Well a flock Of wood ducks just landed in the middle of my football match today, I I just stood their thinking....LAY AN EGG LAY AN EGG!!!!!!!
<LOL>

 

[megacakes]

WOW. I started reading this a couple of hours ago...what an adventure! My kids are now wondering why I haven't cooked them dinner! Luckily they forgave me when I showed them your photos. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

 

[Teloka]

Updates!! Sorry I haven't had a chance to respond properly or update fully earlier, by 24 hours old (after his first night) Basil was starting to get very attention hungry!

BROODER/HOUSING UPDATES: Last night he was incredibly unhappy when I put him in the brooder; he peeped and peeped and peeped and jumped up and down like I mentioned before bed. I made a few changes to his brooder to try and make him happier in there, and put on an upturned laundry basket as a makeshift lid (because it was late at night and I was so tired already). At first I thought a lid had deterred him from jumping and he settled down, but it only last half an hour. I barely got any sleep last night because Basil sleeps in our bedroom and he just spent all night jumping up and down, throwing himself at the laundry basket and peeping loudly.

During the day today I decided to try and make him a new brooder with much higher sides that he wouldn't be able to jump out of at all by using a large cardboard box. That didn't work, and he just cheeped very loudly and shrilly, and threw himself repetitively at the sides of the box. I was so frightened that he would hurt himself that I wound up just carrying him most of the day because I couldn't put him in the brooder.

This evening though, I decided to try one last thing and I cut open one of the sides of the cardboard box. Instead of leaving it solidly walled, I opened one side down and replaced it with plastic chicken wire. Lo!! Basil is very happy in the brooder box now, snuggling into his lamp, lounging around on the paper towels and even his appetite has jumped up. He no longer throws himself at the walls or peeps just because I'm not standing there; I was even able to walk into the bathroom without him cheeping madly (lol!). The change is incredible, he seems much more comfortable and happy now, and I'm so happy too! It was such an easy fix! Looks like for the first night since he externally pipped at 4am I'm going to get a decent nights sleep!


FOOD/FEEDING UPDATES: Basil has started eating heaps more in the new brooder. I think he was too uncomfortable in the other ones to eat much, and I think he was too interested in chasing my feet when he was out of the brooder to eat out on the floor which I tried when he kept slamming himself against the box. I have some photos of his meals, but I am trying to introduce something new every meal if I can.

He is now eating: Minced Brocolli and fresh green beans, Minced Peas and Corn, Minced fresh baby lettuces for vegetables. And for dries, he has: Finely blitzed oatmeal and a bit of a crumbled digestive biscuit, with a sprinkle of bakers yeast added to help him get niacin. I'm not sure how much yeast he needs, but I've just been putting a little sprinkle on his dry food. He is drinking really well it seems, he goes through lots of water and loves to flick it and walk it all around everywhere.

I am hoping to get some extra protein in the form of an organic non-medicated dry dog-food product, perhaps for puppies. I saw this suggested somewhere, and my vet friend confirmed it would probably be better than buying the meat-and-bone meal at our local gardening store where its primary purpose is as fertilizer. I'll grind up a little bit of the kibble for him if I can get it, and see how it goes. I guess he'll either like it or not! So far no luck in finding yellow corn meal, but I'll keep looking.

(also, to update on the non-medicated chicken feed issues-- every produce store I have visited kept telling me I could buy their medicated chick starter and give it to him. In anguish I visited a local bird-specialized vet/animal hospital, and asked if they had anything non-medicated. When I mentioned my problems, they confirmed for me "you should NOT feed a duckling medicated chick starter. they are just trying to sell you their product", so I am really really glad I had read previously to avoid medicated!)


OUTINGS and ADVENTURES: We've already had two outings!! Yesterday afternoon I had to post a garment to a client, but obviously could not leave Basil at home because he was so stressed and unhappy in his brooder, and was barely 24 hours old. Instead I quickly cleaned up an old square bottomed tote bag, put some hot water in a bottle and placed it in with some tissues, and off we went. He had a good time winning hearts at the post office by cheeping very quietly while we were there, and he got to meet my Aunt and Uncle on the way home.

This afternoon I took Basil out into our front garden! It is nice and flat and much tamer than the back garden (which is a heavy rainforest), and still quite safe from the road. Basil had an adventure on the front pavers and in the fresh lettuces and he enjoyed nibbling them all, but he is not quite strong enough yet to break any off on his own. He chewed on weeds, chased bugs, picked at the dirt and played with a tiny twig. We also had a brief trist on the stretch of grass out the very front (which is nearer the road, so we weren't there as long), where he had lots of fun bumping flowers about and running through the grass and nibbling everything he could get his bill on! I think it is good practice for him to learn to pick this way, plus he gets a little bit of sun this way.

I took a lot of photos of him out and about in the garden, and I will post them tomorrow! In the next few days I think we may start learning how to swim!


PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: I weighed Basil earlier today, and he still weighed 37grams, which is the same as he did when he hatched. However I think maybe he hasn't been eating as much as he should because of the brooder discomfort he was in. I will weigh him again tomorrow and perhaps he will way more-- he is certainly starting to poop lots like a real duck now!

