Hello, everyone! I'm new to BYC, and I have some questions. I actually joined for help with my ducks, but I wanted to be part of a community as as well.
So, my sweet heart, Charlotte, is sitting on her eggs for the first time ever!
(I got them when they were a few months old, so I think she's just reached maturity) I'm so excited! I have issues with the drakes, though. Henry and George will not leave her alone. I have a movable house for them with a pan for feed, a tub for water and a nest with hay for the egg layers (Meet Jill, Alexis and Charlotte). I only put them in at night, and during the day, I'd say for between 13-15 hours, they roam. They swim in the creek, "graze" in the big pastures, and pick through the left over hay from last year. They seem to be very happy. Except when it comes to bedtime. You see, Charlotte is sitting now, and the nest is in their pen. She sits all day long, only taking few minute breaks to get a drink or eat some feed. I keep the door on the pen shut, because the drakes will come in and literally bite her until she gets off of the eggs. I don't have another house, though! So every night, they peck her and peck her, then the second she gets off of the nest, they force her to mate. I feel so terrible because she is doing what she needs to do, but she can't because I don't have another house for the others.
So my question is: how can I build a duck pen? I would like to put her and the nest in a new pen with a baby pool so her babies can safely swim without fear of drowning once they hatch, but she's already settled, and I'm not going to ruin that. I don't have a leftover dog kennel, I don't have any money to buy materials, and I'm not good at building things. Is there a simple answer to this? A quick, no-possible-way-to-mess-up kinda pen, or just something to make them leave her alone? A few nights ago, a raccoon found it's way into their pen with a dream of eggs, and it got about three, but it also got Alexis. She's alright, but she walks with a limp and I'm very worried about her, but that's another post. I got the house fixed, but the point is, the two males are having to share only one female right now, and that's probably why they beat up on Charlotte.
Please help. I don't know how to fix this. With Alexis being hurt and the drakes being jerks, I'm very stressed. Thank you!
~ForeverSunshine
So, my sweet heart, Charlotte, is sitting on her eggs for the first time ever!
So my question is: how can I build a duck pen? I would like to put her and the nest in a new pen with a baby pool so her babies can safely swim without fear of drowning once they hatch, but she's already settled, and I'm not going to ruin that. I don't have a leftover dog kennel, I don't have any money to buy materials, and I'm not good at building things. Is there a simple answer to this? A quick, no-possible-way-to-mess-up kinda pen, or just something to make them leave her alone? A few nights ago, a raccoon found it's way into their pen with a dream of eggs, and it got about three, but it also got Alexis. She's alright, but she walks with a limp and I'm very worried about her, but that's another post. I got the house fixed, but the point is, the two males are having to share only one female right now, and that's probably why they beat up on Charlotte.
Please help. I don't know how to fix this. With Alexis being hurt and the drakes being jerks, I'm very stressed. Thank you!
~ForeverSunshine
