Help! Nearly 5wk old Pekin Ducklings pecking at little wings!

[Miss Lydia]

@Mystic Vampyre It's actually 1 Tablespoon of Brewers yeast to 1 cup of feed or 125mgs of "plain" niacin to 1 gallon of water. for the first 10 weeks of their lives.

Too small a space can cause what you are seeing.Boredom. Also something about new feathers coming in, you may want to add something with some good quality protein to their feed. What are you feeding ? maybe get some dried meal worms and give them some sprinkled over their feed or offer in your hand it's a great way to get them use to eating out of your hand. When mine are growing in new feathers I also offer some high quality dog or cat kibble as a treat. Protein is what makes pretty healthy shiny feathers. Ducks are meat eaters by the way.

You say you rescued them do you know what breed of duck wild or domestic?

Welcome to BYC

 

[pattyhen]

Miss Lydia gave some good advice. Follow this for your measurements. Thanks for helping her Miss Lydia.

I hope it stops raining soon so you can work on their enclosesure. I think they need more space.

Patty

 

[Mystic Vampyre]

Thank you!
They have typical chicken mash/pellet type stuff plus fruit and veges and grass etc. Also fresh Mealworms l breed myself. Is kibble like bisciuts? (we dont have kibble)
I make them like a finely chopped up salad.
Oh yes sorry they are Pekin Ducklings.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you!
They have typical chicken mash/pellet type stuff plus fruit and veges and grass etc. Also fresh Mealworms l breed myself. Is kibble like bisciuts? (we dont have kibble)
I make them like a finely chopped up salad.
Oh yes sorry they are Pekin Ducklings.

As I am sure your aware Pekin grow supper fast. Bless you for rescuing them.

Kibble is just dog food I use for small dogs so it's easy for them them to swallow . .

Meal worms being raised by you should really satisfy their taste for meat.

 

[Mystic Vampyre]

Super fast is right! They are huge! Like l know they are large ducklings but l never knew actually how fast they grew. It wasnt intended to have them, but as soon as l rescued them l read up as much as l could! But l love the info and friendliness here so prefer to get my info from people that have experience.
The 3 l gave to someone else are doing great. And my 4 are so much better. No blood just a dried scab bit. So could be no more biting! Fingers crossed!
The rains worse today. Constant rain with no breaks. But lm going out there anyway to let them out for exercise and a swim. Even if l get saturated.
So kibble is a soft meat like stuff not a biscuit?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Super fast is right! They are huge! Like l know they are large ducklings but l never knew actually how fast they grew. It wasnt intended to have them, but as soon as l rescued them l read up as much as l could! But l love the info and friendliness here so prefer to get my info from people that have experience.
The 3 l gave to someone else are doing great. And my 4 are so much better. No blood just a dried scab bit. So could be no more biting! Fingers crossed!
The rains worse today. Constant rain with no breaks. But lm going out there anyway to let them out for exercise and a swim. Even if l get saturated.
So kibble is a soft meat like stuff not a biscuit?

No it's dry and crunchy but my ducks don't have a problem at all with it just make sure if you decide to try some for a treat to give them grit. That is how they chew their food in their crops. They need grit daily and most of the time they can find it them selves tiny rocks or sand things like that but when it's raining non stop or snow and ice is covering the the ground it's hard for them to find it on their own so most of us just sit out a bowl close to their feed and they use as needed.

Pekins were bred as meat ducks, I don't think anyone knew how people would fall in love with their funny personalities and want to keep them as pets. I think they always look like they are smiling.
It's raining here today too. I just put on my rain gear and head out after all we are duck mama's it's only natural.

 

[arkwelded]

they grow really fast, you can butcher pekins at 8-10 weeks. as for the feather thing... they may do that when they start getting new feathers, as miss lydia stated "boredom".
as for letting them free range, i get mine introduced to the other ducks and chickens at 5-6 weeks, we do this with or chicks too. you have to watch your flock (roo's and drakes specifically) when doing this early, but our flock is very used to this process and it works good for us.

another thing our ducks love is to dig food out of the pond or water dish. earth worms, grain, and noodles are always a big hit. if it is raining at your place let them out, our ducks love!!!!! rain, snow and mud, even this last month when it has been 30-40 degrees and pouring everyday.

 

[Mystic Vampyre]

Gosh l could never eat my ducks, l love them so much! Even with OCD l still cope coz l love them more than l could imagine.
Yes they love the mud! Watching them outside makes me so happy. Any reason they are as friendly as l thought the would be? I hand raised them and they used to come sit on me but they seem more like to run away than come close? They will hand feed sort of but the ground seems more fasinating. I thought with all the time put in everyday they might be more friendly?
Might get some cat bikkies and crush them up abit. Ive got grit (as l have it for my Silver Spangled Hamburg rooster & hen) so no probs there.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Gosh l could never eat my ducks, l love them so much! Even with OCD l still cope coz l love them more than l could imagine.
Yes they love the mud! Watching them outside makes me so happy. Any reason they are as friendly as l thought the would be? I hand raised them and they used to come sit on me but they seem more like to run away than come close? They will hand feed sort of but the ground seems more fasinating. I thought with all the time put in everyday they might be more friendly?
Might get some cat bikkies and crush them up abit. Ive got grit (as l have it for my Silver Spangled Hamburg rooster & hen) so no probs there.

Usually once they are feathered in they become less interested in us it's nothing personal they just have their own flock and we pretty much become their slaves. No I am just kidding. but just about all of mine will eat from my hand but don't care a hoot about me touching them or picking them up, If you sit out with them[on a sunny day] will they come round and hang out close by? mine will do that and in summer and If I bring out the shovel they know it's time to dig worms and I have to really watch because they want to be right in the hole and those webs get in the way. lol
I only have one out of 8 that will let me pick him up and snuggle and he was hand raised by dh and I when his mama rejected him.

I could not eat mine either they just have way to much personality.

 

[Mystic Vampyre]

Oh yes l agree they are far to beautiful to eat. Plus l wouldnt eat any of my pets lol. Actually sounds messed up, but l wont even eat my hens eggs lol! But eveyone else does.
They sorta eat from my hand and will come when l call them (well most the time) and if one starts nibbling ay hand l normally end up with all of them all over me. If l grabbed one and held it normally it stops wiggling and will sit still lol. But l really want them to be super friendly!