Duck Addicts Anonymous (DAA)

[Everose]

If you have enough room you can always keep the females.

Maybe. But, the pen is not that big. I think they'd be happy at a home where someone has room for them. A smaller group of Saxony ducks actually suits my needs better at the moment.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I only have one Buff Duck but she's a character. She's so hilarious with her antics. I totally understand what you're feeling. Being they're at the dreaded teenager duck stage, I can see why it'd be easier to rehome them now. They're so stubborn during this phase, but.......

I better stop. I keep going back and forth.

 

[Everose]

I only have one Buff Duck but she's a character. She's so hilarious with her antics. I totally understand what you're feeling. Being they're at the dreaded teenager duck stage, I can see why it'd be easier to rehome them now. They're so stubborn during this phase, but.......

I better stop. I keep going back and forth.

I *may* gift my cuties to a family who loves their one buff but has had a horrid time with their other duck breeds.
I might not though because they're a bit overwhelmed. I've been thinking about it though. I would at least get to visit them all the time, that would be the best situation for me.
I hate it when I rehome an animal that I put time and effort into, and then the people who bought it don't respond when I simply how it's doing.

 

[Quatie]

Maybe. But, the pen is not that big. I think they'd be happy at a home where someone has room for them. A smaller group of Saxony ducks actually suits my needs better at the moment.

Yeah. I can understand that. Sometimes I feel my flock is a bit large. Usually when I am dealing with health issues. Right now things are going well. All I have is a duck with a slipped tendon, but there is not a lot to be done with her. But when my Pekin has issues, I sometimes look forward to the day she is gone. I love her, but she is a lot more work and has more issues than the rest of my ducks.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I LOVE Pekins and feel like they're really sweet ducks with the best personalities but I wouldn't suggest the breed for anyone looking for pet ducks. Both of my Pekins walk around with a limp all the time. Honey Boo Boo went through so much in 2019 and it was difficult. I hate to even think about it. I can't imagine they'll live long happy lives like this, even though they're not overweight at all. They require more than most ducks. I have to make sure they swim to avoid wet feather. It's just more than one would think. Either way I will always adore them, but I couldn't do that to more ducks or unsuspecting duck owners.

 

[Quatie]

I LOVE Pekins and feel like they're really sweet ducks with the best personalities but I wouldn't suggest the breed for anyone looking for pet ducks. Both of my Pekins walk around with a limp all the time. Honey Boo Boo went through so much in 2019 and it was difficult. I hate to even think about it. I can't imagine they'll live long happy lives like this, even though they're not overweight at all. They require more than most ducks. I have to make sure they swim to avoid wet feather. It's just more than one would think. Either way I will always adore them, but I couldn't do that to more ducks or unsuspecting duck owners.

Yeah. I think mine has developed a permanent limp at this point too. She still gets around ok, but this is how she likes to forage lately. Laying down.

She is still happy with the flock and I really hope I don't have any major health issues with her anytime soon. I would also not suggest them to anyone. If you are using them for meat, where they won't live long lives, then they are well suited.

 

[CoriM]

@HeatherKellyB @Quatie Speaking of Pekins with limps, after suffering through like a 9 month bout of bumblefoot and trying to get the scab to go away, the day it disappeared completely, my pekin Penny hurt her leg and stopped walking. Well, she uses her wings to gain balance and limps around a few steps at a time, but it's been two months now and she's not getting better. When she comes out of the coop in the morning I pick her up and place her by the food and water. She moves around a tiny bit in the run, but mostly sits. I carry her out to the pond to swim a couple times a day, then put her in a little corner in the tractor - she has to be fenced off from the other ducks because she gets picked on by my younger ducklings and then she tries to get away and I'm worried she'll hurt herself more. She still eats and enjoys swimming, and doesn't seem unhappy (how do I know?), but her quality of life is definitely not super great, and I have no idea what sort of pain she's in when she tries to walk. How long do I keep going this way with her? I just don't know...she has other issues too - she's always had strange scabs on her body, since she was young, and I can feel them whenever I carry her around, sometimes they stick out on her neck. I don't think it's anything that hurts her, it's just odd. I've thought about euthanizing her, but just don't know when the time is right. She's sweet and I do love her, but don't want her to suffer.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@HeatherKellyB @Quatie Speaking of Pekins with limps, after suffering through like a 9 month bout of bumblefoot and trying to get the scab to go away, the day it disappeared completely, my pekin Penny hurt her leg and stopped walking. Well, she uses her wings to gain balance and limps around a few steps at a time, but it's been two months now and she's not getting better. When she comes out of the coop in the morning I pick her up and place her by the food and water. She moves around a tiny bit in the run, but mostly sits. I carry her out to the pond to swim a couple times a day, then put her in a little corner in the tractor - she has to be fenced off from the other ducks because she gets picked on by my younger ducklings and then she tries to get away and I'm worried she'll hurt herself more. She still eats and enjoys swimming, and doesn't seem unhappy (how do I know?), but her quality of life is definitely not super great, and I have no idea what sort of pain she's in when she tries to walk. How long do I keep going this way with her? I just don't know...she has other issues too - she's always had strange scabs on her body, since she was young, and I can feel them whenever I carry her around, sometimes they stick out on her neck. I don't think it's anything that hurts her, it's just odd. I've thought about euthanizing her, but just don't know when the time is right. She's sweet and I do love her, but don't want her to suffer.

@CoriM I'm so so sorry to hear this. Do you see any swelling anywhere along her foot or leg, or feel any heat coming from any particular area? The more I have studied, the more I feel strongly that Honey Boo Boo's problems began with septic arthritis instead of bumblefoot. She did eventually develop bumblefoot later on, but I highly suspect septic arthritis as the initial problem. She didn't have any lesions on her foot but had significant swelling in her ankle joint. This is why I'm asking about what you're seeing with Penny.

 

[CoriM]

@HeatherKellyB No, there's no swelling, heat, or anything out of the ordinary. If I had felt something weird I probably would have opted for the vet at the beginning, but there was nothing, so I thought maybe it was just a strain and would get better in time. It's happened to her once before, but she recovered in a couple weeks.

 

[CoriM]

I will probably keep up what we're doing for a little while longer, as it seems she still has a will to live and seems to enjoy eating and swimming and being with the other ducks. I will never get over the irony that she hurt her leg the day her foot completely healed.