My Love Affair With Ducks...

[Miss Lydia]

therein lies the problem, Dux want to rule mankind!! Ask anyone.

I have not seen one Dux in any of those protests. Or riots!

 

[duluthralphie]

I have not seen one Dux in any of those protests. Or riots!

They are behind the scene, instigating, except for the Ralphie Dux who are trying to stop Dux mayhem and work for the good of mankind.

 

[Miss Lydia]

DLM?

 

[duluthralphie]

DLM?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I had 6 hatch and 5 were drakes. I only allowed 2 to hatch this year and they are 6 weeks old today and i am starting to get worried.

Are they still peeping?

 

[Mimi13]

I did worser than you!!!

I think I had 19 hatch last year, 4 girls.

No way! That is horrible!

 

[Mimi13]

I had 6 hatch and 5 were drakes. I only allowed 2 to hatch this year and they are 6 weeks old today and i am starting to get worried.

Okay, at least I’m not the only unlucky person.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

This is hilarious and I agree. Three of my ducks are so much louder than ANY chicken I have, even at 75’ away. If they see me come out the back door, their brain rattling, earth shaking quacks begin and won’t stop till I go up to them and give them attention . . . or if they’re out, they will come running to me, quacking the whole time. But I still love them! I really love holding and, yes, kissing them, if I am lucky enough to trick them and pick one up.

Ducks are more like dogs, they bond with you and they need your attention. Chickens are more like cats, they know you're somehow important for them, but they prefer to do their own things.
When our ducks haven't seen my wife for several days (night shi(f)t) they are truly happy (and much louder) when they finally see her again. - And expect some cat-food treats…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

About three weeks ago Peaches began limping on her right leg. It seemed to improve over a few days. However, I noticed this past Saturday she was limping again, a bit worse. As they would all roam the yard she would lay down when the rest of the ducks didn’t, even to the point that she couldn’t keep up with the rest of the flock. I went ahead and put them all up in their run to limit her walking.

I have checked her foot and there are no cuts, scrapes, or punctures that I could see. Nor any swelling, as compared to the other leg. The pain seems to be in her hock/ankle(?) or even hip joint. She tends to hold her leg out to the side a lot. I brought her inside, unsure if I should confine her in a cage or not. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to keep her away from the others so I decided to rub some Arnicare Gel Homeopathic Medicine for muscle pain and stiffness on her leg. I held her for about 30 minutes and continued to massage her leg with the gel. When I took her back to the rest of the duckies and she immediately got into the pool. I‘m sure she is most comfortable in the water. I closed all of them in their run.

After being confined to a much smaller area for three solid days Peaches was walking much better, with only a duckie waddle. So this morning, I let them out into the yard. The other four made a quick getaway and Peaches was still in the pool. After I opened the other side of the run fence for her (the ducks were on the opposite side of the yard than the opened gate) she headed out, quacking up a storm. <Now what happened next was amazing.> The others came running toward her and she TOOK OFF FLYING! For real, she flew, body and feet a couple of feet, completely off the ground, about 30-40 feet to greet the rest of them. I thought these heavy ducks couldn’t fly, but she surely did. Peaches is my Buff Orpington. Is that normal?

Buff Orpingtons and Runners are some of the lightest breeds and they can fly for short distances; KCs also! Call Ducks and domesticated Mallards can also fly relatively well.
It is a sign of good health that she is able to take off on her own, she is definitely not over-weight.
All of my ducks are able to get airborne, even the heavier White Layers and Brownie, the big drake. - The difference is in the landing: The runners just land on their feet and run some steps and stop. The Buffies land on their feet, run some steps, stumble and slide out on their bellies. The White Panzers keep their legs up and use their belly feathers as airbags. Yes and Brownie, oh boy, oh boy...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I have a confession I feel I must share!

Yesterday I began watching videos on processing a duck. I knew it had to be different than processing a chicken. I feel the need to be prepared in case Ralphie dux turns out to be a terror (I really hope that’s not the case though).

I have slaughtered and processed many, many cockerels and didn’t have any problem.** But, at this particular time I do not think I could slaughter one of my ducks. They are just too dang sweet. However, if Ralphie dux turned into a chicken rapist I probably wouldn’t see him as a sweetie then.

(I have had to euthanize two of my hens because of illness. It was extremely difficult, especially my Buff Orpington, Butter, bless her fat-bottomed heart. They were not processed for meat.)

**I have had more cockerels than my fair share. In 2019, I hatched out 11 chicks, 4 pullets and 7 cockerels. So far this year I have hatched out 11 more chicks, 3 different broods, ranging from 11 to 4 1/2 weeks. Out of those, I am certain 6 are cockerels and possibly 8 are. What am I doing wrong? Only 3 are definitely pullets. Provided one in particular stays nice (I already have one wanting to duel with me) I will keep him, but the others are freezer bound.

Same here, with ducks:
Last fall the neighbors asked me for six duck eggs, then after two months had enough from the ducklings and gave them back to me: four drakes and one girl.
This summer, the four ducklings Pinball Duck hatched, seem to be three drakes and one girl.

I have waaaayyyy too many drakes and without taking action the duck will all be bald headed next spring. And i can't slaughter any of my drakes. They are a**holes, r@pists and duck terrorists, but when i catch one of them they are so dang sweeeeeet.

I guess the only thing i can do is to order 5-10 F&W runners from Metzer, all girls...
And see how i can build an extension to the duck-house…