New Australian Hatching Mystery Egg at Home

[Teloka]

Hi guys! I'm so sorry I've been so long without an update, had some serious family dramas over here and I had a massive load of work to power-catch up on this week. Surprising how much longer things seem to take with a duckling in the lap!

Oh, I love the updates! He sounds so cute

Have you got a feather duster you can hang n his brooder? That he can crawl under. I used one for my first lone chick and it really helped! He thought it was Mom..

Grasshoppers, yum! I heard ducklings are incredibly messy and I've seen it with my guys. In the 3 days we had them, I had to clean their water bowl all the time! And the brooder was just permanently wet. I just tried to give them a dry spot under the light to hang out.

I really don't know what to say about that. I think you should ask down in the ducks section. If it's normal and what other materials you can put in there for him that won't look so appetising.

Sounds like he's growing up quick! I'd be nervous with the little one running around and getting under my feet though. When we had chicks lose in the house still my DH and I perfected the shuffle LOL Still had the odd stepped on toe though.

How clever! I wish I could train my chicks to do that.

Please post more pics. We all love the little guys and your pics are great!

He is way too adorable ahhh <3 Thank you! He's growing so fast, I always am barefoot around the house so at least I can feel him when he is near, and when he runs he has a loud patter-patter-patter so I know he's coming! I will have to post some more pictures soon, I just haven't had a chance to do any editing. I also have some videos I can post, we went for his first swim in the bath, which I filmed, although he really wasn't fussed at all, haha.

Thank you so much for all your help! At the moment we are still using the paper towels, I found a few ways to give him less corners to chew, but he still chews it and eats pieces, gah, so naughty!! I am looking at getting some of our own grass clippings and mulching them up really fine as a bedding for him; that way if he eats it it's a part of his natural diet anyway, I just need to get a chance to get to it, been so crazy busy. As for the feather duster, I tried it... and... HE EATS THAT TOO!! Nooooo!! Naughty Basil, whyyy?!

He sounds so adorable but a huge responsibility which you seem to be equipped to handle

I would think that you've got all the food covered and his eating the paper towel is just him being naughty lol. The only thing that I hear about ducks is that they need selium (sp) and doesn't that come from greens and meat (grasshoppers) I don't know for sure tho.

Awww, thank you so much! He has been getting quite a lot of greens and vegetables, he really loves them and chows into them at an alarming rate. He hasn't had any luck catching any more grasshoppers, but today he did try to eat a tiny baby frog.

I second the vote on the feather duster. Alternatively, if you have a plush toy you can put in, that may help, though it will be ruined. Again, hanging it so he van go underneath will be best. I use disposable puppy training pads for brooding, but you could also use old towels you can shake out and then wash.

I would definitely recommend getting him a pal from somewhere so you haven't the lonely only syndrome. He'll need it in order to have normal relations as he ages, too, or he'll be so imprinted on you that you won't be able to do anything! It's much better that way.

Thank you so much for the suggestions! I tried the feather duster, and he just tries to eat it! He seems to have no interest in cuddling into it, boooo, just picking and eating. He does have a plush toy, although it is a very smooth almost velvet touch one, so that there is nothing he can chew or pull off and eat. Would I do better to try him on a fuzzy fluffy one? I haven't had a chance to get into town for the puppy training pads, but I'll definitely have a look, they sound really good.

I really don't know if I can afford to get and maintain a pal for him, especially not inside the house. Because we're living at my Mum's house, she won't accept any more animals inside. If I were to get him any friends, they'd have to all go outside, and I think he'd like that less because he's been an inside duck so far, and we often have feral and wild cats (and snakes and dogs too, but the cats annoy me the most because they frighten my birds through the windows and I wish people would just keep them inside at night!!!) roaming around and I'm really scared about that...

But my neighbours are planning on getting some baby chickens soon apparently (they want layers for fresh eggs), and perhaps he might like to play with them? I'm not sure if that would help him with interactions or not. I really do try to give him a lot of attention and he's with me most of the day except at night, but I also really want to do what is best for him. It's a stressful situation unfortunately.

 

[Teloka]

Updates Thursday 4th April

Briefer updates and normal this time I'm afraid! Again, sorry for taking so long to make any updates. Things have been rough and crazy.

