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There are duck ponds and then there are PONDS!
My 2 ducks Wendi and Bob live in the backyard free ranging with the chickens. They only have a small pond, bathtub sized. But every day they come up the ramp to the deck at the front of the house and stare out over the bay we overlook. A duck can dream I suppose. Not sure they'd like the salty... -
Chicken brooding duck eggs!
Last year my pekin Wendi had three broods over (southern) summer. The first she laid in the chicken egg box and the next 2 in her own duck house. The first brood this year failed and she has laid a second, again in the chicken coop nest box. The chickens kept laying there as well. All good but... -
Spring down south and ducklings hatching soon.
It is Spring in Australia. Last year my ducks (Wendi and Bob) had their first batch in late October but this year looks like they are going early with Wendi sitting on 4 eggs in early spring due next week I guess. Her first batch (5) I took inside and raised in the downstairs bathtub but she... -
Duckponics
Hi - I've previously posted here about duckponics and got some great advice. I started a FB page called "Aquackulture" which is a community page though mostly me posting. A number of people have come to it interested in setting up their own duckponics system. From previous discussions there is... -
Goshawk after ducklings
I woke up the other morning to an almighty kerfuffle from the fowl yard. When I looked out there was a beautiful all white goshawk perched on the fence checking out the 8 duckling buffet. She flew off when she saw me but came back later. Normally if something disturbs the ducks (like me) they... -
Duckling Choir
Mama duck Wendi (Pekin) and papa Bob (Cayuga) have just had their third (and hopefully last) brood of this Australian summer. The first had 5, the second had 1, called Singlet who now lives with us, and the third had 8!. Here is a picture of took of 7 of 8 at 1 week old standing next to the pond... -
Ducks in Vietnam
I was recently on holiday in Vietnam and loved seeing large flocks of ducks on farms being raised near water. The birds looked like Pekins but had some off white feathers. I also saw the occasional mallard male which had joined them. The first photo shows some ducks next to the road take from... -
Duckponics - Aquackulture
I previously posted about the duckponics system I set up in August (late winter) with some help from Grow Fresh Aquaponics in Melbourne. It was basically a variant of their normal fish based system but pumping waste water from the duck pond into the grow bed tank instead. The bacteria in the... -
Serial ducklings
My Pekin Wendi's first brood of 5 she brooded herself but I took them inside and raised them. When they were about 4 weeks old she started laying again but they were separated and she didn't recognise them as hers anyway. At 2 months I found them a new home and a week later her only surviving... -
New duckling - second time around - relax and let nature take its course.
It is mid summer here in Australia. My Pekin Wendi had a batch of 6 in Spring which I have just rehomed the 4 survivors at 2 months. She laid a new batch - originally 6 eggs but only one hatched who I've called Singlet. She brooded the first 5 and I took them inside and raised them for 2 months... -
Cayuga + Pekin = Rouen?
I have raised these 4 ducklings from eggs which are now 7 weeks old. Their parents are an all white Pekin momma and a black/green Cayuga papa with white chest flecks. There appear to be 2 colorings. There are 2 brown feathered ducks with yellow feet, one somewhat darker than the other. The other... -
The Littlest Duckling
I have 5 2 week old Pekin/Cagyua X ducklings. They were brooded by their Pekin momma but currently living inside in a spare bathroom. One of them (I call Pingu) is much smaller than the others. I'd estimate 1/3 of their weight. However he is doing fine and not picked on by his siblings. Does... -
Pekin brooded eggs close to hatching. Seeking advice.
Against the odds my Pekin Wendi has brooded her 7 eggs for 3 weeks now so they are due to hatch next weekend. I have duckling accommodation all set up for them, a plastic 50L container with 50W reading lamp as heat source in a heated indoor room. Interestingly enough she chose the chicken laying... -
Aquackulture and Ductions Down Under
It is Spring here Down Under and my first year Pekin Wendi started laying her first eggs in the "Quack House" (a small dog kennel) on July 30th. After 4 days there were 4 eggs and I took them to eat after candling them first. But Wendi stopped laying there and after a short holiday I came home... -
Duckponics system with a grow bed aka Aquackulture
I've been reading BYC posts on duckponics (which I call Aquackulture, geddit?) and have a slightly different take on it. Last summer I built a small pond (50 gallons, 200L) for my pekin Wendi and black cayagu Bob. It pretty quickly was fouled up with poop and dirt. Speaking of which most people...