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Duck Breed Focus - Ancona
We've had a pair of anconas for about a year, and we love them! So pretty and calm, and they get along well with our other ducks. They're both chocolate anconas, so of course they were named Chocolate and Vanilla. I would go take a picture of them to post here, but we're in the middle of an... -
How soon is too soon for mating?!?
Thank you for your advice. We've had the babies in a small coop inside the run so that everyone could get used to each other. I think that's why the big girls are much bothered by the babies. But the drake can't seem to stay away from them. I think we can fence off an area that's big enough... -
How soon is too soon for mating?!?
We have four 7-week-old ducks that we're trying to integrate into our small flock of 1-year-olds. Our only drake is about a year and a half old. The girls have mostly accepted the newbies, but our drake is constantly trying to mate with them, one in particular. If I'm in the run, he leaves... -
Avian flu?
We've been keeping our ducks confined to their run during the avian flu threat since we have so many wild geese in our area that we feared might carry the disease. We're quite a ways south from the outbreaks, though (we're in Oklahoma), so it may not be necessary. Does anyone know if it's... -
Cherry Tomatoes - First Time
Our ducks absolutely love cherry tomatoes. We grew three cherry tomato plants last summer that kept us in a good supply. Of course, as soon as the ducks figured out that garden = tomatoes, I could never work in the garden again without a constant (and loud!) begging performance! -
Thinking about getting ducks
We have a mixed breed flock - one each of Welsh Harlequin, Black Swedish, Peking, Golden 300, Black Runner and Cayuga. They get along well together. The Peking and Black Swedish are larger than the others, though none of them are aggressive towards us. It seems that if you provide a... -
Welsh Harlequin ducks?
Oh, I don't know that I could choose! They are all so beautiful, and each have a distinct personality. The Cayuga can be a bit aggressive towards the other ducks when she wants something, but no more than the usual pecking order stuff I think. The Peking has a little leg deformity from... -
Welsh Harlequin ducks?
We love our WH! She is so sweet, quiet, great layer, and has this funny quirk of running up behind your foot while you're walking. Once you turn around to see what she's doing, she stops suddenly and looks around like "What? I've been here the whole time..." We love our Golden 300, too... -
Duck and Ice Help
Mine do the same thing. They refuse to go into their house during the day, even when it's cold and windy and they have icicles hanging off of them! They seem to be cold, but they just stay outside in the run anyway. I put extra straw on the ground to give them a place that is a little warmer... -
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Freezing dandelions for winter?
My ducks LOVE dandelion greens. They are abundant in my yard now (probably because we haven't mowed in a while - ahem). Has anyone tried to freeze the leaves and give them to the ducks in winter? I would think they might become a bit mushy, but my ducks seem to eat any leafy green that I put... -
Are eggs stuck in the mud safe to eat??
They're duck eggs. :) But no, we haven't found them in the mud before. In the straw, out in the middle of the grass, but not in the mud. We don't know if these were the first eggs laid and we just didn't see them, or if they are more recent. -
Are eggs stuck in the mud safe to eat??
We found two eggs today nearly buried in the mud. We've only been getting eggs for about a week and a half so they shouldn't be too old. With all the rain to wash off the bloom, though, will these eggs be safe to eat? The shell is a little discolored, even after washing with warm water. We... -
Early egg layer!
We got our first egg today!! Yea!! Our girls hatched in late April, so I'm a little surprised. I'm assuming it was the Peking since she seems to have developed faster than the others. Although, the Cayuga and Golden 300 have been mimicking mating behavior lately, so it could be them. Either... -
Niacin?
About 2 weeks old, so about 2 weeks ago. I noticed her hips were developing differently than the others, but since she is the only Peking and was growing so much faster than the others, I thought maybe it was normal. When it became obvious that it wasn't, I started the niacin water. After... -
New duck owner - peking leg problems!
Yes, she seems to be fine otherwise. Her squawks are bit more honk-ish than quack-ish, but maybe that's normal for her age. Does the amount of niacin I'm giving her seem to be right? How long does this type of problem usually take to correct? -
New duck owner - peking leg problems!
Help! I'm a new owner of 6 ducks. All of them are doing well except the Peking, whose legs are bent and farther apart than they should be. She's about 4 weeks old. After researching, it looks like it might be a niacin deficiency, so I've had her separated most of each day this week with her...