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Tiny duckling, possible injured leg
Thank you for your words of sympathy and compassion. It is definitely true that the increased time spent with special needs animals tends to create a stronger bond, which is beautiful and also painful -- like life! I'm so grateful for you, and all the others, who are willing to take on the... -
Tiny duckling, possible injured leg
For those who expressed an interest and concern for Swimmy, back when I was posting about her -- she ended up being accepted back into the flock, and was even able to get herself around extraordinarily well (and quickly when she wanted), she began laying eggs, and she remained an awesome... -
Tiny duckling, possible injured leg
I'm glad to hear that your little duckling is improving. It is a terrible feeling to make an innocent mistake that leads to the injury or death of an animal... And I appreciate your sentiments about special needs animals. I raise animals in what might be considered the grey area between... -
Tiny duckling, possible injured leg
Swimmy is doing pretty well. Sadly she has been rejected by the rest of the flock -- I think her mode of locomotion is disturbing to them, as she tends to sort of fling herself forward walking on her hocks and using her wings and bill for balance. So, in both the night pen, and the pasture... -
Ducklings food intake declined sharply when we moved the into outdoor pen
OMG, they are so cute... I'd bet they are foraging for insects in the dirt and around the planters and edge of the grass, where many tasty little bugs like to live. Have you watched them for awhile while they're out there? What do they do? When I moved my flock outside it cut my feed bill... -
What duck breeds need wing pinioned or clipped?
My Welsh Harlequins can all get airborne, but so far not enough to make it over a fence. Their favorite thing to do in the morning is waddle up to the top of the pasture slope and then "fly" down hill, having apparently figured out that flying downhill works better than flying uphill! It's... -
Half and Half eyes on my Welsh Harlequin
Wow -- can't say if it's normal for WH's , as mine love me as long as I don't actually look them in the eye. If I do, they seem to believe I have decided to eat them.... Sounds very cool, though! -
Adult ducks & Ravens
Even providing some covered areas is beneficial, so that they can head for cover whenever they need it. I notice that mine also really prefer to rest under some kind of cover during the day, which makes sense -- how relaxing could it be to always have to keep an eye on the sky? Their current... -
Duck won't eat anything but bugs
What do you mean by "mauled?" If he is still recovering from injuries, he may be attempting to get the extra protein required for the body to do that by eating bugs... -
how much space for a duck
Yes, that's what they smack each other with when everyone wants to be in the tub at the same time! As for how much space -- I would use the minimums as just that, absolute minimums -- look at ideal, and then give them every inch you possibly can. The more space they have, the happier and... -
Raccoon in the Duck Pen
Wow! What a shock that must have been! Racoons are amazingly bold, and also amazingly lazy if they've been fed by humans (either intentionally or unintentionally) -- why chase a yelling duck around when you can just reach into a bowl and get handfuls of food? Still, what good fortune that... -
Adult ducks & Ravens
My ducks (Welsh Harlequins) are 3 months old and out in the pasture most of the day. The Ravens here are numerous and enormous. So far, they seem to do a lot of flyovers to check things out, one or two have dropped lower for a closer look, but none have attempted to actually get close to the... -
Duckling Disappeared!!
I can't tell from the photo -- does the brooder have a solid bottom? -
Bedding in the duck run?
In my experience, hay will stink very quickly when soaked, straw will not if it is changed out everyday. Wood chips, at least the soft wood variety that are available in my area, stink very quickly and tend to mat and take a long time to decompose in the compost pile. I have often put a thin... -
waterer ideas
Chickens are generally great at walking up relatively steep ramps and flying upward in restricted spaces. Ducks, in my limited experience, aren't usually that great at either one. So if the chickens had their water up high, the ducks would be less likely to get into it, especially if they had... -
Bedding in the duck run?
How about putting a thin layer of straw down each day (or better yet, morning and night), and then raking it up and putting it in the compost, replacing it in the pen with a new thin layer? It would require some time each day, but for the short term it might help freshen things up, and I can... -
waterer ideas
I use a large stainless steel dog dish with rocks on the bottom (to prevent tipping -- it would also prevent chickens from drowning), and a two gallon bucket (if I kept chickens with the ducks, I would put a large stone in that, too, to allow ducks to dip their heads in, but not allow chickens... -
Homemade Duck Ponds? Pics?
Wow, can I come and live with your ducks? Nice place they have! Can you give me brief description of what you used to prevent leakage around the drain? I just got a great deal on a pre-formed pond and would like to copy you