Brooder: Still no fix on the paper towel problem; I managed to use larger paper towels to give him less corners to chew, but he still tries to rip and eat it whenever he gets the chance, especially when it's wet. I've got myself some of the grip mat, so I'm going to try that as soon as I can. In the interim, he has tried to eat the following things he shouldn't: the feather duster I tried to give him as a companion, the plastic bag I've folded under his brooder to keep it dry, pictures of yummy vegetables in the newspaper (lol), the cardboard box of his brooder, tissues, any threads hanging off clothes, the downy fluff feathers of my parrots under-coat, and lately he's found a real fascination with shiny nail polish worn by other people. Ooo shiny! Thankfully he's not managed to eat any of that. My solution for most of these problems is to hold him in my lap all day where he can't chew and eat inappropriate things, haha.

Diet: Basil still eats lots of the duckling starter mix, although I've noticed he's still leaving a lot of the bigger seeds and the sorghum. He is also super mad keen on his vegetables, which I now make as a single blitzed/finely chopped mix of: brocolli, bok choy, fresh green beans, peas and corn, fresh baby lettuce and most recently some carrot! I have tried giving him cottage cheese and egg, both of which he seems rather uninterested in, but I may mix them in with his vegetables to make sure he is getting some protein. Today he also had a good wander around a just-mowed area in our garden far away from the road, and had a good pick around the weeds and grasses there. He also found, dundun, a teeny tiny baby green tree frog. It was so small (smaller thank my pinkie finger nail) and super cute, but he chased and attacked it while it tried to jump away. I'd have intervened, but he was a bit too fast-- unfortunately he didn't even seem interested in eating it once he'd killed it, so I felt a bit bad about that. My duckling is a murderer!

Physical: I haven't got a chance to calculate his length and height measurements, but I weighed Basil when he was 7 days old (he hatched on Monday, but I weighed him on the following Tuesday) and he was 79 grams! He's gone from 37grams to 79 in a week, that's more than double. He's definitely growing and getting bigger! I've noticed he seems a little wobbly on his feet though the past few days, where he seemed very certain and strong walking before-- is this an age thing that happens with all ducklings as they start to stand up higher, or should I be concerned? I supplemented him a tiny sprinkle of baker's yeast on his greens today just in case he's low on niacin, although his mix is supposed to have everything in it. Other than that all seems great; he's talkative and active, and definitely poops like a duck now, haha, although I still have some luck getting him to go when I put him on the paper towel. After eating carrots is the worst though, that's for sure!!


I haven't had a chance to edit any new photos yet, I'm really sorry, but I do have some designs to post for something else I'm working on that is duckling related!

 

[Wisher1000]

Love the updates (from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, US) keep 'em coming!

 

[Teloka]

Seeing as Basil doesn't like being left alone, I've taken to taking him out with me when I have to go anywhere for more than an hour. It's not often, thankfully, because I work at home, but I have got a decent sized bag I've been able to put him in. However, because there is no way for him to see out or me to see in, I leave my hand in through an opening so that he knows I am there and I can feel he is okay and comfortable inside (he sits in my palm).

The other day though he got a bit upset in it and jumped out in the middle of someone's store, he jumped down about a metre onto a wooden floor, and seemed to go into shock (open mouth and panting)- I had a huge panic attack although he seems to have coped with the whole incident better than I did and he was back to running around on their floor within a few minutes, thankfully it was a very understanding and small shop.

However, I figured perhaps I could put my fashion designer skills to good use for him, and design him a more practical and pleasant duckling carrier bag! I don't have a lot of experience besides what I've experienced already with my smaller tapestry bag, but I want to make a design that is going to be comfortable for him, practical for me in that it covers everything, and that he'll actually enjoy being in.

These are the designs, notes and ideas I have so far, but I thought I would share them here with you, as you guys probably have lots more experience in this than me and might be able to offer some suggestions or know things that do and don't work from your own personal experiences about travelling with ducks and/or chickens! Things they need or like or known problems, anything like that!




I always do a fun-er design illustration first, even though this one is really more about the carrier! Gives me an idea of the overall thing. Figured this dress of mine that I made last winter with the duckies on it is most suitable for anything to do with Basil and ducklings! hehehe. Now the technical stuff. You might have to make it bigger to read it, sorry, I had a lot of ideas to jot down!!








