I am a terrible duck parent! I lost two ducks and did not even notice it! 😳🤦‍♂️😳🤦‍♂️😳🤦‍♂️

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I asked about her laying, and she isn’t sure! She has so many ducks and geese, she can’t tell. I did see her go into the nest box, so I told her to try to determine if she is laying.

If she finds an egg with a beautiful spiral shell, that might be the one from Daisy:

I have four White Layers: Alba, Bazilla, Blanca and Earthquack and every day there are four huge white eggs with that beautiful spiral in the shell. The only four ducks i have are Katharinas daughters from last August and they do lay greenish eggs, so i assume those four eggs are from my four White Tank ducks.

So true! We all have times when we feel like we neglect them. Sadly we can’t spend 24/7 with them. I like to think that they are happy anyway.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

The rest of your ducks are doing great. Concentrate on them. Even the thugs need your love.

They are not doing so great, unless i can let them loose!
As long as that gate is closed there is unimaginable duck-raping and drake fighting going on here. When i let them loose, they are way too much occupied to fight.

 

[nao57]

Total bummer man! Hopefully you find solutions soon.

Hopefully I can cheer you up a little. I went to visit little “Amelia” today. Every other time I’ve been there, she is swimming in the pond, so I never get to see her legs. But here she was today!!! And she has a couple of boyfriends.
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A few seconds of video too.

I have to ask...why are my pekins dirty as hell and everyone else's sparkling white pretty and pure with no muck? How do I get my dirty pekins full of mud to look like this? (Is it age related? Mine are 8 weeks old.)

These are great picks. Your ducks are so nice.

 

[nao57]

If she finds an egg with a beautiful spiral shell, that might be the one from Daisy:
View attachment 2100123
I have four White Layers: Alba, Bazilla, Blanca and Earthquack and every day there are four huge white eggs with that beautiful spiral in the shell. The only four ducks i have are Katharinas daughters from last August and they do lay greenish eggs, so i assume those four eggs are from my four White Tank ducks.

What does this spiral thing mean?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I have to ask...why are my pekins dirty as hell and everyone else's sparkling white pretty and pure with no muck? How do I get my dirty pekins full of mud to look like this? (Is it age related? Mine are 8 weeks old.)

These are great picks. Your ducks are so nice.

Thank you very much! - And my white ducks look only white for the camera! Somehow what little white is under their muddy backs creates such a glare for digital cameras that they look pure white. They are not! In reality my white ducks look more like a coffee with too much creamer and whip-cream, so don't worry if your's look dirty!
For the ducks it is not important how they look, but how they feel. And usually muddy duck feel happy.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

What does this spiral thing mean?

I have no idea! - My assumption is that the egg rotates inside the duck while calcium is deposited on the shell. Without shining a light into the egg you don't even see that spiral structure, they just look plain white with a smooth surface.

 

[DiYMama540]

Aww hillbilly My heart breaks to hear you beat yourself up and question having your flock!
We all go through times of guilt and doubt but what gets us through it best is taking a few deep breaths...and sitting outside with the flock!
Stressful times all around right now! Tomorrow is a new day though...one day at a time!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Aww hillbilly My heart breaks to hear you beat yourself up and question having your flock!
We all go through times of guilt and doubt but what gets us through it best is taking a few deep breaths...and sitting outside with the flock!
Stressful times all around right now! Tomorrow is a new day though...one day at a time!

Thank you very much! - I am working on new procedures to give the Duckies supervises free-ranging time and do headcounts frequently. - And i am thinking about having some more ducklings… Don't know what breed yet, i would love to have white Runner ducks, but they are so hard to find…

 

[Texag87]

Let Limpy be a daddy again.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Let Limpy be a daddy again.

Can i sent any drake that has hatched to you then?
My main objective to raise new ducklings is to get my drake to duck ratio to 1:3, which requires at least three more ducks - i'd have a total of 28 then, 21 ducks and 7 drakes.