New Call Ducks - Advice please!

[Pyxis]

If you can't get her to a vet right away, can you go to Tractor Supply and get some terramycin ointment? It's used in the eyes for infections, so it might help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don’t think they have TSC in the UK I think that is where OP is.

 

[bluekii]

Her eye has cleared up, she's not shutting it anymore.
Just let her have a bath and let her submerge her head completely under the water for two days, and it's cleared up.
Thanks for the help. ​

 

[Miss Lydia]

Love that avatar Awesome news about the eye. Sometimes when mating the drakes can grab and cause injury too. They can get over these things pretty good on their own. Glad that happened here.

 

[bluekii]

Hello! It's been a long time since I have posted on here!

Jemima has started laying!
She has started to lay what we think is the start of a nest! Four eggs there at the moment! I know the eggs are dormant until the nest is ready and there's enough eggs, so I'm leaving it for now. She's decided to lay behind a giant honeysuckle bush against the garden fence.

The only problem is we lock them away at night in a duck house. They are completely free range around the garden, and we do have a small pen that can be placed in front of the house. We have a duck house but she doesn't lay in it, if I move the eggs will she lay inside the house? Or will she abandon the eggs?? Can I teach her to lay inside the house??

Many thanks!​

 

[happy duck]

Hello! It's been a long time since I have posted on here!

Jemima has started laying!
She has started to lay what we think is the start of a nest! Four eggs there at the moment! I know the eggs are dormant until the nest is ready and there's enough eggs, so I'm leaving it for now. She's decided to lay behind a giant honeysuckle bush against the garden fence.

The only problem is we lock them away at night in a duck house. They are completely free range around the garden, and we do have a small pen that can be placed in front of the house. We have a duck house but she doesn't lay in it, if I move the eggs will she lay inside the house? Or will she abandon the eggs?? Can I teach her to lay inside the house??

Many thanks!​

So glad your girl started to lay! I have heard that moving a nest can end the broodiness so it really is what ever you feel is safer. It would be best, if you decide to move her, that you put her in a place that no other ducks are. They will disturb her and when the babies hatch the other ducks could eat the babies(mama could eat the babies too). Hope this helps you think through some stuff and I hope you do what you think will be best for you and you girl! Good luck! Make sure to post pics if you have time!

 

[bluekii]

Thank you so much @happy duck!
I'll try snap some more photos!

She hasn't laid for a few days so I'm keeping an eye on her - I'm scared she's egg-bound. I really do over analyse everything and worry too much to be fair.
I moved the eggs to the house two nights ago but she just keeps pooping on them and pushing them all over the house so I doubt she wants to lay on them now. I'm leaving her to it now. If she wants to lay outside I'll let her but the eggs will die which is really sad. Or I'll have to keep her in her pen so she has no choice but to lay in the house.

I also have a very important question:
We recently dug a new pond but we dug it stupidly too early in the year and thus have no pond plants to keep it clean. It's too small for fish.
The water has now gone green (there's nothing floating on the surface though) and the ducks still drink and swim on it.
Should I stop them having access to the pond until I have more plants on it helping to keep it clean?

Many thanks.

I'll be making a new thread for my duckies very soon (or I'll keep this thread if I know how to rename it!) :>​

 

[happy duck]

Thank you so much @happy duck!
I'll try snap some more photos!

She hasn't laid for a few days so I'm keeping an eye on her - I'm scared she's egg-bound. I really do over analyse everything and worry too much to be fair.
I moved the eggs to the house two nights ago but she just keeps pooping on them and pushing them all over the house so I doubt she wants to lay on them now. I'm leaving her to it now. If she wants to lay outside I'll let her but the eggs will die which is really sad. Or I'll have to keep her in her pen so she has no choice but to lay in the house.

I also have a very important question:
We recently dug a new pond but we dug it stupidly too early in the year and thus have no pond plants to keep it clean. It's too small for fish.
The water has now gone green (there's nothing floating on the surface though) and the ducks still drink and swim on it.
Should I stop them having access to the pond until I have more plants on it helping to keep it clean?

Many thanks.

I'll be making a new thread for my duckies very soon (or I'll keep this thread if I know how to rename it!) :>​

I would try to get a filter on the pond. Also renaming is fairly easy. Up by the thread name there should be a place that edit or something like that. It should give you the option to rename it.

 

[bluekii]

Hi!

Puddles has been doing a behaviour which involves him violently arching his neck and stretching it a few times before flapping his wings and properly stretching it. It's kind of like if we pushed our heads and necks forwards whilst keeping our shoulders still. Should I be worried?

He does it multiple times a day.

Also Jemima is always shaking and nodding her head - especially when preening - it looks almost uncontrollable for her, but I have de-wormed and checked for parasites.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is it possible to get a video of what their doing you’ll have to put it on Vimeo or you tube then copy and paste it here. Did you look at ears with Jemimas and feel along Puddles neck for obstruction?