Apologies for not responding. Questions are not loading. (Update on my 2 ducklings.) 🐣

[BelovedBirds]

Thank you,
Yes, I’m still learning about raising

Here is my 4th attempt.
She’s walking on the tip of the boot.
I can’t make it any smaller either. I have wood chips in their brooder and they are in a large plastic container, which makes her boot slip.
As you know ducks are terribly messy. I clean Thor brooder twice a day and it’s still not enough. So her boot kept getting soaked and slipping off. I honestly believe the other 2 are helping to get it off! Lol!
This time I got waterproof adhesive tape and went all the way up her leg, which I didn’t do before.
She’s mad right now because she hates having the boot on and I’m concerned that she won’t be able to get to her foot and water.
I’m really considering isolating her in a small container, but that isn’t good for her either because she’s very attached to her 2 other siblings.
Here is her new boot and their brooder.
Thank you so much for your help and concern!

P.S. Can you tell how much they love their toys?
I can’t imagine not giving ducklings toys and mirrors, they absolutely LOVE them and it seems cruel to just leave them with no stimulation.
I find my ducks are much happier and more engaged when they have toys to play with.

It isn't cruel to not give ducklings toys, the only stimulation they *need* is companionship. The necessities are food, water, warmth and friends. They're perfectly happy

Toys are a nice touch, and some ducklings enjoy them. But no one is being "cruel" if they have a simple brooder setup

I'm not sure what you can do to make a boot, I didn't have this problem. But I hope you are able to get it sorted asap.

Do you have a plan for the future, for if your duck doesn't brood?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It isn't cruel to not give ducklings toys, the only stimulation they *need* is companionship. The necessities are food, water, warmth and friends. They're perfectly happy

Toys are a nice touch, and some ducklings enjoy them. But no one is being "cruel" if they have a simple brooder setup

I'm not sure what you can do to make a boot, I didn't have this problem. But I hope you are able to get it sorted asap.

Do you have a plan for the future, for if your duck doesn't brood?

I gotta agree. My batch seems just fine without toys. But there are 14 of them there, so they have plenty of actual ducks to interact with, as well as my blind Polly that hangs out on the other side of their fence by them.

 

[AmyA248]

Amy, you never ended up answering the question on the other thread about what you're planning to do if your duck doesn't go broody. Are you just going to keep hatching all these eggs she lays?

Good morning,

My apologies, I’m way behind in getting back to people and I’m very sorry.
My mother was in the hospital again for 2 days and I’ve been going to the office more often.
I did answer someone in regards to that question, but I possibly did hit send.
To be honest, we are not quite sure.

We definitely want to build our flock and would like 2 more drakes and 4 more females. I’ve heard several different theories regarding the ratio of males to females and what’s best. Everyone has a different opinion on that subject.
What do you think the proper ratio is?

Ever since we lost our beloved second female it’s been difficult.
We had 2 very attached pairs that were very content and the drakes never fought over the females, they were content with their “mate”
After losing our female to a hawk, the drakes began fighting over our poor lone female.
We tried separating them but she became depressed and stopped eating.
Then we isolated the drake that lost his mate and the same thing happened with him.
I looked for another female Muscovy of the same age, but was unable to locate one.

If I was able to tell if our new babies were male or female it would make things much easier, but no matter how hard we try we just can’t tell. They squirm and kick and poop on us when we try, but it is essential that we know.

We absolutely love our ducks, (if you couldn’t tell! Lol!) And I’m fearful of adopting them out.
People are not always truthful about their intentions and I’d die if my babies were sent to “freezer camp.”
I’m not judging those who raise meat birds, but we don’t do that, nor do I want that to happen to our ducks.

So, as of right now our female is currently building a clutch! Very slowly though.
For the first time she lined a nice, dug out hole in the corner of the barn and lined it with her feathers.
She is no longer scattering the eggs, but it’s been 9 days and she’s still not sitting.
Maybe she’s trying but still confused. I highly doubt the eggs are viable, but we decided not to intervene this time.
We had to back in January because she just dropped her eggs wherever, and it was cold and we very much wanted to build our little Duck family.

