baby duck with lots of problems

[Debs Flock]

Opie, Que Sera & Uno love!!

 

[pattyhen]

Awe, Patty, love u. U r so sweet. I wish my finch ducks wod let me bold them. All I get to do mostly is stare at them and go, "squeeeee.". I hope hubby can help you get Que Sera so that you can love on her. Are you able to hold Uno?

Thank you Julie we love you too and your little finch duckies. He helped me catch Que Sera all it takes is track shoes and a few laps around the yard and we have her. I can hold Uno too but it's the same as with Que Sera the little chase game. Uno is as big as Que Sera now. I haven't tested his vocal voice for a couple of weeks now but I'm betting he is a boy. Que Sera in the beginning grew by leaps and bounds. It doesn't seem like she is getting any bigger now she's about Topper and Rhonda Runners size. If Clyde the pekin is Que Sera's dad the only genes he passed along was her color. She remains all white and mostly upright like the runners. Uno is almost all white except for his patches around his eyes which makes him look like he has a black eye all the time.

Autumn my little EE chicken was in the nest box a while ago. I'm anxious to see what color egg she is going to lay. I have 3 EE's but they have yet to lay an egg and think Autumn is going to be the first one to lay. So I might get a blue or green egg. I guess the ducks and chickens won't mind eatting a colored egg shell. I always chop them up after I boil them and they eat shell and all.

Patty

 

[Amykins]

Nuts...I can't find the ornament swap thread!

 

[GarnerZoo]

If Uno is a boy are you keeping him? Also if he's a boy do you think Que Sera and him will become mates someday? Since they're best friends now?
I've heard that ducks mate for life but I've also heard if ones mate dies it will become depressed if it doesn't get another mate, is this true?

 

[Amykins]

If Uno is a boy are you keeping him? Also if he's a boy do you think Que Sera and him will become mates someday? Since they're best friends now?
I've heard that ducks mate for life but I've also heard if ones mate dies it will become depressed if it doesn't get another mate, is this true?

Yeah, it's true. :/ If you only have two ducks then it can be devastating. It's a sad reality I'm gonna have to face ten years or so down the road when Wobbles and Bean are a bit older. But a lot can happen between now and then, so we'll see.

 

[Debs Flock]

@Amykins - did you find the ornament swap? Do you do many crafts?

 

[Amykins]

@Amykins - did you find the ornament swap? Do you do many crafts?

I have not., And yes, I do! I sculpt a lot of miniatures, and used to sell jewelry on Etsy. I haven't lately...maybe I should take it up again. Mostly I just miss my kiln, if I still had one I could make some really high end pieces with silver clay!

 

[Debs Flock]

Here it is...


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1010570/ornament-swap-2-3-2015

That sounds neat! Is there someplace I can see pictures of your work?

 

[Amykins]

Here it is...


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1010570/ornament-swap-2-3-2015

That sounds neat! Is there someplace I can see pictures of your work?

Sure! These aren't very good photos (which is why I didn't sell very much, hehe) but here are some of the works in progress I've had the past year or so. Did a lot of quirky jewelry bits, and later on I made clay blanks for tabletop gamers who wanted custom figurines.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

If Uno is a boy are you keeping him? Also if he's a boy do you think Que Sera and him will become mates someday? Since they're best friends now?
I've heard that ducks mate for life but I've also heard if ones mate dies it will become depressed if it doesn't get another mate, is this true?

The answer to this really depends what you mean by 'mate for life.' If you mean do they choose a mate and never fool around with anyone else if they have the opportunity, almost certainly no. Drakes with typically breed with anything female that moves, and sometimes things that aren't female or aren't moving. That can include attempting to breed with other poultry such as chickens.

One thing that's not at all uncommon, however, is for a duck and drake to pair up as 'preferred partners.' (There's probably a scientific term for that I'm not aware of.) The drake might breed with other ducks every chance he gets, but that one duck is the one he kind of hangs out with, like walking around the yard together or sleeping at night. They sometimes get so protective of 'their' duck that they'll attack other drakes that try to breed with her even though they (the 'mate' drake) are messing around with other females at every opportunity.

Another thing about the preferred partner thing is that even that can be seasonal. A drake and duck might pair up one year, then they might decide to pair up with others the following year. Where that gets sticky is if only one of them decides they want a new preferred partner. That one is kind of like two humans going through a divorce that only one of them wants.

LOL. I don't know how much this helps, but the short of it is that the only way you can force ducks to mate for life is to have only one duck and only one drake.