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In need of some Duck coop help!
Duck waste will break down quickly. My ducks are currently on dirt/mud and there is no build up. Pea gravel has been recommended by a few duck breeders of note. So I beleive it would be good. It is on my to-do list. I have not implmented it yet. But you could add a drain away underneath the... -
My poor babies got the runs!!
Look at these high end waterers (in the background): -
3 drakes to 3 hens!
Yes. More drakes will get along. When a female enters the picture, the drakes lose their minds. They get competitive. If you are just looking for pets, all drakes is a great way to go. -
3 drakes to 3 hens!
Try it and monitor very closely. If the males get too crazy, you will just have to separate them. -
In need of some Duck coop help!
Pea gravel. You can hose it off and the waste will just sink below it. Pavers or concrete of any sort will be hard on webbed feet. It will increase the possibility of getting bumblefoot (not assured - but increase it). If you dig out an area and add a drain pipe underneath it will be even... -
Do ducks kill the lawn?
I had the nicest lawn from my 3 or 4 ducks. They muddied up a small area near the fence but they fertilized the rest of it really nicely. -
ducklings 7 days apart
Put ten or so fake eggs in the nest. They dont start sitting until there is a good pile of eggs. -
My poor babies got the runs!!
Watery poop is not abnormal. Drooling, if it is happening is abnormal. I do not see a pic of a drooling duck. I see 2 duck poops. -
Niacin for ducklings
I put niacin from vitamins (crushed) into water in a coffee can seperate from the other water so they can self regulate. It seems to work. FWIW. Yes, they waste some but the bottle has lasted for years. :) -
Three Amigos….or three a$$holes?
As far as the drakes behavior to each other, They are establishing pecking order. They will work things out and settle down. And every once in a while they will go at it again. If they go after you. Grab them and sit on them for 2, better yet 3 or 4 minutes (use a timer, 30 seconds wont work)... -
The Quack Shack
Snappers eat ducks. But my understanding is that they usually come up from underneath and eat the young ones on ponds. But if one developed a taste - they might pursue them. They are diggers and can get big and strong. -
The Quack Shack
"Wisdom pursues me but I run faster." -- this is great. :) -
The mysterious duck eggs
Easily could be a wild female sneaking in for a safe place to nest. The males may have attracted her. Leave the eggs, you might wind up with a free replacement female. If you keep picking them up, she will decide that this not a good place to nest and find another spot. -
The Quack Shack
Racoons are WAY WAY stronger than you might realize. They are like miniature bears. Also, when you said a hole was dug and rocks moved I immediately thought snapping turtle. Don't know your environment or if any of those might be around. -
The Quack Shack
I put colored velcro bands on their legs. (Typically used as computer cable ties.) -
Crossbreeding Indian Runners - genetics regarding upright posture
I am somewhere around 10-12 years of raising ducks, though I don't hatch every year. I don't keep chickens. -
What’s This Bump?
No. It will wash off when they swim after a bit but hopefully by then the meds will have done something. They don't lick things. They don't have sticky-outy tongues. :) Oh, and I'm telling you what a vet told me to do in a slightly different, but similar situation. -
What’s This Bump?
I use people stuff frequently. It is often good for ducks as well. If you have any silvadine, thats what Id start with. Else neosporin or iodine or iodide. Stuff like those. -
What’s This Bump?
It looks irritated. Id put some antiseptic of some sort over it daily until the redness went away. No idea what it actually is. Do you see it from the bottom? -
Dirty Eggs
A clean, protected, nesting area should help. If they have a spot they feel safer in, they may favor that. But I leave my eggs dirty until it is time to use them. Then I wash with a scrubby spong and soap. The stains do not go away, but Im confident the germs (if there are any) do. If these are...