He is SUPER FAST though, regardless of his dietary habits. Any time he is out of his box he power-chases me and the others around. He is barely two days old, and already probably faster than we are; although a little more clumsy on his feet and sometimes he loses his footing and slides along. I figure that isn't good for him, so I mostly have been carrying him everywhere, hehehe.

He is still spring loaded, and jumps huge distances-- if not out of the brooder, he jumps from the floor into my hands, or from my lap up to my face for cuddles under my chin. He peeps loud and clear when he wants to.


MY OTHER BIRDS: Are definitely a lot happier this evening now that Basil is happily staying in his brooder and I can give my parrots some much needed and deserved attention, hehehe

Okay, I think that's all for now! I will respond also to individual comments now, and then hopefully will be able to settle down for a good nights sleep at last. Lots of love, thank you everybody for your support and help and well wishes and kind words and everything for helping Basil and I to get this far!

 

[sumi]

You are a good duckling mommy and Basil is a very lucky ducky

Thanks for the update! The way you described it I could almost see him playing in the garden!
I've heard about the niacin deficiency in ducklings, but I don't know much about it or their diets, but if you have a mo why don't you post down in the ducks section and ask there? I know there are very knowledgeable duck owners here who would be able to advice you and could help you work out a feeding plan for him that would meet all his needs. Here's a shortcut to the ducks:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/42/ducks

 

[Shellz]

I am SO glad to hear that things are going better with Basil now! What a relief! Thanks for your update. Sounds like you guys are having a blast with him! What a good duck mom you are! He's getting around and experiencing new things. Enjoy your time with Basil! Looking forward to more pics & updates!

 

[Teloka]

Salmonella is a problem with production chickens. I was told when I joined BYC never give my girls store eggs, specially the egg shells. The best anti predator protection is a couple of donkeys. But for most of us it is not really practical.

I did some research years ago about hand guns in Australia. You need to be an active member of a gun club. Hunting weapons are easier to own. Apparently in Australia they require you to be responsible and actually be fully qualified to use and handle lethal weapons. If you collect gun, I'm not sure but I think I remember they have to be certified disabled. There are different laws all over Australia, this was the general rule of thumb at the time I did my research on it.

Basil, I hope will find some tinder greens when he goes for his first outing. Is there duck weed where you live? Or a water plant like it? I used to collect it and feed it to my ducklings.

Salmonella is not a big problem in Australia as far as I know, so I think I'm fretting unnecessarily. He seems very healthy, and so far so good at least! I have given my birds store bought eggs before but as I said, here it is okay to eat raw eggs because risk of salmonella from eggs is fairly low to my knowledge.
As far as I know in my area, for ownership of a gun, you have to prove a reason to have it. Self defense is not a viable reason, nor are unlicensed hobbies; protecting livestock from feral foxes/cats is a viable reason, etc. That sort of thing. I don't know, I certainly don't own one, haha.
I think we had duck weed on our dam! I will have a look on the weekend when I can get down there to see. Thank you for the suggestion!

Good morning duck mommy

I was so busy with my duck hatch yesterday (got 8 fluffy butts now) that I didn't get round to it, but here's some homemade duckling feed ideas:


Homemade Duckling Feed
oatmeal
cooked egg
chopped apple (optional- if you have it)
Greens (Weeds are fine if they are young and tender, spinach, etc.)
Hot water
Mix all ingredients together in a heatsafe container. Pour hot water over the oatmeal and egg, and other optional grains or fruits until it is rather wet. Make sure everything is in small bits. Let cool a bit and add the chopped greens.

More great info an raising and feeding ducklings here: http://lolasmith777.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Raise-Baby-Ducklings

Starter meal (Eaten from 0-2 weeks)

Yellow Cornmeal 11 cups
Soybean meal (44% protein) 3.5 cups
Wheat bran 2 cups
Meat and bone meal(50% protein) 1/2 cup
Fish meal (60% protein) 1/2 cup
Alfalfa meal (17.5% protein) 1/2 cup
Dried skim milk 1/2 cup
Brewer's dried yeast 1 1/2 cups
Dicalcium phosphate (18.5% phosphate) 1Tbsp.
Iodized salt 1tsp.​

And I guess you may have seen this already, but here's a great thread on duck feed and supplements:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/242460/the-ultimate-list-of-duck-treats-and-supplements

Congratulations on your hatch!! So many fuzzy wuzzies! (speaking of, Basil has the cutest fluffy butt I have ever seen, chocolate brown on top and super fluffy white underneath! Waahh!) Thank you so so much for these recipes, they were exactly the sort of thing I was looking for! Everytime I tried to google "home made duck starter recipes" I just got a bunch of appertizers featuring ducks-- TOTALLY not what I wanted!! These are wonderful though, I will do my best to get these things for him! How much does the recipe make up/how many serves, do you know? The measurements seem quite large to me, so I'm curious to know how long it lasts like that.

