- Jan 17, 2015
- 6
- 0
- 7
We have hatched 7 peking ducks for a school project with Kindergarten and 8th gr.
They are currently 3 weeks old. Within the last two days, the eyes (or around the eyes) for two of them has started to look different...like a wet or stlightly puffy ring around the eye. (see pics below) Not sure & worried what this might be...do they have a cold or eye infection? What can or should we do?
Following are some more details about them, their life so far & how we are keeping them.
They were born before Easter. We started them out in a 25 gallon plastic container (like rubbermaid) for a brooder w/ a heat lamp on top & a covering so ~ half would get shade, we use pine shavings for their bedding & change it twice a day). They have water to drink, & duck starter crumble available at all times.
Over Easter break we took them home where I think they had it pretty good. We moved them to a 50 gal. enclosure because they were growing so quickly. While we changed their bedding we let them into our large bath w/ shallow water to swim & play. Usually by the time we were finished cleaning their enclosure they had started to preen themselves so we put them back in the enclosure under the light. A couple of days when it was sunny out we put them into the back yard in a small enclosed area with water & food available.
Now after break, we have brought them back to school where their enclosure is in the Kindergarten classroom & 8th gr. students take care of them in the morning & I come to clean their enclosure at night & let them have a little water time in large shallow plant saucers.
I have plans to get them back to the breeder in ~ another month (unless I can arrange something earlier). They are growing so quickly that I fear & wonder how quickly they will outgrow their enclosure & where else I could put them? There is a fenced in picnic area that is not used much & I'd have to see if we could put them there during the day, but I think it is pretty shady & maybe a little cold still this early in the season (April 15th in NJ).
Any thoughts, advice, & help would be greatly appreciated
They are currently 3 weeks old. Within the last two days, the eyes (or around the eyes) for two of them has started to look different...like a wet or stlightly puffy ring around the eye. (see pics below) Not sure & worried what this might be...do they have a cold or eye infection? What can or should we do?
Following are some more details about them, their life so far & how we are keeping them.
They were born before Easter. We started them out in a 25 gallon plastic container (like rubbermaid) for a brooder w/ a heat lamp on top & a covering so ~ half would get shade, we use pine shavings for their bedding & change it twice a day). They have water to drink, & duck starter crumble available at all times.
Over Easter break we took them home where I think they had it pretty good. We moved them to a 50 gal. enclosure because they were growing so quickly. While we changed their bedding we let them into our large bath w/ shallow water to swim & play. Usually by the time we were finished cleaning their enclosure they had started to preen themselves so we put them back in the enclosure under the light. A couple of days when it was sunny out we put them into the back yard in a small enclosed area with water & food available.
Now after break, we have brought them back to school where their enclosure is in the Kindergarten classroom & 8th gr. students take care of them in the morning & I come to clean their enclosure at night & let them have a little water time in large shallow plant saucers.
I have plans to get them back to the breeder in ~ another month (unless I can arrange something earlier). They are growing so quickly that I fear & wonder how quickly they will outgrow their enclosure & where else I could put them? There is a fenced in picnic area that is not used much & I'd have to see if we could put them there during the day, but I think it is pretty shady & maybe a little cold still this early in the season (April 15th in NJ).
Any thoughts, advice, & help would be greatly appreciated
