Lame Duck Question..

[Miss Lydia]

What, how to get the weight off or swimming this time of year? Someone who has Pekins could probably speak out on how to keep them at a good weight possibly only feeding them 1-2 times a day and only what they can eat in say 15 mins are they getting a lot of foraging time daily? Are they Jumbo Pekin's

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Mine seem to do well they are 3 yrs old other than a case of bumblefoot with one that has since been gone for a while now I free range all day and only give an all flock feed but only as motivation once a day after all is said and done all my ducks maybe get a 3rd to half a cup a day except in winter when I up their feed. I have 17 ducks currently and all have remained healthy for last 7 years...sounds like you might have had a dislocated hip?

 

[Miss Lydia]

1/3 to half cup per duck?

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Yes guess that didn't look right did it

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was hoping you didn’t mean for all 17 lol.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

What, how to get the weight off or swimming this time of year? Someone who has Pekins could probably speak out on how to keep them at a good weight possibly only feeding them 1-2 times a day and only what they can eat in say 15 mins are they getting a lot of foraging time daily? Are they Jumbo Pekin's

Both really
starting tomorrow they will be free ranging, they have had semi-free range in a limit area. But now they are out in the pasture so they will free range. I'm hoping that will cause them to lose some weight.

Regarding the swimming pool, it is quite chilly here we went right into early winter in the low 40s dipping into the 30s at night. So, at what point should I take the pool away? When it freezes?

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Mine get to swim as long as I can get water in it...you should see how pretty they look swimming with snow on the ground...im going to try to get some pics of it this year

 

[llombardo]

The problem I'm having with the pool which is going to cause it to come down earlier thenlater is drainage. You can tell the ground us getting colder and it's not draining well. Before the water was draining almost instantly.

I have a peking and she is a good weight. I refill the food as needed--not measured. The food is a few feet from water, so they have to walk back and forth, which is giving them exercise. I do give greens of some sort 3-4 times a week and I have let them stay out after the chickens are in to forage through the grass. They really would never go in the house at night if I didn't make them.

 

[llombardo]

Great advice! My lady Pekin has hurt herself a few times - with rest, alone swim time and liquid B she bounced back. I will say that adding niacin regularly will also help make Pekins stronger in general. Poor things grow so fast that their little legs can't keep up with all the weight - and they aren't the most graceful birds anyway lol.

When they were in the house in the bathtub all I heard was thump thump thump. The peking sounded like a moose.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That made me laugh a moose hey!