Northern-MI-Neighborhood
In the Brooder
- Sep 2, 2024
- 9
- 23
- 26
I have two Pekin ducklings I got from Family Farm and Home, which were about 7 - 10 days old when I got them. Right off the bat, they were pretty skiddish. I raised them inside, going between a heat lamp and a brooding plate for the first 2 - 3 weeks. After that at 3 weeks or so, they were trying to get away from the heatlamp as much as possible and were avoiding the brooder plate, so I moved them out to the chicken run area, having a small doghouse "coop" with straw in it - along with the brooding plate inside it. They wanted nothing to do with the "coop" or the brooding plate, even though it's been getting down to 50 degrees or so at night.
Since then, my kids and I have been taking them for walks around the block, which they seemed to enjoy. Thing is that despite handling them regularly, they have continued to be skiddish, the two of them running away from me any chance they get. It doesn't matter if I have treats (thawed peas) or not. In order to get them to walk around the block with us (on the grass), we have to take them and take them outside of the chicken run and place them far enough away from the chicken run to where they don't recognize the area of the yard we place them in. We thought this would help them get more used to us and help get them used to walking with us.
Additionally, I didn't notice until the other day after watching the coop camera, but they have been consistently eating the chicken food while the chickens have been eating the duck food. I was worried this might cause leg problems due to lack of niacin, so I started adding waterfowl vitamins to the poultry water (which has niacin) and started putting the duck food in two different locations instead of one. The only way I can get them to eat the duck food is if I place it right next to where they're laying at any given time, which they will gobble down while laying down. I also put the waterfowl vitamins to their bustub water - which gets changed daily. I also throw dandalion greens and grass into their bustub water, which they eat.
Nevertheless, they seem to prefer laying down and eating or laying down and drinking. The only time they are on their feet is when they climb into the bus tub or if they are moving from the bus tub to their corner of the run, or from their corner over next to the coop water or chicken feeder (which they're still eating - I added the waterfowl vitamins to the chicken feed to help allieviate any issues with lack of niacin). They don't have bowed legs, large hocks, or any other signs of niacin deficiancy, but they just seem abnormally lazy, only getting on their feet and moving when I go in the coop to try and run away from me.
These ducks have been getting BIG, and quickly. They look like they are getting more fat, than anything....with a big mass of fat on their breasts and bellys. They're getting so fat to the point that when they get out of their bus tub, they often tumble out and get stuck on their back for a minute. I'll have to switch over to a kiddie pool soon.
They're already about a month old and have almost turned completely white (just a little yellow left in their head fuzz). I want to be able to take them to the park, which has a VERY SMALL pool of water and a tiny creek, but don't want them to constantly be scared of me if I take them for a ride anywhere. Is there a good way I can get them to chill out and relax around me? Or is there a better option for treats that will get them to come to me when I show them to them? Thawed peas don't seem to cut it. I've also been trying to move them to their coop at night and close the door in order to get them in the routine of going into their coop at night. Unless I do this, they feel fine just laying in the middle of the chicken run, laying under the chicken coop, or swimming in their bus tub on and off all night.
Even if I corner them with a bowl of thawed peas, they still will try to hide their faces in each others breasts...until one of them nibbles at a couple peas, then goes back to hiding it's face. What is a better way to get them to come for treats?? Also, should I make an area of the yard where they can free range during the day, away from the chickens? Since the chickens often chase them around.
Any advice for raising these pekins so they relax and are more open to us....anything to make them happier, more curious, and wanting to interact more would be great!
Since then, my kids and I have been taking them for walks around the block, which they seemed to enjoy. Thing is that despite handling them regularly, they have continued to be skiddish, the two of them running away from me any chance they get. It doesn't matter if I have treats (thawed peas) or not. In order to get them to walk around the block with us (on the grass), we have to take them and take them outside of the chicken run and place them far enough away from the chicken run to where they don't recognize the area of the yard we place them in. We thought this would help them get more used to us and help get them used to walking with us.
Additionally, I didn't notice until the other day after watching the coop camera, but they have been consistently eating the chicken food while the chickens have been eating the duck food. I was worried this might cause leg problems due to lack of niacin, so I started adding waterfowl vitamins to the poultry water (which has niacin) and started putting the duck food in two different locations instead of one. The only way I can get them to eat the duck food is if I place it right next to where they're laying at any given time, which they will gobble down while laying down. I also put the waterfowl vitamins to their bustub water - which gets changed daily. I also throw dandalion greens and grass into their bustub water, which they eat.
Nevertheless, they seem to prefer laying down and eating or laying down and drinking. The only time they are on their feet is when they climb into the bus tub or if they are moving from the bus tub to their corner of the run, or from their corner over next to the coop water or chicken feeder (which they're still eating - I added the waterfowl vitamins to the chicken feed to help allieviate any issues with lack of niacin). They don't have bowed legs, large hocks, or any other signs of niacin deficiancy, but they just seem abnormally lazy, only getting on their feet and moving when I go in the coop to try and run away from me.
These ducks have been getting BIG, and quickly. They look like they are getting more fat, than anything....with a big mass of fat on their breasts and bellys. They're getting so fat to the point that when they get out of their bus tub, they often tumble out and get stuck on their back for a minute. I'll have to switch over to a kiddie pool soon.
They're already about a month old and have almost turned completely white (just a little yellow left in their head fuzz). I want to be able to take them to the park, which has a VERY SMALL pool of water and a tiny creek, but don't want them to constantly be scared of me if I take them for a ride anywhere. Is there a good way I can get them to chill out and relax around me? Or is there a better option for treats that will get them to come to me when I show them to them? Thawed peas don't seem to cut it. I've also been trying to move them to their coop at night and close the door in order to get them in the routine of going into their coop at night. Unless I do this, they feel fine just laying in the middle of the chicken run, laying under the chicken coop, or swimming in their bus tub on and off all night.
Even if I corner them with a bowl of thawed peas, they still will try to hide their faces in each others breasts...until one of them nibbles at a couple peas, then goes back to hiding it's face. What is a better way to get them to come for treats?? Also, should I make an area of the yard where they can free range during the day, away from the chickens? Since the chickens often chase them around.
Any advice for raising these pekins so they relax and are more open to us....anything to make them happier, more curious, and wanting to interact more would be great!
