Recent content by beaks_and_bills

  1. beaks_and_bills

    Vacationing with Ducks: How do you deal with water in freezing temperatures (or not freezing temps) while away?

    A regular circular black water tub that many people use for ducks as well as other poultry! Very similar to this: Also, our neighbors come to refill our animals' water.
  2. beaks_and_bills

    Vacationing with Ducks: How do you deal with water in freezing temperatures (or not freezing temps) while away?

    It's normal for it to get well below freezing where I live. We use a small water heater than can be hooked up to some extension cords from our chicken coop to the duck pen, then can be placed in their water. It keeps the water from freezing and they love standing and splashing in it for extra...
  3. beaks_and_bills

    Bald patch on stomach…molting?

    That looks like a broody patch. It's a small patch of feathers on hens' breasts that fall out/they pull out if they're going broody so they can get more direct contact to the eggs while incubating them.
  4. beaks_and_bills

    Abnormal Female Duck Noise

    I have 3 4-month-old Pekins, two male and one female. The males are making their normal raspy-quack sound that male ducks normally make, but my female doesn’t seem to be making the normal female noises. Instead of quacking, she makes a squeaky-whistle sort of noise. Is this normal? What should I do?
  5. beaks_and_bills

    Just two questions about my ducks!

    Yes, I know for sure that she's female because my other two drakes have started making their usual rasping noises already. She would've started by now, too.
  6. beaks_and_bills

    Do broody ducks actually build nests?

    I wish my chickens' brooding instincts were that strong! That seems like it would be so fascinating to watch her raise the eggs! I hope to get some Muscovies someday! definitely seem to be less messy than Pekins, lol! Although I do love my three adorable Pekin ducks, they do make a mess!
  7. beaks_and_bills

    Do broody ducks actually build nests?

    Wow! Our chickens are too unbelievably lazy to go broody, and they only care about free-ranging, pooping, and sleeping. Heaven forbid they try to raise the next generation and sit on a clutch of eggs! Luckily, we do have a Buff Orpington pullet, and we're working on getting more Heritage breeds...
  8. beaks_and_bills

    When will ducks go broody/when will they start laying?

    I see, thank you for the info!
  9. beaks_and_bills

    Do broody ducks actually build nests?

    Thank you for the duck info! My chickens nest in nesting boxes, so they really have no need. However, we don't provide our ducks with nesting boxes, because they already have plenty of straw and other places to nest in. Our chickens are a bit lazy, however, and the least they'll do is sit in one...
  10. beaks_and_bills

    When will ducks go broody/when will they start laying?

    My female pekin duck is about 3-4 months old, and we do have male ducks as well, so I assume she will probably go broody at some point. At what age are ducks able to go broody, and what are some signs of it? If she does, I want to make sure she has comfortable places available to nest/build a...
  11. beaks_and_bills

    Do broody ducks actually build nests?

    Hi there, fellow duck parents! I was wondering about my female Pekin duck. She's about 3-4 months old, and she's maturing quickly. We do have male ducks, so I think it's best to assume that she will most likely go broody at some point. (Don't worry, I monitor them carefully every day, and if I...
  12. beaks_and_bills

    Hens taking eggs but refuse to be broody?

    Thank you! I understand now that putting an egg under herself is an instinct and doesn’t actually mean she’s broody.
  13. beaks_and_bills

    Hens taking eggs but refuse to be broody?

    Thank you! I was extremely confused on what they were doing. I’ll conclude that most of my hens just take a long time in the nesting box! That does make sense, since most of our chickens aren’t heritage breeds. We do have a Buff Orpington pullet though!
  14. beaks_and_bills

    Hens taking eggs but refuse to be broody?

    Whenever I have a hen that I notice hasn’t left the nesting box for quite a few hours and seems focused or set on something, I’ll slip a recently-collected egg or a golf ball in her nesting box near her to test if she’s broody. Around nine times out of ten, she’ll take the egg or golf ball and...
  15. beaks_and_bills

    Just two questions about my ducks!

    Once I figured out that two of them were male, I did get a bit worried about male mating aggressiveness and if they would gang up on her and injure her. I thought it would be okay, but now i see that it’s not, and I will monitor them carefully every day as they get older to watch for any mating...
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