help! I think!

[waynedastar]

I hope this is the right place to post this! I have so much I want to say! I’m new to this ! Okkkkk! So I have a couple questions and a little bit of ranting and hopefully you guys will be able to help me out.

My partner and I just got our first set of ducks and chickens. We started with 3 chickens and 3 ducks. We got them all at the same time. The ducklings were 2 Pekins and what seemed to be a magpie. which were somewhere between 4-6 weeks old maybe. They were small but not to small. The magpie was the youngest maybe one week old. We built a little coop the same day. We were in heaven. The next day he went out and got 3 Black East Indies while I was sleeping. So we were at a total of 8 birds! The first week started off lovely! We dug a hole and made a swimming pool for them, it was awesome. The day after the pool was made we woke up to find our baby magpie had drowned! It was so devastating! You grow attached so fast!

A little after the passing of the baby, we noticed that one of the Black East Indies had disappeared one morning, after hours of searching we found it by itself under our porch. We kept in the house that night and let it back out the next day. That night, he found it again on the porch laying there by itself away from everyone else. So he put it back. The next morning we couldn’t find the duckling at all! As I am writing we still have not found it, no trace left behind! We have no clue what happened! Does anyone have any clue? I’ve searched every where and can’t find it! I don’t believe it was attacked because all other ducklings are perfectly fine and have not been bothered! I don’t think we have any predators really around except for a cat that comes through every now and then.

However all other ducklings are growing at an alarming rate and are beautiful and the chickens are doing great as well! They are All Even getting to the point that when my partner goes in the pen with the worms they’re jumping at him to get them!

Last but not least! We got 4 baby call ducks today which are 3 days old and we are going to raise them in the house before we take them out. I want them to bond really close with me!

Any advice ???!!

 

[waynedastar]

Here’s a couple of photos !

 

[chickens really]

You gave zero shelter not anything to suit housing Ducks or Chickens...That's a parrot cage...

 

[Hamiam]

I'm also trying to figure out your set up. That's just your run, right? What does your chicken coop look like? Ducks sleep on the ground in a predator proof house but chickens need to roost. There's a saying "you don't have any predators, until the day you do". Its most likely that some type predator took your little duck. Your at the right place. There are a lot of experienced chicken & duck people here. Education & experience is the key to being successful. I'm sorry you lost a baby duck to drowning. It is a common mistake with new duck owners. Feel free to ask questions. Use the search for articles or discussions on forums of topics. Welcome to BYC!

 

[mtngirl35]

Hi, Waynedastar. I hope you are enjoying your chicks and ducks! To clarify the above comment from Chickens Really, the feather babies really need an enclosed coop to protect them from the elements at night and a roost. Chickens don't normally sleep on the ground. My girls prefer a 2x4 turned so they can perch on the 4 inch side. I have never raised ducks but I can say that chicks need a way to warm themselves if they haven't feathered out and don't have a mama to nestle up under. Don't get disheartened. We have all made mistakes with our flocks and we are here to try and help each other!

 

[TLWR]

Where are they sleeping at night? I see you said you made a coop - what does it look like and are you able to lock the birds safely up in it?

If a duckling ended up on your porch by morning, the coop is not secure enough as one got out. If one can get out, something else can get in.

 

[BaJa]

your ducks are still really young. young ducks don't have a special oil so they can only stay in the water for a short time. if the water is really cold, then they drown even faster. I don't know if you nights are cold, but those ducks are pretty small. try putting a shelter in there coop

 

[waynedastar]

thanks for the feedback guys! I guess I used the wrong words! Okay. So basically what we have right now is a run. We’re adding walls and a floor the ‘house’ part and the chickens do have little wooden platform things to roost on.

there’s a little fence that we added onto it and that’s how the duckling got out. He/She kept squeezing through the whole. Thank God everyone else is now to big to get through before we finish everything.

Ps. I hit a milestone about 15 minutes ago! One of my Pekins and one of my Black East Indies ate from my hands consistently! It was such a proud moment lol! Gonna try again tomorrow!

 

[waynedastar]

your ducks are still really young. young ducks don't have a special oil so they can only stay in the water for a short time. if the water is really cold, then they drown even faster. I don't know if you nights are cold, but those ducks are pretty small. try putting a shelter in there coop

I’m in SC, so as of right now it’s pretty hot at night, but the weather is changing, so we should be completely done before it changes completely!

 

[Hamiam]

thanks for the feedback guys! I guess I used the wrong words! Okay. So basically what we have right now is a run. We’re adding walls and a floor the ‘house’ part and the chickens do have little wooden platform things to roost on.

there’s a little fence that we added onto it and that’s how the duckling got out. He/She kept squeezing through the whole. Thank God everyone else is now to big to get through before we finish everything.

Ps. I hit a milestone about 15 minutes ago! One of my Pekins and one of my Black East Indies ate from my hands consistently! It was such a proud moment lol! Gonna try again tomorrow!

As your working to improve your coop, keep in mind that if a baby duck can squeeze thru, a snake or rat can too. Also raccoons will reach thru & grab a chicken or duck & pull out any part & start eating. They are very strong & will tear thru chicken wire. Most everyone uses hardware cloth/wire. I'm excited for you. I know some of my chickens love to get close & even loved on. Then there's my Black Australorps, aka "The Black Girls", I'm not sure they will ever warm up to me. There are a few that will quickly grab a grasshopper from me & run. LOL