Let me know what you guys think! I really hope to make him a perfect little place to be in so that he can be comfy and happy and have everything he needs.

I'm thinking if I'm out and need to give him food and water, I'll take a plastic container that I can then put his feeding dishes in so he can have that in his bag too without making a huge mess, and I'll probably put some extra paper towel or something down so that I can make sure he doesn't make the environment unpleasant to be in, but I could probably use a shredded grass/whatever bedding in this bag as well if that ends up being better than the fuzzy blanket.

 

[James Justice]

Just saw this thread an hour ago, reading from Florida. I am really glad I just saw it, I don't think I could have watched from the beginnng for the anxiety. The carrer is a clever Idea. Hope everything continues to go well with u both. I hatched a banty chick and she followed me around like I was her father. She loved to be held and stroked. She lived 4 months and seemed to be ok walking around and making her little sounds and then just passed away without any warnings or signs of sickness, needless to say , I was heart broken. I know how u can get attached and love these little critters , So good luck and I commend u for your patience and love for him/her.

 

[Jharper]

Updates Thursday 4th April

Briefer updates and normal this time I'm afraid! Again, sorry for taking so long to make any updates. Things have been rough and crazy.

Brooder: Still no fix on the paper towel problem; I managed to use larger paper towels to give him less corners to chew, but he still tries to rip and eat it whenever he gets the chance, especially when it's wet. I've got myself some of the grip mat, so I'm going to try that as soon as I can. In the interim, he has tried to eat the following things he shouldn't: the feather duster I tried to give him as a companion, the plastic bag I've folded under his brooder to keep it dry, pictures of yummy vegetables in the newspaper (lol), the cardboard box of his brooder, tissues, any threads hanging off clothes, the downy fluff feathers of my parrots under-coat, and lately he's found a real fascination with shiny nail polish worn by other people. Ooo shiny! Thankfully he's not managed to eat any of that. My solution for most of these problems is to hold him in my lap all day where he can't chew and eat inappropriate things, haha.

Diet: Basil still eats lots of the duckling starter mix, although I've noticed he's still leaving a lot of the bigger seeds and the sorghum. He is also super mad keen on his vegetables, which I now make as a single blitzed/finely chopped mix of: brocolli, bok choy, fresh green beans, peas and corn, fresh baby lettuce and most recently some carrot! I have tried giving him cottage cheese and egg, both of which he seems rather uninterested in, but I may mix them in with his vegetables to make sure he is getting some protein. Today he also had a good wander around a just-mowed area in our garden far away from the road, and had a good pick around the weeds and grasses there. He also found, dundun, a teeny tiny baby green tree frog. It was so small (smaller thank my pinkie finger nail) and super cute, but he chased and attacked it while it tried to jump away. I'd have intervened, but he was a bit too fast-- unfortunately he didn't even seem interested in eating it once he'd killed it, so I felt a bit bad about that. My duckling is a murderer! 

Physical: I haven't got a chance to calculate his length and height measurements, but I weighed Basil when he was 7 days old (he hatched on Monday, but I weighed him on the following Tuesday) and he was 79 grams! He's gone from 37grams to 79 in a week, that's more than double. He's definitely growing and getting bigger! I've noticed he seems a little wobbly on his feet though the past few days, where he seemed very certain and strong walking before-- is this an age thing that happens with all ducklings as they start to stand up higher, or should I be concerned? I supplemented him a tiny sprinkle of baker's yeast on his greens today just in case he's low on niacin, although his mix is supposed to have everything in it. Other than that all seems great; he's talkative and active, and definitely poops like a duck now, haha, although I still have some luck getting him to go when I put him on the paper towel. After eating carrots is the worst though, that's for sure!!


I haven't had a chance to edit any new photos yet, I'm really sorry, but I do have some designs to post for something else I'm working on that is duckling related!

My chickens don't like cabbage either.

 

[perchie.girl]

they make purses just for carrying cats and or dogs.... you might check the pet stores.

deb

 

[awesomewilly]

There's a duck and goose carrier that you can get at www.thegoosemother.com if you want.

 

[awesomewilly]

Also, I saw this thread a few days ago and COULDNT STOP READING! I just had to find out what happened to Basil. And good luck with him! I hear hes a handful!

 

[bribre]

I think it's about time for some more pictures...