I love the treats and supplements guide! I have been referring back to that a lot with what vegetables and such to give to Basil; I'm glad I read it before I started feeding him because I would have definitely give him Spinach otherwise thinking it was good for him like it is for my parrots!

I think Basil is trying to throw himself off a tree or cliff, as they do to reach the ground. He is goofed up because he doesn't need to.

+

Can you get a brooder with taller sides? Like a large plastic tote? The thing with wood ducks is the ducklings jump out of the nest and never return to it again, so he is really just following his instincts to get out and follow the family to their next location.

Having a day and night cycle will certainly help him sleep, as normally he wouldn't have 24/7 light. He's probably tired too because of it! That is why I love my Brisnea Ecoglow brooder, it replaces a heat light so the chicks can experience night time (and keep quiet for a long while too )

Maybe that is the case and he is trying to jump from the tree! He definitely has super spring legs and can launch himself great distances at great speeds! He's jumped out of his first brooder box enough times now to count as leaving the tree-nest I think, and he seems settled in his new brooder now.

I will see how he feels with the lamp tonight in the new box; he loves cuddling it sooooo much I don't know if I can take it off him, but I do like the idea of him having a better day-night cycle with the light. Especially if it will help him to sleep soundly overnight. ^^ Thank you!

If you have one of those tins people use when they're painting the house (the ones for the rollers) they're great for ducklings because they have a natural slope.

The pictures are great! Basil is so lucky to have landed on your doorstep! I was telling my mom about this and she said it's like the law here that if a new mom doesn't feel like wants or can take care of her baby she can leave it on the doorstep of a fire station or hospital with impunity. So maybe that's what was going through the wood duck mother's head.

That sounds like a great idea for a first swim! I'll see if I can find anything like that. Otherwise, we have a good sloping bathtub that he might like That is amazing how the women there can do that, perhaps that is what the mother wood duck did and she knew this was a good place to leave it to get it cared for, haha! Perhaps she smelt my other birds, or the ducks and poultry I have kept in the past? Who knows. There are a few Wood Ducks who come around and I feed some times, it may have even been one of them thinking that food is easily plentiful in this area, haha.

As my chickx and chickens peep and crow needing attention here in MO i am reading about Basils birth...
Just read all 51 pages at one setting and was so stressed about page 35..wanted to jump to the end so badly and see but couldnt miss a post....glad he hatched .
After the reptile talk I was starting to worry that there were some reptile in Australia that had a hard shell...that would have been sort of creepy expecting a duck
Glad he is a wood duck.Good luck on him He sounds like a hand full already! And hes SO CUTE!!

Awwww, thank you so much for reading along! It did get super stressful there in the middle; I was so anxious he wasn't going to make it for a while there. But he was just keeping us hanging on the edge of our seats I think! I think there are a few things in Australia with hard shells that are not ducks or birds; like the platypus and I think echidnas because they are monotremes, but I'm not sure. I've never seen their eggs in person. I'm very glad he was not slithery and poisonous, that's for sure! Feathers and fuzzy butts are much cuter

Wood Duck!!!! .LOL.

Thanks chicken pickin- The Photo's are so CUTE!!! Great work!!

I looked up a lot of images of wood ducks before he hatched so that I'd know what to look for! They are chocolate brown and white with facial stripes in the dark brown and long grey legs, and he has all of these things! ^^

Wow.

I had to pull an all-nighter last night for work (two or three times a year) and left the house at 6 last night, got home around 1 this afternoon. You guys had a ton of excitement!!

Having raised a lonely duckling before, I highly recommend getting yourself another pair of ducklings from a local source so the baby has friends. It will still imprint on you, but it won't be unhappy when away from you, which gets to be unnerving after a while, and you feel immense guilt...and lack of sleep because of the drama. Also, it will socialize with other ducks and have the opportunity to pair up later, instead of being confused as an adult. It's advisable if you like to sleep.

You did a great job, and I'm giving you a virtual high 5 for your very patient efforts!!

Haha, it was an exciting hatch, that's for sure! I really want to do what is best for Basil, especially if it could help him to interact with other wild ducks when he is older, but I'm not sure if getting two other ducklings is feasible for us; I'm not sure we can afford it and I don't think I have the time (or the room!) for two more ducklings as well as Basil as well as my parrots. I also suspect if I bought a domestic duck, it might never survive in/return to the wild like Basil might and I would have to find some way to house it perenantly on our property safely from local predators.

But I will have to see; for now he seems much happier in the brooder on his own after we made changes and opened the front of it up and he can see out. There might even be some other local duck owners around and maybe I can organize play-dates or something when he is older so that he can get some other duck interaction! If he seems very very unhappy again like he did last night and this morning, I will have to look at getting at least one duckie companion for him regardless of the costs.

Great story glad it all worked out for you. Well except for the, "he's gonna drive you bonkers" part.

Love is maddening!

WOW. I started reading this a couple of hours ago...what an adventure! My kids are now wondering why I haven't cooked them dinner! Luckily they forgave me when I showed them your photos. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Awww, thank you for sharing in the adventure! I'm glad they forgave you! Empty stomachs can be fed by the super cuteness of baby ducklings!!