I had a very hard time with incubating eggs of greatly staggered ages, and now we have 7 happy, healthy babies!
Our hatch rate was low, as only getting 7 out of 24 is pretty bad and I feel like it was my fault. But I researched, asked hundreds of questions and did the best I could, but I was told because of her young age and these being her first eggs, her body was still working out the “kinks”

Sorry for such a long message, I’m a talker! Lol!

What is your opinion?
How many females per drake is correct?
Do you have any advice on determining their sex?

We really need to figure out a plan.

Have a blessed day,
Amy

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Good morning,

My apologies, I’m way behind in getting back to people and I’m very sorry.
My mother was in the hospital again for 2 days and I’ve been going to the office more often.
I did answer someone in regards to that question, but I possibly did hit send.
To be honest, we are not quite sure.

We definitely want to build our flock and would like 2 more drakes and 4 more females. I’ve heard several different theories regarding the ratio of males to females and what’s best. Everyone has a different opinion on that subject.
What do you think the proper ratio is?

Ever since we lost our beloved second female it’s been difficult.
We had 2 very attached pairs that were very content and the drakes never fought over the females, they were content with their “mate”
After losing our female to a hawk, the drakes began fighting over our poor lone female.
We tried separating them but she became depressed and stopped eating.
Then we isolated the drake that lost his mate and the same thing happened with him.
I looked for another female Muscovy of the same age, but was unable to locate one.

If I was able to tell if our new babies were male or female it would make things much easier, but no matter how hard we try we just can’t tell. They squirm and kick and poop on us when we try, but it is essential that we know.

We absolutely love our ducks, (if you couldn’t tell! Lol!) And I’m fearful of adopting them out.
People are not always truthful about their intentions and I’d die if my babies were sent to “freezer camp.”
I’m not judging those who raise meat birds, but we don’t do that, nor do I want that to happen to our ducks.

So, as of right now our female is currently building a clutch! Very slowly though.
For the first time she lined a nice, dug out hole in the corner of the barn and lined it with her feathers.
She is no longer scattering the eggs, but it’s been 9 days and she’s still not sitting.
Maybe she’s trying but still confused. I highly doubt the eggs are viable, but we decided not to intervene this time.
We had to back in January because she just dropped her eggs wherever, and it was cold and we very much wanted to build our little Duck family.

I had a very hard time with incubating eggs of greatly staggered ages, and now we have 7 happy, healthy babies!
Our hatch rate was low, as only getting 7 out of 24 is pretty bad and I feel like it was my fault. But I researched, asked hundreds of questions and did the best I could, but I was told because of her young age and these being her first eggs, her body was still working out the “kinks”

Sorry for such a long message, I’m a talker! Lol!

What is your opinion?
How many females per drake is correct?
Do you have any advice on determining their sex?

We really need to figure out a plan.

Have a blessed day,
Amy

That's still not really an answer. If she doesn't go broody, what are you going to do with the eggs she keeps laying? Eat them, throw them out or keep hatching them?

As for sexing, wait and see is my method. But that means when you find out the male's, you have to just get rid of them or have a seperate pen for them. Even if it means they go to into the oven

 

[BelovedBirds]

Good morning,

My apologies, I’m way behind in getting back to people and I’m very sorry.
My mother was in the hospital again for 2 days and I’ve been going to the office more often.
I did answer someone in regards to that question, but I possibly did hit send.
To be honest, we are not quite sure.

We definitely want to build our flock and would like 2 more drakes and 4 more females. I’ve heard several different theories regarding the ratio of males to females and what’s best. Everyone has a different opinion on that subject.
What do you think the proper ratio is?

Ever since we lost our beloved second female it’s been difficult.
We had 2 very attached pairs that were very content and the drakes never fought over the females, they were content with their “mate”
After losing our female to a hawk, the drakes began fighting over our poor lone female.
We tried separating them but she became depressed and stopped eating.
Then we isolated the drake that lost his mate and the same thing happened with him.
I looked for another female Muscovy of the same age, but was unable to locate one.

If I was able to tell if our new babies were male or female it would make things much easier, but no matter how hard we try we just can’t tell. They squirm and kick and poop on us when we try, but it is essential that we know.

