Cat food and updates

[griemar]

Greetings all! For those of you that helped me out about a month or so ago, I thank you and have a few updates. Things with Lewie are going well. Although we have not gotten him a new companion, his adjustment from free roam to indoor house pet has been successful for the most part. We got him a small dog crate that has become his pen and after his additude settled down, he's become rather attached to me and now follows me everywhere. I took several bites and a few floggings for the team, but after he realised that I had no itentions of hurting him, he's done well. But with the good always comes a tiny bit of the bad. Since he's become a house duck and now runs around the house almost completly free, he has discovered a few new things. My biggest concern is that he's discovered our cats dry food and makes a mad dash for it every chance that he gets. He'll pick up a few peices at a time and then takes a few drinks to wash it down with. Can the cat food harm him in any way? He still gets his normal crumble but he prefers the cat food over anything else now. In fact, he's also resorted to throwing his crumble out of the cage at times when he decides he doesnt want it. Any input on this matter would be greatly apreciated. The next task to figure out how to overcome is to get him to stop chasing and riding our poor german sheapard, LOL! Though I have to admit, it's quite hillarious to watch a 130lb german sheapard run from a little duck. I'm thinking a slight name change to KING Lewie may be in his future

Griemar

 

[DuckLover2399]

Naw, cat food won't hurt him.

 

[griemar]

Glad to know that. I noticed some change in his poop when he started to eat it and got a tiny bit concerned. Just didnt want him to get sick or find out that it could be poisonous to him. Thanks a bunch.

 

[duckdad]

Kibbles & Bits is pretty normal...must be something in it thats attractive to other animals. I see wild birds flying down to the neighbors patio all the time to snack on the cats dry food left out during the day. There is one BIG blue-jay that practically lives there.

If he's free-ranging in then house...watch for the usual kid things. Ducks like to chew extension cords, staples, button, TV remotes, and anything the least bit shiny. Mine will try to chew on a nail or tack, so be careful there.

If your indoor duck has poor table manners, They all do, what works for me and others is to get a plastic storage bin about 8" X 12-15" (approx shoe box size) with sides about 6" tall. Then keep his feed & water in shorter tupper ware bowls that can both fit inside the larger bin. This contains the mess and makes feeding & clean up quick & easy. I can 'refill' fresh bowls and carry them to the pen and simply replace the bowls that are in there. The larger bin has to be cleaned daily, but its got the mess inside that used to be on the floor...so its not a big deal...not at all. Just do some looking to make sure that the water bowl is deep enough for good 'head-dunking'.

 

[mrpekinduck]

Do you guys diaper your ducks or just let them run?

 

[duckdad]

My 2 indoor ducks stay in a pen thats over a tarp with towels as bedding that has to be changed daily..

They get to come out to play and sit with me on the couch. The carpet won;t tolerate them roaming all over the place...not enough carpet fresh in town for that.

The indoor pen was made from 1/2" pvc pipe wrapped with plastic garden fencing. I take that outside every so often to hose that off and vac their area (feathers, seeds misc duck debris) then place it back down. Nice thing about that pen is that I can break it down in seconds, change the shape (not glued together) and fit it to whatever space they happen to get. Right now its long so it fits against a wall with a window so the outside ducks and the indoor ducks can talk..

I've found that the 2 carpet birds don't stray too far from the pen even when they're allowed out. Where ever the food & water is...they will stay close by. The mallard even knows the route to the bathroom when its bath time.

I considered diapers...but they have to be changed often and having to deal with a green flower here and there is better than dealing with a PILE of green flowers...Besides...I never got over seeing a baby carrying a "loaded" diaper. Not sure how the duck would feel about it, but it would bug me..

Like I said earlier, I just choose my time wisely...we play long after dinner, hold for brief periods, and always wear T shirts that can be peeled off when 'decorated'. The older they get the less they slip up.

 

[mrpekinduck]

Cool that sounds fun! I could never have my pekins inside they're loud and they poop a TON!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My muscovy drake comes in the house, he was raised inside till atound 3-4 months he just comes in to visit now, I have diaper harness for him but since he isn't in long and I have wood floors I just clean up after him. He doesn't think he's a duck more like a puppy.

 

[Crayonsmom]

My porch duck loved cat food. She actually liked it more than duck food and sometimes when she wasn't very interested in eating, I'd just give her cat food.

 

[duckluck]

Mine eat cat food as part of their daily diet...the hens especially prefer it, the drakes usually won't touch it until the colder times of the year.