The Duck Thread

[MandyJ]

Thank you so much!

Like I said to someone else, I almost feel like I hatched them myself, that's how proud I am.

~Alex

You should be!
Mandy

 

[sassy09]

Hello I'm new to this website so not sure how it all works. I have a question for anyone out there. I have 12 runner ducks that are 4 and half months old. I'd like to know if I can introduce them to my flock of older runners. I've recently had a fox get into my pen and get away with a large amount of my ducks most of which were my females :-(. I now have 6 drakes and 2 hens left of my original flock, so now over breeding or bullying my current hens is my concern. I have fixed and improved my pen to keep fixes out. My ducks free range during day and get locked up at night. When do you think I could.introduce my other 12 females to the flock? Is 4 and half months old enough not to worry about problems from males trying to breed them? Any advice will help thank you.

 

[Ren2014]

For all those who gave me advice a few days ago, lookie what we've got this morning! 3 lovely Mallard ducklings, and I think one more on the way.

Celine did a fabulous job incubating considering this is her first brood of duckies. And the best part is watching babies and mommy snuggling!

So much more fun and rewarding than receiving them in a box through the mail and sticking them in a brooder.

~Alex

CONGRATULATIONS

So much easier then incubating them yourself also

Hello I'm new to this website so not sure how it all works. I have a question for anyone out there. I have 12 runner ducks that are 4 and half months old. I'd like to know if I can introduce them to my flock of older runners. I've recently had a fox get into my pen and get away with a large amount of my ducks most of which were my females :-(. I now have 6 drakes and 2 hens left of my original flock, so now over breeding or bullying my current hens is my concern. I have fixed and improved my pen to keep fixes out. My ducks free range during day and get locked up at night. When do you think I could.introduce my other 12 females to the flock? Is 4 and half months old enough not to worry about problems from males trying to breed them? Any advice will help thank you.

Sorry for your losses. You are right on to be concerned for the two hens vs. 6 drakes. Can you pen them and keep them separate from the drakes? I would introduce the 12 by putting them in a pen next to the others. So they can all see each other but not touch. After a week or two, once they don't seem to be paying each other attention, let them in with the other girls. I've not had a problem with drakes trying to mate 4.5 month olds but I will let others with my experience address that.

Good luck integrating them.

 

[MandyJ]

Hello I'm new to this website so not sure how it all works. I have a question for anyone out there. I have 12 runner ducks that are 4 and half months old. I'd like to know if I can introduce them to my flock of older runners. I've recently had a fox get into my pen and get away with a large amount of my ducks most of which were my females :-(. I now have 6 drakes and 2 hens left of my original flock, so now over breeding or bullying my current hens is my concern. I have fixed and improved my pen to keep fixes out. My ducks free range during day and get locked up at night. When do you think I could.introduce my other 12 females to the flock? Is 4 and half months old enough not to worry about problems from males trying to breed them? Any advice will help thank you.

When I introduced my 5 new ducklings to our 2 adult Pekins, the ducklings were about 3 months old. The adults had seen the babies since day one. Since I had taken the babies out in the yard for their play and swim. When the ducklings were about 2 1/2 months old I moved them outside to the enclosure. It is a 10 x 10 covered dog pen on a wooden platform. My husband built a divider for it so the adults could see the babies but not touch. They stayed this way for about 2-3 weeks. After that I let everyone be together in their enclosure at night but when the adults went out to forage the babies stayed in the enclosure. I didn't take the divider out until they were a little older, maybe 3 months old. Then one day I just let them out of the enclosure together with the adults rather than penning them up for the day. Since then everyone has been together. The only aggression I ever saw was from the babies to the adults. The babies (5 ducklings) would use their numbers to overwhelm the older ducks. But they eventually worked everything out. Everyone is together all day and night, they are a flock now.

I don't know at what age the drake will try breeding. All my ducks are hens.

Hope this helps!
Mandy

 

[addarr]

Suggestions
My poor Cyuga has been sitting for well over a month like a dutiful momma she babies and protects her nest only comes off once a day to eat potty and bath. Will hiss at anyone that comes to close. I candled her eggs about 2-3 weeks ago and they were about 20 to 25 days ish.
I finally took the chance and candled again yesterday and there has been absolutely no progress. One egg is missing I assumed that the one that was rolled away and consumed was for another ducks nest. I was wrong.
Either way she has not abandoned the nest or rolled any more away and won't come off but still once a day. I am not sure how to proceed the poor thing tried so hard.
1) what could have happened so far along? Could it have been the outside heat?
2) how to help her moving forward? Take them and remove her nest? Let her figure it out?
She is only a little over a year old this season her first try at it.