We absolutely love our ducks, (if you couldn’t tell! Lol!) And I’m fearful of adopting them out.
People are not always truthful about their intentions and I’d die if my babies were sent to “freezer camp.”
I’m not judging those who raise meat birds, but we don’t do that, nor do I want that to happen to our ducks.

So, as of right now our female is currently building a clutch! Very slowly though.
For the first time she lined a nice, dug out hole in the corner of the barn and lined it with her feathers.
She is no longer scattering the eggs, but it’s been 9 days and she’s still not sitting.
Maybe she’s trying but still confused. I highly doubt the eggs are viable, but we decided not to intervene this time.
We had to back in January because she just dropped her eggs wherever, and it was cold and we very much wanted to build our little Duck family.

I had a very hard time with incubating eggs of greatly staggered ages, and now we have 7 happy, healthy babies!
Our hatch rate was low, as only getting 7 out of 24 is pretty bad and I feel like it was my fault. But I researched, asked hundreds of questions and did the best I could, but I was told because of her young age and these being her first eggs, her body was still working out the “kinks”

Sorry for such a long message, I’m a talker! Lol!

What is your opinion?
How many females per drake is correct?
Do you have any advice on determining their sex?

We really need to figure out a plan.

Have a blessed day,
Amy

I'm sorry to hear about your mother, I hope you're okay and that she feels better soon.

A while ago you mentioned that you didn't want all these babies and that you're incubating them because you feel they're alive and want to save them, opposed to eating the eggs instead? But fertilised eggs aren't "alive" until incubated so we were all a bit confused.

It's understandable not wanting your birds to be used for food, but you're really going to struggle to keep this many birds, especially without a proper ratio. You could advertise them for a good price and that should keep the folks looking for meat birds clear. As well as specifying that you want good homes for them. It's definitely possible to find homes for them, but if you keep hatching you'll keep getting birds, keep getting boys, and the chances of finding good homes are slimmer. And if you keep them, that could cause your hens to suffer being out of ratio

 

[AmyA248]

It isn't cruel to not give ducklings toys, the only stimulation they *need* is companionship. The necessities are food, water, warmth and friends. They're perfectly happy

Toys are a nice touch, and some ducklings enjoy them. But no one is being "cruel" if they have a simple brooder setup

I'm not sure what you can do to make a boot, I didn't have this problem. But I hope you are able to get it sorted asap.

Do you have a plan for the future, for if your duck doesn't brood?

Yes!
I just answered a question regarding our plan. It would be very helpful to know their sex in making our decision.
As you know we love our ducks and all of our animals and want to build the appropriate flock for us.
There are so many different opinions regarding how many females to have for each drake. Essentially, we would like to have a decent size flock, as we have the room and the resources to do so.
We would like to have approximately 16.
I was told 3 females per drake, but it’s imperative that we find out who is female and who is male.
Right now we have 7 happy ducklings, 2 female Pekins and 2 Muscovy drakes and one female.
We have been looking for another female Muscovy of the same age since we lost our other lovely girl, but I’ve had a hard time.
I know it’s terrible to have a lone female with 2 drakes, and we tried several ways to separate them, but when we separated her she became depressed and stopped eating, then we separated the drake that lost his mate and the same thing happened.
I really need to sex them, but each time we try it proves to be almost impossible.
I’ve watched a ton of videos on how to do s, but with all the kicking and squirming we just can’t do it.
It’s imperative that we find out the sex before making a decision. We don’t want too many drakes and not enough females.

As you know I’m still learning. I’ve only just started raising ducks last June, and there is SO much to learn if we want to do everything right. That’s why I ask so many questions.
I don’t mean to annoy anyone or come across wrong in any aspect with any of my comments.
This group has been an amazing, life saver for me and the amount of support and kindness I’ve received is truly heartwarming.
In regards to my comment about it being cruel not to give ducklings toys was simply made out of my personal experience because I’ve had line ducklings and having toys and mirrors helped tremendously with being alone until the next one hatched.
I’m not insinuating that anyone is being cruel to their animals, and I certainly apologize if it came across that way and I will fix my wording immediately.
The absolute last thing I want to do is offend anyone in this fantastic group of kind and knowledgeable people.

