New Duckling Owner...

[jenniemig]

How precious, so happy to see them alive and well. Temps are good make sure to put the lamp where they can get out from under it if they get too warm.

Thanks Miss Lydia, I really hope these two stay healthy

I have the light pointed to heat just one end, the other side is sitting at about 78 degrees.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks Miss Lydia, I really hope these two stay healthy

I have the light pointed to heat just one end, the other side is sitting at about 78 degrees.

 

[jenniemig]

Today's update...they're doing great

When I got home from work they didn't show much interest in the mash I made them. But, they are eating the dry crumbles so I'm not going to sweat it. I did manage to freak my chicks out. I got a new feeder for them, one hopefully that they'll make less of a mess with. Anyways, it is purple, and when I put it in the brooder with them they flipped out and tried climbing the walls. The different color is the only thing I can think would have cause the reaction, it is the same size and shape of the old one.

This picture was when I first walked in, they were snoozing


Those poofy heads!

 

[Finny]

I am so glad to hear they are doing well! They are so cute! I love the crests on both of them!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Today's update...they're doing great

When I got home from work they didn't show much interest in the mash I made them. But, they are eating the dry crumbles so I'm not going to sweat it. I did manage to freak my chicks out. I got a new feeder for them, one hopefully that they'll make less of a mess with. Anyways, it is purple, and when I put it in the brooder with them they flipped out and tried climbing the walls. The different color is the only thing I can think would have cause the reaction, it is the same size and shape of the old one.

This picture was when I first walked in, they were snoozing


Those poofy heads!

Just makes you want to pick them up and squeeze them. so adorable. One thing though with those crest which means their skull isn't closed all the way and there is just tissue under their feathers, you will have to be very careful with your chickens who love to peck on anything. We had a member post he let his Muscovy ducklings out with his chickens and they pecked some of them so badly some of them died. Not to try and scare you but things can happen fast.

 

[jenniemig]

Just makes you want to pick them up and squeeze them. so adorable. One thing though with those crest which means their skull isn't closed all the way and there is just tissue under their feathers, you will have to be very careful with your chickens who love to peck on anything. We had a member post he let his Muscovy ducklings out with his chickens and they pecked some of them so badly some of them died. Not to try and scare you but things can happen fast. 

That's scary. I do plan to house them together and making the run as big as I can until I can afford to build them their own enclosure. I finally got my lumber today, I start building tomorrow. My coop is an 8x10 shed that will be converted. The run will be 8x14. I have a 4x6 greenhouse frame that I may use for the duck house.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's scary. I do plan to house them together and making the run as big as I can until I can afford to build them their own enclosure. I finally got my lumber today, I start building tomorrow. My coop is an 8x10 shed that will be converted. The run will be 8x14. I have a 4x6 greenhouse frame that I may use for the duck house.

• charlindabob
• 
• 

• Location: central Florida
• Joined: 1/2009
• Posts: 342
• online

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My five week old ducklings are just starting to feather out and I have a large enclosed chicken pen 25x50 and I let my ducks out yesterday from their small pen to run with the chickens while under observation.

Well, all was fine for about a half an hour, everyone behaving themselves, so I went in for lunch. BIG MISTAKE. The chickens pecked my little ducklings darn near to death and I lost one during the night. The wheres and whys doesn't matter at this point, it's done. I immediately put them back in their cage and my 13 year old threated all the chickens with bodily harm and I was not far behind. He's not big on killing anything, but he brought me one that he observed and said "cut its head off!". He was so mad at the chickens for killing one and hurting his ducks.

I regret my actions of leaving them alone with the velociraptors (red sex-link chickens), but I can't undo what is done. I have 9 ducklings that look like they have been in a chicken plucker for awhile and have dried blood on them that I'm afraid to wash off as I may reopen their wounds. I am spraying them twice a day with Vetericyn.

Anybody else ever gone through this?

I know I posted this on another thread, but thought I should keep it all together here.

Some have their ducks and chickens all together and no problems but things can go wrong pretty fast. Mine run together on 1/2 acre fenced property but are all are housed in their own separate houses at night.