 

[jtn42248]

Suggestions
My poor Cyuga has been sitting for well over a month like a dutiful momma she babies and protects her nest only comes off once a day to eat potty and bath. Will hiss at anyone that comes to close. I candled her eggs about 2-3 weeks ago and they were about 20 to 25 days ish.
I finally took the chance and candled again yesterday and there has been absolutely no progress. One egg is missing I assumed that the one that was rolled away and consumed was for another ducks nest. I was wrong.
Either way she has not abandoned the nest or rolled any more away and won't come off but still once a day. I am not sure how to proceed the poor thing tried so hard.
1) what could have happened so far along? Could it have been the outside heat?
2) how to help her moving forward? Take them and remove her nest? Let her figure it out?
She is only a little over a year old this season her first try at it.

If you are certain that none of the eggs are viable I would remove the eggs but leave the nest. Give her a couple of days with the empty nest and, if she has not begun to act less broody, I would remove the nest.

 

[addarr]

If you are certain that none of the eggs are viable I would remove the eggs but leave the nest. Give her a couple of days with the empty nest and, if she has not begun to act less broody, I would remove the nest.

Well I would have bet my left leg that they were viable, however, I went this morning while she was in the pool and took her remaining two and gave her some from buttercups nest. Both girls are happily sitting on thiet nests for now. I cracked open the two I took and there were not viable they must have died earlier on and they had been Semi cooked which is why they looked bay 22 ish when I candled them. Now we wait and see what happens.

 

[MandyJ]

Well I would have bet my left leg that they were viable, however, I went this morning while she was in the pool and took her remaining two and gave her some from buttercups nest. Both girls are happily sitting on thiet nests for now. I cracked open the two I took and there were not viable they must have died earlier on and they had been Semi cooked which is why they looked bay 22 ish when I candled them. Now we wait and see what happens.

 

[dumbusername]

All about your duck, and feet/leg problems. I have your definite answer! So listen up, do this ASAP!.... Go to Your local drugstore, or vitamin shop, or, go online, and buy NIACIN. Call beforehand to make sure they have this VITAMIN in stock before you drive somewhere. Inturned feet and legs are not due to INBREEDING. Totally false misconception. In the Avian world, there are almost never any deformaties from family inbreeding. Your ducks are not eating flowers in your attic. BUT, all of the FORCED breeding throughout the years, ( this is NOT METZGER FARMS Related!!!) your ducks MAY have a NIACIN deficiency. This IS causing your duck PAIN and DISCOMFORT. So, go get some NIACIN, and find out the ways to give it to them!

eventually, the foot/leg being turned will or should correct itself. Make sure they have FULL LEG ROTATION ..... SWIMMING!! Nope, a little kiddy pool won't work. It has to be 2.5-3 ft deep so they can exercise a full rotation of leg and foot. I myself, for the time being, got a 2.5 deep 3 ring blow up pool for 25.00 at WAL-MART. Until I can afford to build a pond. Check YOUTUBE folks. There are tons of videos on how to build coops, ponds, and even your science fair volcano. I use a simple plunger type "syringe" to put crushed niacin mixed with water, directly into Miss Wiggles little tummy. You can ask a vet for one, they will probably give it to you for free, or close. You have to hold your duck down with your forearm and bicep, grab the head with that hand, then, lightly play with the between space of the bill. They will eventually open up. In that instant, BAM! Shoot that nasty stuff down their gullet. It's crappy business, but someone has to do it. ( get someone else to do it if you can)

. .. I actually get into her swimming pool and hold her breast from her going forward, she swims excitedly, but you don't hurt her like you might holding her down on a solid surface. I hold her breast with my forearm, and her head lightly with my hand. With the other hand, you want to play with her bill FROM THE SIDE, but angled diagonally towards her throat. When they open up a bit (they will eventually, they remember this from mommy at birth), push the injector stick in. Do this 1 -2 times a day. Hey! I even have a recommended dosage for you!!!! 100 mg a day. Don't stop once it's corrected itself, do it for a couple of weeks after, then stop and see if it comes back. If it does,, search for natural foods that are high in niacin content. Waterfowl Maintenence pellets are sometimes not enough. I want to tell everyone that thinks that they shouldn't buy from Metzger farms, read up. They are a great, small family farm. If you email them and ask for help, they will answer promptly and nicely, and they will usually have a link to help your problem. That family is more qualified than almost any vet when it comes to any kind of fowl....think about it.., plus, they aren't some huge corporation bent on screwing you over and making money. It's a freaking FARM people. This is NOT AT&T or you crappy cable company. These people are, like, real good people. So if you bought chicks from them and think that something is wrong with them because of Metzger, re-think, read up, educate yourself, and call them -email them. By the way, I am no way affiliated with Metzger. Hope this helps with your ducks twisted feet and leg problem.. I'm out. - dumbusername

Edited by staff

 

[Pyxis]

Regarding the above post, it's much easier to just add Brewer's yeast to your feed than try to force niacin down your duck's throat multiple times a day. You should just add brewer's yeast from the beginning and then you won't have a problem. @Amiga has lots of good info on niacin deficiency and how to treat it. Swimming is not necessary to correct it.