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Presenting You My Ruffed Grouse
Congratulations on the grouse but he does not look to be in good shape. That cage is not gamebird friendly and I don't think he'll last long in there. Are you working on more appropriate housing?- Dr. Todd
- Post #11
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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Raising Wood Ducks
Yes, you'll need to remove all but one or two of the domestic ducklings- they grow so much quicker they will very soon out compete and inadvertently step all over the wood duck, likely killing sooner than later. Do it ASAP. Also, please remember that this is a wild bird and what you're doing...- Dr. Todd
- Post #62
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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What kind of duck is this?
It's a Common Scoter if you're in Denmark. Definitely something for a specialist to treat if it's not dead already -
Wild coloured Muskovy?
It's a Common/Black Scoter, a specialized sea duck species. It looks to be in pretty bad shape, but if it's not dead by now it should be brought to a professional. -
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What's a good starter
Consider Ringed Teal. Unlike Wood Ducks and Mandarins they're in colorful plumage all year and less flighty. They're prolific breeders and the ducklings aren't terribly difficult to raise. Being non-native you don't need a federal permit either (you do for Wood Ducks). They also require little...- Dr. Todd
- Post #5
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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Nesting
Do you have photos you could post? That would be helpful for identifying potential problems with the set up that could be hindering breeding. Diet sounds fine, though you might want to offer lettuce and millet in the water as a treat. This will also encourage the birds to associate you with...- Dr. Todd
- Post #4
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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Nesting
Without knowing anything about your birds, facility, diet, husbandry, etc., all I can say is that there are many variables that could prevent your birds from breeding. Nest boxes are most likely not the problem.- Dr. Todd
- Post #2
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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Starting my first Aviary need help.
Domestic pigeons are like domestic ducks, chickens, etc. - a big mess compared to their wild counterparts. If you want to keep them I'd separate them from the aviary inhabitants. The vast majority of wild ducks don't trio, so get them in pairs. Looks at others who have made hoop houses into...- Dr. Todd
- Post #5
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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Help identifying duck breed needed!
It's a young male mallard. Give it a couple weeks and it'll start getting breeding colours. -
Found abandoned duckling. Its very afraid.
It's a Ring-necked Duck. A wild species of North American pochard (diving duck). -
mandarin duck winter shelters
That'll work great. The ducks won't burn themselves, it doesn't get hot to the touch so long as it stays under water. DT- Dr. Todd
- Post #4
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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mandarin duck winter shelters
Mandarins are very hardy birds. Most important to successfully wintering them is keeping open water available even in the coldest weather. There's lots of ways to do that- aerators, heaters, running water, etc. - choose the one that works for you. If you have open water and some sort of wind...- Dr. Todd
- Post #2
- Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)
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Please help!!! Is my duckling alive?
Definitely dead and appears to have been that way for a while. -
Baby ducks on the way!!! Question about duck habitats and access to backdoor ponds.
Yep, that's a snapping turtle. It still can't get through chain link. -
Night Running Drake
"Sounds like a typical male reaction to a possible predator situation. He runs away from the nest, trying to distract away from the girls any possible predator" Domestic ducks don't do this. Their wild mallard ancestors don't do this. The bird is just spooked and bails from the pool, don't read... -
Baby ducks on the way!!! Question about duck habitats and access to backdoor ponds.
Snapping turtles don't have the strength to cut metal nor would they - they bite prey and potential predators, not inanimate objects. -
Mommy was hit by a car
Since SpecEider hasn't jumped in here and told you what you're doing is illegal yet I guess I'll have to be the bad guy. Wild Mallards and all other wild waterfowl are protected by federal and state laws and can't be kept as pets without the proper permits and documentation of origin. The only...