Thank you as always for your support and kindness.

 

[RoyalChick]

I used one of these boots for my chick.They were designed for ducks but worked to uncurl my chick.
They come in different sizes.
You bind them on with little strips of vet wrap.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/967145806/

 

[BelovedBirds]

Yes!
I just answered a question regarding our plan. It would be very helpful to know their sex in making our decision.
As you know we love our ducks and all of our animals and want to build the appropriate flock for us.
There are so many different opinions regarding how many females to have for each drake. Essentially, we would like to have a decent size flock, as we have the room and the resources to do so.
We would like to have approximately 16.
I was told 3 females per drake, but it’s imperative that we find out who is female and who is male.
Right now we have 7 happy ducklings, 2 female Pekins and 2 Muscovy drakes and one female.
We have been looking for another female Muscovy of the same age since we lost our other lovely girl, but I’ve had a hard time.
I know it’s terrible to have a lone female with 2 drakes, and we tried several ways to separate them, but when we separated her she became depressed and stopped eating, then we separated the drake that lost his mate and the same thing happened.
I really need to sex them, but each time we try it proves to be almost impossible.
I’ve watched a ton of videos on how to do s, but with all the kicking and squirming we just can’t do it.
It’s imperative that we find out the sex before making a decision. We don’t want too many drakes and not enough females.

As you know I’m still learning. I’ve only just started raising ducks last June, and there is SO much to learn if we want to do everything right. That’s why I ask so many questions.
I don’t mean to annoy anyone or come across wrong in any aspect with any of my comments.
This group has been an amazing, life saver for me and the amount of support and kindness I’ve received is truly heartwarming.
In regards to my comment about it being cruel not to give ducklings toys was simply made out of my personal experience because I’ve had line ducklings and having toys and mirrors helped tremendously with being alone until the next one hatched.
I’m not insinuating that anyone is being cruel to their animals, and I certainly apologize if it came across that way and I will fix my wording immediately.
The absolute last thing I want to do is offend anyone in this fantastic group of kind and knowledgeable people.

Thank you as always for your support and kindness.

Sexing them isnt that urgent, unless the goal would be to rehome the male ducklings

I wouldn't reccomend vent sexing to someone who hasn't done this before simply because it won't be reliable. It'll just stress them out, the males are capable of holding it in, and results won't be definitive. It'd probably be best to wait until they feather out. You won't be able to introduce them to your drakes until they're sexually mature, anyway. I don't know if muscovies can be voice sexed, or when that would be possible

A good ratio for larger ducks is 3-6, it depends on the drakes and how they behave- but generally the more females the better

 

[Callender Girl]

As a possible alternative to the waterproof tape all the way up her leg, I wonder if you could use vet wrap? It isn't waterproof, but it's much more flexible -- it's what I used for a hen with frostbitten feet.

 

[AmyA248]

That's still not really an answer. If she doesn't go broody, what are you going to do with the eggs she keeps laying? Eat them, throw them out or keep hatching them?

As for sexing, wait and see is my method. But that means when you find out the male's, you have to just get rid of them or have a seperate pen for them. Even if it means they go to into the oven

Agreed.
We are still working on an answer ourselves.
We would like a flock of 16.
If we can’t figure out the sex the “wait and see” method is the only way to go.
There are several farms in our area that we are friendly with who have MANY ducks, chickens, etc.
They have told my husband that they were willing to take any unwanted drakes, but a few of them do butcher some of their ducks.
I suppose I need to toughen up and stop being so sensitive, but as a rehabber/rescuer it’s imbedded in me to be a “caregiver”..
I need to understand that this is how things are done and accept it.

And as for incubating again, I’ve decided to let nature take its course.
If she doesn’t go broody I’ve been asked if we are planning on selling eggs and that’s most likely what we will have to do.
Throwing them out would be a waste, as I could use them for my flock as a nice treat or give them to people who enjoy eating them.
I’ve only been raising ducks since last June, so I’m still learning how to do everything right in order to have a happy, healthy flock.
But I definitely need to toughen up! Lol!
I hope this answers your question a bit clearer. And thank you for your advice!