Chucksandducks
In the Brooder
- Jun 4, 2021
- 5
- 6
- 11
Mummy duck Gertie successfully hatched 6 out of 7 eggs which is amazing for a first time Mum. She hasn't been the most vigilant/caring of Mums as she seems obsessed with Drake, however the 6 ducklings have made it to 3 weeks, apart from losing one to a buzzard. Drake has always been a bit bossy with the two cockerels that we have, and the other chickens and bantams, but its been manageable, there's been a bit of squabbling and tail feather pulling but that's all. Two days ago, I found one of the ducklings with all of the feathers pulled out of his back and bleeding..... it was awful. We took him inside bathed this wounds and kept him in overnight. As he was much better the next day we tried to reintroduce him to his family, firstly his siblings attacked his wounds on his back and then Gertie and Drake set about him! So he was permanently removed, at this point we didn't know who had attacked him.... rats? Cat? Buzzard, or possibly fell off of the rockery stones around the pond and got caught underneath and pulled his feathers out trying to escape. We didn't have a clue.
Now we do. I was watering the vegetable garden this evening and heard a commotion in the orchard where the flock is. I ran across and saw another duckling injured and Drake attacking him. I ran in and grabbed the duckling off of him and put him in a box, I then grabbed Drake and locked him in the coop. I then had to try to find the other 3 ducklings, they had all gone into hiding..... under the bantam coop, and down the side of the water butt, but what I found was awful when I did find them, two have had all of the skin ripped off of their necks, and are absolutely red raw ( I don't know if they will make it
) as well as the feathers off their backs, two just feathers off of his back, and one completely unscathed.... I'm assuming that he could run fastest! I am shocked beyond belief, upset, and angry that he would do this to his own ducklings. They are now all gently bathed, patched up and safe in a box with fresh sawdust and straw in the house. The worst of it is that Gertie wasn't even bothered about my taking her babies, she just sat outside the locked coop quacking at Drake!
Now we do. I was watering the vegetable garden this evening and heard a commotion in the orchard where the flock is. I ran across and saw another duckling injured and Drake attacking him. I ran in and grabbed the duckling off of him and put him in a box, I then grabbed Drake and locked him in the coop. I then had to try to find the other 3 ducklings, they had all gone into hiding..... under the bantam coop, and down the side of the water butt, but what I found was awful when I did find them, two have had all of the skin ripped off of their necks, and are absolutely red raw ( I don't know if they will make it
) as well as the feathers off their backs, two just feathers off of his back, and one completely unscathed.... I'm assuming that he could run fastest! I am shocked beyond belief, upset, and angry that he would do this to his own ducklings. They are now all gently bathed, patched up and safe in a box with fresh sawdust and straw in the house. The worst of it is that Gertie wasn't even bothered about my taking her babies, she just sat outside the locked coop quacking at Drake!
