Duck Addicts Anonymous (DAA)

[HeatherKellyB]

I'm thinking about officially adopting this guy
View attachment 2891465
But nothing is certain yet.
The ducks are looking fat, and they have made little holes in their pen. Any part of the ground that gets wet gets probed.

Thx for asking
You?

He's so cute! Have you been fostering him? Looks like he's at an age where you can easily do a lot with him training wise. I love a squishy dog and he looks like he's got a squishy body, I think it'd be really hard to say no to that face. He looks so sweet and handsome

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

I can't get any current pictures of them because they are dirty little piggies...
View attachment 2891228

Wow I love them! I hope to cross my penciled and bobbles fo get some magpies! I love the color!

 

[Everose]

You're thinking about it? What is there to think about? Look at that face

What is there to think about?

1. Holiday travel
2. Four other dogs
3. A tiny house with FOUR OTHER BIG HAIRY DOGS!
4. Feed bill
5. Vet bills
6. Regular flea treatment
7. Months of training
8. Years of responsibility

I LOVE him! My other dogs are older and have health issues, but they will still live for about 4 more years.

Pros

• Older dogs are still healthy enough to play with him
• He's SO smart and is learning fast
• He's not too big and not too small, he'll be about 50lbs which is ideal for me
• He's short haired so no extra grooming fees
• He's only going to be young/middle aged when my current dogs pass away

Cons

• Four dogs is a lot
• He's not fully trained yet
• He's a little bit of a turd sometimes

 

[Isadora]

What is there to think about?

1. Holiday travel
2. Four other dogs
3. A tiny house with FOUR OTHER BIG HAIRY DOGS!
4. Feed bill
5. Vet bills
6. Regular flea treatment
7. Months of training
8. Years of responsibility

I LOVE him! My other dogs are older and have health issues, but they will still live for about 4 more years.

Pros

• Older dogs are still healthy enough to play with him
• He's SO smart and is learning fast
• He's not too big and not too small, he'll be about 50lbs which is ideal for me
• He's short haired so no extra grooming fees
• He's only going to be young/middle aged when my current dogs pass away

Cons

• Four dogs is a lot
• He's not fully trained yet
• He's a little bit of a turd sometimes

 

[Everose]

He's so cute! Have you been fostering him? Looks like he's at an age where you can easily do a lot with him training wise. I love a squishy dog and he looks like he's got a squishy body, I think it'd be really hard to say no to that face. He looks so sweet and handsome

I rescued him (and some sibs) a couple days ago. He is already being a perfect dog, if I were to get another dog he is EXACTLY what I want. I am giving it a week.

 

[CoriM]

Hi Heather, you're so sweet to ask and keep up with me. I just haven't been following this thread and need to go back and read up. Honestly, sometimes I don't get on BYC because all of the sad cases seem so heavy and make me feel burdened. I know there's so much happy too, and I've been so blessed by this community and all that it has to offer in terms of support and friendship. I'm just weak with animal sadness, and I have my own share. My ducks are okay. I think that the queen of my coop, the duck that made my Christmas card, and made all the work worthwhile, Puddles, is probably slowly dying of internal laying. I haven't taken her to the vet, so I'm ashamed to even mention it here, but I just don't know how much the vet can help, and I know it will be upwards of thousands possibly even to determine the problem, and likely not curable. I've lost sleep, felt sad, and have researched hours on this site and others to try to figure out what's going on. Today she refused her absolute favorite food, which in the past she honked loudly for and gobbled up. It was sad. My other pekin, Penny, I think I mentioned already, how her 9 month bout with bumblefoot cleared up and she went lame on the same day her scab disappeared. She can walk a little but it looks painful and bad - I have felt her legs, no swelling, or anything that appears broken, but again, haven't taken her in for an x-ray. She's huge, so no doubt her weight doesn't help. I've been carrying her around to the pond and back for a couple months, but she does seem happy enough, except when my other pekin, Tuppins, has pulled her feathers or gotten her eye Trying to keep them separate when it seems like Tuppins is most in the mood to go after Penny. One of my other favorites, Mable, still occasionally shakes her head and I'm worried I might have aspergillosis issues going on. I've been vaporizing both my welsh with Oxine OH but after a week my new vaporizer died - 2nd one. So need to order a new one. My babies were supposed to be 3 females and I have 2 that are "quacking" just like males. I have no idea how that will all shake out. I will definitely try to make it work out since I care about them. I've had better luck integrating them with the older girls (aside from Penny, who constantly gets attacked and I try to protect since it's hard for her to get away) lately - they are doing well free-ranging together and being in my tractor together - although the babies will still chase the big ones on occasion. Ugh, hate to be a downer, just so much of my time and brain space and emotion goes into these ducks - I'm starting to think it's too much! I only get one egg a day, so these are just pets! But they're pets, and I love them. I think the main memory my kids will have of me when I'm dead is mom was always out with the ducks. They are 18 and 20 now, so I've done my due diligence there, but.....

