just got two ducks... now what?>

[desertdarlene]

I just wanted to say that you got some beautiful ducks. I would love to have one that looks like the black one. She looks like a wild Muscovy.

 

[fmizula]

excelent website thank so much for that information!! im happy that they are beautiful ducks, i didnt really know what i was getting into and i was given them for free so you never know what you are getting i suppose. i guess it has worked in my favor!! i like them already. im also quite excited for ducky eggs.

on another note, do you think that my rooster will try to mate the ducks? and is this possible?? how high is too high for a perck for them?? will they get up with the chickens??

 

[dianaross77]

Now that you've clipped their wings, they can still hop up to a perch but not far. I made a stack of 4x4 scraps about 16" high and mine can get up there but they haven't gotten up to the top of their 3 ft house. Muscovies are seasonal layers, if your girls are from this year's hatch, they probably won't lay until spring. You're right about it being easy to integrate ducks compared to chickens. I put my 2 girls in with my drakes with no problems at all.

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
Oh man! Your girls are LOVELY!!

My Muscovy get along with the chickens just fine as long as my bossy chicks don't try to start a fight - LOL! My Muscovy like to go to bed at the same time that my chickens do (ie: early), while the rest of the waterfowl like to stay out late and play. I'm glad your girls followed the chickens in to bed! Mine also like to perch up high, much like chickens, so they have similar needs. Muscovy take time to look around them and figure stuff out pretty quickly, unlike most waterfowl

I agree that your girls may not start to lay until next spring, however, they're seasonal layers anywhere it gets cold in winter but they'll lay you one big 'ol egg each day that they do lay. Yours do look young but all my girls have gotten their caruncles on such a varied timeline (some taking a whole year and some just a few months) that it's pretty hard to guage age that way. The girls only get the slightest caruncles anyway... it's the boys who get REALLY fleshy faces:

My drake, Big Boy:

One of my girls, Queeny:

 

[fmizula]

nice pictures thanks!! so i just got home from work and the duckies havent really moved to much, or so it seems. i havent seen them eat or drink or goin the little pool or anything. they sit in the corner of the coop looking frightened. one even spikes it head hairs up when i open the coop door to see whats going on in there. i have put the chicken wire door in so i can watch better. i even threw some pieces of lettuce in there and they dont go for it. they came from a large group of ducks like 20 and i dont think got much attention before. also, the woman told me that she usually just fed them corn (i cant imagine that is great for them) so maby they are just not used to these things. (I work in the food service industry so i come home with a 5 gallon bucket of veg scraps every day for the kids.) would love for them to be social. last night im pretty sure they just stayed in that corner all night. on the possitive side i dont think the chickens care they are in there.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
sounds like the 3 I got 2 weeks ago, they lived with other ducks and had not had much attention paid to them, I have no idea what they were fed cause when we went to pick them up I saw no food. But they are terrified of me, I have seen just a slight change but not much, So we just have to be patient, I forget that when i first got my 3 muscovies over 7 years ago they were terrified of me too. So lets just be patient and keep up the treats. At least my other ducks and chickens seem to have accepted them, glad to hear your chickens have accepted yours too.

 

[fmizula]

what do you give them for treats?? i have herd that seeds are bad for them>?? i give my chickens seeds and throw them in the coop to get them inside at night. will they pick seeds up off the ground?? they are sooo quiet i had no idea. the only time i herd a squack from them is when i was holding them to chip their wings. do you hold them regularly??

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
It is so stressful for them that I have only held them to cut their wing too, I buy dried meal worms all my chickens and ducks love them. also I give them a small amt of w/w bread when I give my goose some, and peas frozen they love, I put them in warm water and serve they love peas. the only one of my ducks I hold regularlly is my 4 month old, he was rejected by his mama so I raised him in the house he is my baby.

 

[dianaross77]

The best thing you can do is spend as much time around them without moving as you can. My 2 new girls were scared of me too. The little one honked constantly whenever I got near her. I spend at least an hour a day outside just watching them and talking to them. They have been here a little over a week and they will now walk past me to exit their house without freaking out. They will come up to the pool while I am filling it and will follow the boys up to my back door to get treats. I give them frozen peas and corn. They also get some dog food tossed into their pool. At first they wouldn't even take the treats. I've had better luck with giving the treats in a bowl of water. I'm sure it's scary for them because there is safety in numbers and now they're alone.

 

[fmizula]

im sure it is quite scary but once they realize where they are, as i spoil my kids, they will be happy i hope! here is a video of everyone, duckies huddled in the corner