I have no idea what I am doing

[Fire Ant Farm]

Not trying to discount the mama heating pad version, but there are also manufactured brooder plates on the market. A bit more expensive, but better prices can be found if you shop around.

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heating-plates-and-covers?gclid=CLvRtPTwutQCFQUoaQodFNULIQ

https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalo...er-p847.aspx?gclid=CJbO1Lr9utQCFQuEaQod2dYPGw

Oh, I know. I used to have one. But it's a lot of money to lay out unless you know you'll brood more chicks/ducklings. (Also, I used to have one, a Brinsea, and it got too hot and the chicks hated it. Got rid of it, was worried about burns. Something about needing to be on a different regulated power source that they have in the UK where it's made vs here).

 

[Steven Mazzo]

I understand your internal battle. I've been an avid animal rescuer almost since I could talk and I've had that battle with nearly every creature I rescued! Even a little woodrat I rescued that I thought was someone's pet but turned out to be a common pest! FYI, Seattle Animal Shelter is amazing and released him back into the wild with a rescued squirrel! My husband and I also don't have kids and our home and garden is our hobby so any new pet is a conflict between the benefits of the love for the animal and how much they're going to ruin our place!

What you're dealing with is a case of separation anxiety. It's very common in rescued animals. It comes about in large part because of the inordinate amount of time their rescuer spends with them saving their life and rehabilitating them. If you keep Lucky, doing some reading up on the issue would be helpful. There are things you can do to get him used to being without you at night, such as leaving a radio on, etc.

Ultimately, the hardest part to acknowledge is that living indoors in any kind of confinement is not a natural situation for him, which is why the behavior problems escalate there. He will be happiest outdoors with his own kind. Behavior problems with animals are extremely solvable by placing the animal in an environment most closely resembling their natural one.

I have found that it's also very rare for an animal I've happened upon and rescued to be a fit for my lifestyle vs one I've researched and planned for. I've learned through agonies like yours that the best I can do is rescue and then place the animal in a thoroughly vetted environment. If you can handle it, I would suggest looking for a sanctuary for Lucky, or a farm situation where someone won't eat him. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you it's ok not to keep an animal you've rescued.

If you do decide to keep him forever, I recommend getting another duck or some chickens and getting him outside permanently. You all will be happier.

Just my two cents for what it's worth.

I couldn't imagine giving him away. Some days are just really bad and others are so good. I'm hoping this is similar to terrible twos lol and that one he is outside in his big new coop all will be right again.

 

[UrbnGardenPeeps]

I couldn't imagine giving him away. Some days are just really bad and others are so good. I'm hoping this is similar to terrible twos lol and that one he is outside in his big new coop all will be right again.

Then you're doing the right thing!

 

[Steven Mazzo]

Hey BYC family.... Is it normal at three weeks of age for lucky to be loosing quite a bit of his down? Since he was born he constantly preens himself. But the last two days we are seeing a great deal of down falling out while he preens. There are also what appear to be actual darker brown feathers coming in. Just want to make sure the loss of down isn't an indication of something else.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Hey BYC family.... Is it normal at three weeks of age for lucky to be loosing quite a bit of his down? Since he was born he constantly preens himself. But the last two days we are seeing a great deal of down falling out while he preens. There are also what appear to be actual darker brown feathers coming in. Just want to make sure the loss of down isn't an indication of something else.

Again, not a duck person, but yeah, I think it's normal. Chicks do that too. His real feathers are coming in.

Your little boy is getting so grown up!!!!!

 

[MageofMist]

Hey BYC family.... Is it normal at three weeks of age for lucky to be loosing quite a bit of his down? Since he was born he constantly preens himself. But the last two days we are seeing a great deal of down falling out while he preens. There are also what appear to be actual darker brown feathers coming in. Just want to make sure the loss of down isn't an indication of something else.

My chickens are Silkies, so they just got more fluff.

I call it the "awkward Pokemon stage"

 

[biophiliac]

Hey BYC family.... Is it normal at three weeks of age for lucky to be loosing quite a bit of his down? Since he was born he constantly preens himself. But the last two days we are seeing a great deal of down falling out while he preens. There are also what appear to be actual darker brown feathers coming in. Just want to make sure the loss of down isn't an indication of something else.

I take no joy in mentioning that down will end up as a fine oily coating over every nearby surface in your home. ...lau)

 

[Steven Mazzo]

I take no joy in mentioning that down will end up as a fine oily coating over every nearby surface in your home. ...lau)

It's already started lol. I just vacuumed and within two minutes the floor was covered

 

[biophiliac]

It's a bird thing. At least you have only one, which keeps the quantity down.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I have a separate old house on my property (apart from the small one I live in) - not nice, but intact, and I use it for storage, etc, until I get it renovated. And lately, it's sorta become a tool shed and barn of sorts. This winter/spring I raised something like 70+ chicks in there in brooders.

I'm overdue for my HVAC maintenance, but I'm dreading them coming and being aghast at the havoc all that chick dander all over the place has wrought. At least I didn't do it in my living space this time.