Duck chasing her own tail

[DrChickenKev]

Does she have some sort of mite problem - I picked her up to try and check but she's an adult muscovy and I really need two pairs of hands to do the job properly

SHe's been on and off like this for a few weeks, we always assumed it was cos she's a bit bonkers, but she's been trying to nest for a week now with around 13 eggs (I dont think she's mature enough yet so might swap them for false eggs soon), and now she comes out to feed twice a day but then runs round in circles nipping her tail for around 5-10 mins

??

 

[DrChickenKev]

Bump...

 

[PetesMom]

Could be mites. I had a pekin that did this....he was insane though, literally. It started right around spring time....

 

[DrChickenKev]

Yeh that sounds like our girl, she's an only 'child' an dthen raised by me and now let loose, so she may be a bit bonkers... besides shes sat on eggs too and I dont think she will be sexually mature until a year old?!

 

[PetesMom]

Ours was an only child too.....did alot of damage to him

Which is why everybody suggests atleast two ducks. Sad to say its probably neurological

 

[PetDuck]

I have an only child duck.
He isn't crazy.
YET!!!

But for real.
I hope your duck gets better!
How old is she?

 

[DrChickenKev]

I'd put ten eggs into an incubator I'd borrowed from a friend in late September last year - I now realise its not the best time to do this now, but we were experimenting...

Anyway, Jools (thats her name... obviously, sorry) hatched on 21st October, she pipped on day 36 in the incubator, and I left her in there for around 36 hours to dry hoping others might hatch too, but nothing, so then I moved her and hoped the others would come ok

Jools was fine in a home made brooder, the other eggs failed to hatch - I didnt know about candling at the time and was afraid to open the 'bator in case it compromised them all

But out of the ten eggs, one hatched, and I think there were two other fully grown that we didnt manage to save - I felt so guilty for not being able to rescue them as well

So now we just let the girls go and nest and do it on their own - we had 10 of 11 hatch 8 weeks ago (the males are now bigger than mum), and we had 8 from 12 hatch 4 days ago...