Michigan

[CricketYang]

I posted on here a few weeks ago about my pekin, Willy. She was looking really awful, her feathers were all messed up and ruffled looking and was secluding herself from the rest of the flock.

I found out after observing the ducks for a long while that it was my mallard (only male) that's been picking on her! He isn't mounting her or anything, just picking on her, pulling out her neck feathers, chasing her away from the rest of the flock and has gone so far as to yank her feathers out to the point of bleeding! I am just so angry at him right now, so I've decided to add him to the butchering list when I go to the processor. I figured he's basically useless because he's too small to mount my ladies, so I can't get any fertile eggs from them for incubating. After I made my decision, I went to TSC and picked up five new pekin ducklings

. They are ADORABLE and remind me of my Willy when she was younger.

So my first question is, WHY is he only picking on HER?! Is it because she was raised by a human? I raised her with my Isa's I got last fall. None of the other ducks are getting beat up, it's just poor Will. So until the 12th (butchering day), Willy is in the duckling room, hanging out with all the babies. She is surprisingly very nice to the ducklings, doesn't pick on them at all. She is a very good babysitter and has taught them how to bathe themselves and preen. They seem to be co-existing very nicely.

My second Q is, since Willy was born in October, shouldn't she be laying by now?? she's over six months old now and I remember that my other ducks of the same breed started to lay at about five months. I'm hoping that it's just stress that's been keeping her from laying and that she'll start busting out eggs like the other ducks as soon as the retched mallard leaves, because I can barely keep up with my duck egg demands. I don't think it would have anything to do with the fact that I hatched her out myself from my own flock.

 

[Anny]

I'm hoping some one here might be able to point me in the right direction for some one in Michigan who is hatching ducks this year. I'm looking for khaki cambells or another good layer breed (maybe runners) anyone hatching this spring???

 

[keyt1969]

Found out today Aric is getting me a pot bellied pig for my birthday!!! He knew I wanted either one of those or a goat. Until we do some other work around here, there's not enough room for a goat. I am SOO excited!!!

 

[Olive Hill]

Anny -- Your local feed store or TSC is a great place to find ducklings this time of year. Both those breeds are rather common and hatchery/feed store birds are usually a good choice for prolific laying.

Cricket -- Your drake hasn't a clue who "raised" your Willy. He just doesn't like her. It could be color, if she's the only white duck in the flock. It could be a personality clash, it could be a perceived weakness -- survival depends on banishing the weak -- etc, etc. It's hard to say. But it has nothing to do with her upbringing. Personally, I wouldn't bother paying a butcher for services on a mallard drake. He's going to process out at a couple pounds max. Last I heard butcher prices were what, $7 per duck. If you want to use the meat but don't want the hassle of plucking you could skin him and grind the meat for sausage.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Olive, I hope you get to feeling better soon.

keyt, Happy birthday!

 

[DaughterOfEve]

my sick isa has recovered and is back in he coop. Sick bay has ducks broodibg and almost fully feathered (about 4 - 5 weeks old). It will be nice to get them outside. I am building a coop with a hoop style run. My garden spot is covered with about 5 inches of snow still. The cold weather crops were in the ground this time last year.

Still planning to be at foul fest in a few weeks.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

DaughterofEve, I hope you will post pics of the coop and run.

 

[justcelia]

Olive Hill, Hope you are feeling better and thanks so much for your help!
Celia

 

[fifelakelooper]

Sorry to hear you've been sick Olive...great birthday gift Keyt..post some piggy pictures when you get your gift. Cricket..sorry to hear of the bully beating on your poor duck...
Snow is finally leaving here where we live...DH planted some grass seed in our back yard yesterday! I think we are getting our two coops either Friday or Monday....wahoo! PLUS...getting about 24 English/American mixed Orpington hatch eggs tomorrow!! Yes...please post some pics of hoop run and coop Daughter of EVE.

 

[Olive Hill]

Thanks for the well wishes, all. It's more annoying than anything.

What I want to know is where is the part of spring where it's warm and sunny and the outdoors beckons to have me working on the garden... I think I must have blocked the dreary, wet, cold part of spring out of my mind from last year. I want the good spring.

I also want to thank you all for the bunny suggestions. She is loving the carrot/pellet mash and is up to two big bowls of fresh foods per day and I swear I can feel a difference in her body condition already. I don't know how long this will prolong the inevitable with her being older, but I'm happy to see her weight on the rebound.