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Absolutely. Often times they will keep to themselves (I have another pair not pictured) but if they're mingling around the ducks, they definitely try to keep them in line. Everybody likes to bed down together though, which is so sweet.

Oh, no offense taken. Especially compared to my runners, my pekins are gloriously fat.

My Pekins are finishing up molting, I believe. Do they ever stop? I like to collect the nice big and/or perfect condition feathers but now it's just little white feathers all over! Honey Boo Boo is very tightly feathered unlike Reggie who's more fluffy looking like yours. I have no idea why Honey Boo Boo is so different. I need to get an updated picture of her.
I hope to add geese someday. Of course as an addict, I want all the ducks, chickens and geese

 

[CoriM]

I'm thinking about officially adopting this guy
View attachment 2891465
But nothing is certain yet.
The ducks are looking fat, and they have made little holes in their pen. Any part of the ground that gets wet gets probed.

Thx for asking
You?

Adorable - you should definitely do that!

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

You're going to love the show quality ones!! I sure do. View attachment 2885119(in the midst of a molt right now lol, Willow looks rough)

Yours are beautiful!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Hi Heather, you're so sweet to ask and keep up with me. I just haven't been following this thread and need to go back and read up. Honestly, sometimes I don't get on BYC because all of the sad cases seem so heavy and make me feel burdened. I know there's so much happy too, and I've been so blessed by this community and all that it has to offer in terms of support and friendship. I'm just weak with animal sadness, and I have my own share. My ducks are okay. I think that the queen of my coop, the duck that made my Christmas card, and made all the work worthwhile, Puddles, is probably slowly dying of internal laying. I haven't taken her to the vet, so I'm ashamed to even mention it here, but I just don't know how much the vet can help, and I know it will be upwards of thousands possibly even to determine the problem, and likely not curable. I've lost sleep, felt sad, and have researched hours on this site and others to try to figure out what's going on. Today she refused her absolute favorite food, which in the past she honked loudly for and gobbled up. It was sad. My other pekin, Penny, I think I mentioned already, how her 9 month bout with bumblefoot cleared up and she went lame on the same day her scab disappeared. She can walk a little but it looks painful and bad - I have felt her legs, no swelling, or anything that appears broken, but again, haven't taken her in for an x-ray. She's huge, so no doubt her weight doesn't help. I've been carrying her around to the pond and back for a couple months, but she does seem happy enough, except when my other pekin, Tuppins, has pulled her feathers or gotten her eye Trying to keep them separate when it seems like Tuppins is most in the mood to go after Penny. One of my other favorites, Mable, still occasionally shakes her head and I'm worried I might have aspergillosis issues going on. I've been vaporizing both my welsh with Oxine OH but after a week my new vaporizer died - 2nd one. So need to order a new one. My babies were supposed to be 3 females and I have 2 that are "quacking" just like males. I have no idea how that will all shake out. I will definitely try to make it work out since I care about them. I've had better luck integrating them with the older girls (aside from Penny, who constantly gets attacked and I try to protect since it's hard for her to get away) lately - they are doing well free-ranging together and being in my tractor together - although the babies will still chase the big ones on occasion. Ugh, hate to be a downer, just so much of my time and brain space and emotion goes into these ducks - I'm starting to think it's too much! I only get one egg a day, so these are just pets! But they're pets, and I love them. I think the main memory my kids will have of me when I'm dead is mom was always out with the ducks. They are 18 and 20 now, so I've done my due diligence there, but.....

I'm so sorry to learn you've been dealing with this. Sometimes we can only do what we can do and that's got to be enough. Diagnostics are oftentimes the most expensive part of vet care. As pet owners, I think we kind of get a feeling of what's going on but unfortunately vets can't go by that which is understandable. Not everyone can afford vet care and in my case, the vet looked at Honey Boo Boo as livestock and didn't want to offer any options except for euthanasia, even after knowing I made the long trip to see her and diagnostics. That was money thrown out the window but I try to look at it as an expensive lesson. I am so jealous of those that have wonderful vet's available, but I am happy for those that have it. It seems like you are really beating yourself up over this and that really breaks my heart. It can get overwhelming any time we care for something and give so much of ourselves. You're not a downer, you're honest and I appreciate that. I wish there was something I could do to help. I'm not sure if you're a Christian or not, but I'll be praying for you and your ducks. Sometimes just bringing attention to something that is bothering you, is the first step to finding a solution. Anytime you want to chat or feel like you need to get something off your chest, please feel free to reach out. If there is anything I can do, please let me know. I'm sure your kids are busy at those ages, but any chance they'd help you with the ducks if you ask? I found that my daughter doesn't offer to help me but if I ask, she's happy to help and we end up bonding. My daughter is 10 so there's an age difference, but that's the only thing I know to suggest.