New mama to 10 adorable ducklings

[ajafrique]

Hi all!

I'm raising 10 ducklings for the first time. They arrived from McMurray about 3 weeks ago.

2 Pekin (unnamed male--enormous, mellow, and loving to poor Dora; Susannah--quiet and shy but starting to bond nicely)
1 Sweet Emily (Dora--very sweet, but pidgeon-toed and apparently nearly blind)
2 Buff (Lill--bright & curious; Juliet--who cries when separated from Lill)
3 Khaki Campbell (Percy & Louisa--one constantly tries to tip the water pans and the other follows along; Emmeline/Emmie--tiny, but spunky)
1 Blue Swedish (Eva--thinks she's a submarine in the bathtub)
1 Welsh Harlequin (Harlequin--tunnels under the straw and adores Eva)

Emmie couldn't walk when she arrived, but after 1 week of hand-feeding and careful swim therapy to strengthen her legs, she began to recover. She can now run as fast as the others, and seems totally normal.

Dora is my main concern now as my first forum post explains.

Apart from pigs, these little creatures are the messiest animals I have ever encountered, but they've stolen my heart all the same!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Welcome! I have no duck experience but IT do enjoy looking at them. Have fun.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Very nice assorted flock you have, the picture is certainly adorable. Hope you can get some help for Dora over on the Ducks board, glad everyone else is OK now.

 

[drumstick diva]

I hope you let Murray McMurrays know about Dora. They aren't the first hatchery that sent birds with birth defects etc. They surely won't be the last, and when they send to feed stores, the personnel there don't seem to notice either. It can be a real misery to those who unknowingly buy them.

Blind birds tend to adjust just fine but, will always have to be in an enclosed run (roofed) or become
housepets, as they are an easy lunch for predators. Sometimes a bond forms in the flock, and another bird will become their seeing eye guide. If you keep her food and water dish in the same spot every day, she will find them.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

You have some very adorable ducklings! I am glad that Emmie has improved greatly. But as for dora, is she blind in both eyes? If so, she will need a lot of care throughout her life. If she is unable to live a regular life, you may consider putting her down.

Oh, and yes, ducklings are very messy and it only gets worse!! LOL

Welcome to our flock and enjoy your new adventure!

 

[bamadude]

Hi and welcome

 

[gander007]

 

[ajafrique]

Thanks all for the welcome!

The vet put Dora on antibiotics in the hopes that it will help her breathing problem (infection somewhere in the complex duck lung system?), so I hope it will help. She wheezes along to explore outside with the others, though, and seems to be adapting to leg and vision issues reasonably well--she refuses to be left behind and the rest of the flock turns around to settle around her when she needs a rest.

Emmie is thriving (just started diving under water yesterday!) and exploring the big world outside with wide-eyed delight, as are the others. Susannah the Huntress stalked and devoured 3 worms in about a minute a couple days ago while rummaging in the oak leaves, inspiring the others to view leaf piles with even greater interest.



Lill, Susannah & Harlequin (back to front) nestling in the lemon thyme

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks all for the welcome!

The vet put Dora on antibiotics in the hopes that it will help her breathing problem (infection somewhere in the complex duck lung system?), so I hope it will help. She wheezes along to explore outside with the others, though, and seems to be adapting to leg and vision issues reasonably well--she refuses to be left behind and the rest of the flock turns around to settle around her when she needs a rest.

Emmie is thriving (just started diving under water yesterday!) and exploring the big world outside with wide-eyed delight, as are the others. Susannah the Huntress stalked and devoured 3 worms in about a minute a couple days ago while rummaging in the oak leaves, inspiring the others to view leaf piles with even greater interest.



Lill, Susannah & Harlequin (back to front) nestling in the lemon thyme

This last pic has got to be the most adorable thing I have EVER seen!!!!

Your babies are just darling.

Oh, and I hope Dora pulls through and makes a full recovery.

 

[ajafrique]

Thanks, TwoCrows!