Beginner questions

[goosedragon]

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[sewsable]

It's what I was given, I get the impression there's less medication in the animal feed over here anyway. I'll be going into the local feed store later this week to see what the best thing is next, though I'll have this left for a while yet. Fingers crossed that all goes well, I don't think I'm doing too badly for a newbie so far.

 

[sewsable]

I'm beginning to think we have a boy and a girl. Girl has quacked, not consistently but I've seen her doing it. Suspected boy is still peeping and is much bigger than girl. He's also got a white ring coming in on the neck which his sister doesn't have. I know we won't be able to tell for certain until the sex feathers come in, but it's not looking good for 2 girls atm.
Will a boy and a girl (siblings) be ok together? If we're eating the eggs how quickly do we need to do so to remove risk of embryo development (I don't really fancy fried embryo rather than fried egg). If we did get another duck and turned Mr into a duck dinner are we best getting another duckling or an adult?

 

[rainplace]

If she isn't sitting on the egg it won't develop.

 

[KellyandKatie]

Those sound like a sweet mix ducks, I would love to see pictures

like the above said, they would have to be setting on the egg for it to develop

sometimes i have not left food overnight ( the rodents did not appreciate me putting it away) and other times i have, just depended on the set up

 

[goosedragon]

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Don't try to save the starter feed over for another year with your heat all the vitamins will have been degraded. mix it off slowly with what ever your new feed will be, ducks don't take well to changes to their feed.

 

[sewsable]

Quote:
Don't try to save the starter feed over for another year with your heat all the vitamins will have been degraded. mix it off slowly with what ever your new feed will be, ducks don't take well to changes to their feed.

Thanks for that, I wasn't planning on keeping it anyway, but I didn't know about the problems with food changes so that's good to know.
I don't give extra food overnight, just water and whatever's left in the bowl from the afternoon feed.

They've just had their run area increased, and will get it increased again next weekend. Brushstick fence on one end as a windbreak, the other end has quite a few shrubs which do the same thing and their cage is open for them as well. Introduced snails to them today, snails are gone so I think they got eaten.

I'll try a pic, this was taken on Friday

 

[sewsable]

I just thought I'd do a quick report. As of yesterday my ducks are now free range and the lawn is getting covered in little piles of duck poop. My DH keeps forgetting to close the gate so I'm hoping they don't disappear, but I keep checking so hopefully all will be well. They're a little dim, but have finally worked out how to get back to their pond last night. There is a wild mallard who's been flying in, for the first time she got to socialise properly with them last night, they had a wonderful time, but did get a little confused when she flew out.
I think I might have to reduce their feed though as they're not eating as much of the grain now that they've access to the yard. They're quite big too, the girl (Sam) is 1.5 times the size of the mallard and the boy (now named Jay) is twice her size!

 

[kingpincray]

hey...found another kiwi on the BYC

I am quite new to it too.

Are those khaki campbells?

Where in NZ are you? I am in Palmerston North and just starting out in keeping ducks. I have 5 khaki campbell just hatched last night.

 

[sewsable]

Quote:
Hi
I'm in Christchurch, where it's currently 28 degrees C and my ducks are very happy to get into their pond! Mine are a mixed breed Runner/Rouen/Silver Appleyard. I'll post some more recent photo's this afternoon when I get home; about to head out for the day. Nice to see another kiwi here, most people I know run chooks.