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Duck spinning in circles and can't straighten neck
Here is a link to what my duck has been doing. Please let me know if that link does not work. He is a 7 year old mallard. I had noticed over the weekend he was not eating as much as usual, was not quacking so much, and just seemed a bit off. He was also starting to lose feathers. I made an...- Snipes
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- Replies: 11
- Forum: Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures
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Duck not eating regular food after a disappearance
One of my three ducks disappeared a week and a half ago and I am still trying to figure out if he flew away or was killed. Regardless, he has been gone for 10 days and he was their leader. The other two ducks I can tell are trying to establish their hierarchy and seemed to be trying to call to... -
Duck disappearance mystery
I live in a suburb in Seattle, not at all out in the country. On Friday I was out all day and some time between the morning and dusk, one of my 3 ducks vanished. There are no traces of feathers anywhere. What makes me think it may possibly have not been a predator is two things: The boys have... -
Capsaicin water for predator deterrent
I had my first loss on Friday, one of my three boys disappeared without a trace and I don't know if was a predator or if he hopefully flew away. I've gotten to thinking about things I can do to deter predators other than what I have in place already. I know that capsaicin affects mammals only as... -
Are there particular places where ducks like to be petted?
I am finding they might like the areas around their mouth and the "v" at the top of their bill, as long as you very gently pet them or scratch them. I can't tell for sure though. When they are sleepy they don't seem to mind and even start to fall asleep when I do it. One of them is also super... -
What determines seasonal molting/migrating
Is it temperature or photo period? -
Having major behavioral issues with trio of drakes
I've actually been abroad for two months and return in a few days, but my sitter tells me I am in for a rough time because they are being holy terrors to each other and biting and fighting and just being unpleasant towards each other and people. They have plenty of varied food and outdoor time... -
Got a pair of visitors today!
Coming home after volunteering for a few hours, I looked outside and saw 5 mallards instead of just my 3 drake mallards. A male/female pair must have flown over and thought they might like some company. I went outside with peas and food for my drakes' evening nibbles, and as usual they were... -
When to clip wings?
How often do you have to clip duck wings? I assume every time they molt, but this is my first spring with ducks, so when do they usually go through that? I saw on another wing clipping thread that you should wait until they are pretty much filled in to clip them since growing feathers pose a... -
Best combo of egg laying/docility?
A friend of mine wants to start having chickens, and she was thinking Rhode Island Reds and White/Red leghorns (I'm not sure why), but I was told the former is not very kindly to flockmates, and the latter is a very nervous breed. My friend wants to raise the chickens as both pets for her kids...- Snipes
- Thread
- Replies: 20
- Forum: Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying
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Arrgh, having behavioral issues with my drakes!
I don't know if it's the time of the year, but I have just having a great deal of trouble keeping the drakes in line. At night they come inside so I can see it up close. Two of them are picking a lot on the third, so much that they sometimes pull his diaper off at night, and the those two, and... -
Bachelor herd in springtime?
Since I have a bachelor herd of 3, I am wondering how they are going to be when spring comes and their drakey instincts say "it's morphin time!" I mean, "it's mating time!"? My parents think it's cruel to have them be pets and not be able to mate, and I argue that since they were hand raised... -
Drakes losing feathers already-molting?
My drakes (my flock, I have only 3 brothers) are losing their feathers like mad. I don't imagine it is a good time for molting?! I don't think they are sick- I know they don't show they are sick until they are REALLY ill usually, but they are behaving like they usually do and don't seem unfit in... -
The Indoor/Outdoor duck thread
I wanted to see how many of us have exclusively indoor, or a mix of indoor/outdoor ducks. Nettie's crowd in other words I suppose we have different things to think about don't we? Like non-disposable alternatives to diapers, how to keep them from sitting in the cat's favorite place in front of... -
Sneeze whistle
My ducks have always sneeze, at one time or another. I am not worried, since I think it is just an occassionally clogged nostril and there are no signs that they are sick (poo, lack of appetite, discharge, lethargy, etc). Also, they tend to do it either when they are in water, or have been... -
Hungry or drake biting
I have three drakes, I don't know how I ended with with a male trio, but here I am. They are hand raised, very tame boys who live 1/2 in, 1/2 out. The first born, who has always been ahead of the game on development and is quickly gaining his adult feathers (they are all 14 weeks old), sometimes... -
Worries about puberty...
I have 3 mallard drakes that are 12 weeks old. I have raised them from eggs and they seem happiest when we are together as a quartet. I am reading about how drakes start getting mean so you need to exert authority over them. I have also read that it's all honky dory if it's a bachelor group... -
Feed Guide?
I am reading about feeds and I am just kind of in a jumble about what they need when and what the feed options are. Could someone write a sticky style thread about it. The information to put in it might be: -What age to change diets? -The general trend of food requirements (I know there is some... -
Do they like to be cuddled?
I have 3 mallards that I have hand raised and they are my only birds. I can cuddle with them, especially my runt who I had to help out the the shell and give special attention to. When I touch them, they don't move towards my finger like a cat does. I say that when a cat does that, it is more to... -
Non-artificial salt water
Can ducks go into sounds/oceans/etc that are saltwater? Will this mess up their salt balance because they always try to drink the water they're in. I am going soon to a place where there are large saltwater bodies but no freshwater bodies. Can I let them in the water?