DaSouthernYankee
Songster
Okay forgive me in advance this is a long one.
First I recently bought and Indian runner who’s was about 3 weeks old, 2 created pekins roughly made it to 2 weeks old and four chickens (not sure they’re reddish in color and I asked for meat producers) from TSC. I have a flock of ten already who are all 12 weeks and above. I had the little guys all in their own housing and everyone was getting along. The crested Pekins seemed to be a little lame from the start. They would wobble and lose equilibrium and I woke up the other day to both dead. I assumed my runner had gotten too big and trampled them so feeling terrible I let the runner join the flock. I then woke up that sweet baby’s funeral. They were all bought around the same weeks and I am starting to wonder if they were a weak batch or if they were too young to hang with the flock, but I’m certain my runner was getting y’all and holding his own for a few days so part of me is wondering if there’s a disease outbreak of some sort or if I just jumped the gun and they were not accepted by my older ducks. Any insight would be nice because I’m heartbroken. Could a young duck be mated to death? Or simply be from a batch of hatchlings that we’re doomed with bad genetics from the start??
SECONDLY they have been free range duckies with houses for nighttime. We don’t really have predators where I am and all of my other ducks seem to do just fine. However we picked up a stray dog (yes I’m the queen of saving the animals) my pit bull loves the ducks and had been gentle with them until this new dog. But now the stray is very interested and hence making my pit misbehave and want to chase them. I’m going to be putting in a welded wire fence on posts but we all know that’s not strong enough for an excited dog soooo if I run an electric fence wire outside of it to deter and train the dogs while they’re outside their kennel if the ducks fly over or come out to play is it something that could seriously harm my flock? I want everyone to be safe and I’m just trying to think of how to keep my ducks and dogs happy.
First I recently bought and Indian runner who’s was about 3 weeks old, 2 created pekins roughly made it to 2 weeks old and four chickens (not sure they’re reddish in color and I asked for meat producers) from TSC. I have a flock of ten already who are all 12 weeks and above. I had the little guys all in their own housing and everyone was getting along. The crested Pekins seemed to be a little lame from the start. They would wobble and lose equilibrium and I woke up the other day to both dead. I assumed my runner had gotten too big and trampled them so feeling terrible I let the runner join the flock. I then woke up that sweet baby’s funeral. They were all bought around the same weeks and I am starting to wonder if they were a weak batch or if they were too young to hang with the flock, but I’m certain my runner was getting y’all and holding his own for a few days so part of me is wondering if there’s a disease outbreak of some sort or if I just jumped the gun and they were not accepted by my older ducks. Any insight would be nice because I’m heartbroken. Could a young duck be mated to death? Or simply be from a batch of hatchlings that we’re doomed with bad genetics from the start??
SECONDLY they have been free range duckies with houses for nighttime. We don’t really have predators where I am and all of my other ducks seem to do just fine. However we picked up a stray dog (yes I’m the queen of saving the animals) my pit bull loves the ducks and had been gentle with them until this new dog. But now the stray is very interested and hence making my pit misbehave and want to chase them. I’m going to be putting in a welded wire fence on posts but we all know that’s not strong enough for an excited dog soooo if I run an electric fence wire outside of it to deter and train the dogs while they’re outside their kennel if the ducks fly over or come out to play is it something that could seriously harm my flock? I want everyone to be safe and I’m just trying to think of how to keep my ducks and dogs happy.
...One thing to do is not introduce young to mature Drakes that are in full breeding mode.