 

[jenniemig]

• charlindabob
• 
• [COLOR=005CB1]

• Location: central Florida
• Joined: 1/2009
• Posts: [COLOR=005CB1]342

• online

[/COLOR][/COLOR]​

My five week old ducklings are just starting to feather out and I have a large enclosed chicken pen 25x50 and I let my ducks out yesterday from their small pen to run with the chickens while under observation.

Well, all was fine for about a half an hour, everyone behaving themselves, so I went in for lunch. BIG MISTAKE. The chickens pecked my little ducklings darn near to death and I lost one during the night. The wheres and whys doesn't matter at this point, it's done. I immediately put them back in their cage and my 13 year old threated all the chickens with bodily harm and I was not far behind. He's not big on killing anything, but he brought me one that he observed and said "cut its head off!". He was so mad at the chickens for killing one and hurting his ducks.

I regret my actions of leaving them alone with the velociraptors (red sex-link chickens), but I can't undo what is done. I have 9 ducklings that look like they have been in a chicken plucker for awhile and have dried blood on them that I'm afraid to wash off as I may reopen their wounds. I am spraying them twice a day with Vetericyn.

Anybody else ever gone through this?

I know I posted this on another thread, but thought I should keep it all together here.

Some have their ducks and chickens all together and no problems but things can go wrong pretty fast. Mine run together on 1/2 acre fenced property but are all are housed in their own separate houses at night.

Do you think they'll get along better if I introduce them to each other as chicks?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you think they'll get along better if I introduce them to each other as chicks?

What age are your chicks, even chicks can peck each other so leaving tiny new ducklings with them would not be a good idea, after your ducklings have their legs under them good try introducing them on ground[so to speak] that doesn't belong to either group and see how it goes. you'll be there to get the ducklings out. When my ducklings are young they are kept separate from the rest of the flock by plastic poultry fencing with their mother, then when the ducklings are around 3 weeks old they are let out to be with the rest of the flock Mama is there to protect. I hope I don't sound awful telling you all of this I just feel it's best to keep them separate from each other till ducklings can fend for themselves. Mine are housed separate, chickens have their own house ducks theirs and geese theirs. And I have seen my large fowl hens go after some of my ducks. all my ducks are adults now so they can stand up to most of them. And the ducks can give the chickens what for too.
Okay next someone will come on here and say their chickens and ducks all live in the same house together and it may just work for them, I have lived with my flock long enough to know they are better separated especially at night. During the day? well you'll just have to watch and see how that goes. Some breeds of chickens aren't quite as intense as others either. I have EE's, Black Australorps, 3 bantam hens, Brahma hen which none are considered high strung breeds and they have their moments.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=Introd...=-1&sk=&cvid=9591c6177a90475bac866eceef627f09

 

[jenniemig]

Well, I lost another one

This morning before work I was doing my normal routine. Changing their puppy pads, giving them fresh water, and topping their food off. I just sat for a little while and was watching them when I noticed their cute poop routine. They back up a few quick steps, squat, then squirt. BUT, there was no pooping going on. Other than the failed poo attempts they were acting normal. I have watched them for pasty butt, but their rears always looked clean. After I saw their failed attempts at pooping I inspected each of their rears. The feathers/fluff around their vents were stiff as a board, but didn't have any poo stuck to them. It was kind of like when you add gel to your hair. I went through the pasty butt routine that I did for my chicks. Warm water in a small spritzer bottle until the poo comes loose, then follow up with food grade almond oil to prevent stickage in the future. Surviving duckling #1 was OK and pooed shortly after cleaning, duckling #2 it was like her little vent was sealed shut. I made 3 attempts and thought that I had stressed her out enough. I left for work for and came home about 3 and a half hours later to her dead in the brooder. So, either I killed her or she wasn't able to poop and that did it. After I buried her I made a warm bath in a paint pan and tried to get surviving duckling to swim. There was no swimming, but after about 5 minutes in the warm water she pooped. I gave it another 5 minutes, dried her off, added a bit more oil to her vent, and put her in her toasty brooder. Within 5 minutes she pooped 3 times. It is very watery almost clear, with a little bit of pasty yellow tinge.

Now she is SO LONELY!!! Peeping constantly for her Sister

I put 2 small stuffed bears in her brooder to try and give her something to snuggle with. This is HEART BREAKING.....

UPDATE: another poo, also almost clear. I made her some egg yolk and crumbles mash to see if she's eating.