duck help please!!!

[gret]

Hi everyone I'm new to backyard chickens and I can really use some help about ducks. I bought four ducks in the early spring. Two are khaki Campbells and two are pekins. They were all raised together but as they got older my one pekin would attack the other three. I then separated the pekin and the khaki Campbells. Now it seems that none are getting along. My khaki Campbells are attacking each other and my pekins are attacking each other. They are all males and I could really use some help. I don't know what to do.

 

[Amiga]

Gret, welcome to the Duck Forum!

Is it spring or fall where you are? Hormones can cause some interesting troubles, we have another new member with a similar situation. Most of our members who have all boys seem to do fine as long as there are no girl ducks around.

So I am wondering if there might be a pond nearby where there are female wild ducks, stirring the guys up? Some drakes are just - well - they have bad manners sometimes.

But maybe they need a little extra entertainment. LIke, tying a head of cabbage about 2 feet off the ground so they can tear leaves off of it. Some folks get toys for their ducks. It may sound a little overboard, but seems to me with my flock, they are a little brighter than I thought they would be, so I aim to have a routine that keeps them from getting too bored. Long winter nights, they get a little cranky, I need to take a page out of my own book and set up something in the night pen in the winter.

Maybe the cabbage idea . . . .

 

[gret]

It is now fall where I live. I don't have any ponds around me however every once and a while there will be a flock of ducks fly overhead. I will definitely try the cabbage and I have found some toy ideas I will try. Thank you for the help. I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

 

[Amiga]

Please do. And I will also work on getting some amusements set up in the night pen. They are right under me so I can hear when they have disagreements. I am pleased that so far, it is just vocal, nothing nasty.

I did not know, before I had ducks that they can yell and scream.

 

[Carcajou]

Gret, welcome to the Duck Forum!

Is it spring or fall where you are? Hormones can cause some interesting troubles, we have another new member with a similar situation. Most of our members who have all boys seem to do fine as long as there are no girl ducks around.

So I am wondering if there might be a pond nearby where there are female wild ducks, stirring the guys up? Some drakes are just - well - they have bad manners sometimes.

But maybe they need a little extra entertainment. LIke, tying a head of cabbage about 2 feet off the ground so they can tear leaves off of it. Some folks get toys for their ducks. It may sound a little overboard, but seems to me with my flock, they are a little brighter than I thought they would be, so I aim to have a routine that keeps them from getting too bored. Long winter nights, they get a little cranky, I need to take a page out of my own book and set up something in the night pen in the winter.

Maybe the cabbage idea . . . .

I like that cabbage idea. Think I'll try it

And to gret,

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use cabbage about 1X a week and they all love cabbage tether ball. also I have Romaine lettuce that I hang.

 

[gret]

I have tried the lettuce but my ducks were scared of it. It's now winter and we have had extreamly cold weather, due to the cold and freezing I have had to take there kiddie pools out. I feel like they have nothing to do now. Any ideas for them? I am also having a hard time keeping there drinking water from freezing any ideas on how to fix that?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have tried the lettuce but my ducks were scared of it. It's now winter and we have had extreamly cold weather, due to the cold and freezing I have had to take there kiddie pools out. I feel like they have nothing to do now. Any ideas for them? I am also having a hard time keeping there drinking water from freezing any ideas on how to fix that?

heated buckets work well, I got mine at tractor supply, I hang cabbage, romaine lettuce, they might be scared of it at first but one will get brave and that's all it will take.

 

[Going Quackers]

Heated buckets are good, if you have electric..



also do you have any rubber livestock bowls? those you knock(ok HAMMER) the ice out of.. they are entertaining...

 

[gret]

Thank you I will give them a try.