new to forum and ducks

[wackwack]

hmmmm....i think this 'breeder' must be more of a chicken man.... the more i read the more i think he told me a lot of rubbish! but I'm still glad i got them out of there, they had minimal food, no water to sit in, just a pot to drink from...even i knew that wasn't ideal....
I am going to worm them now i know how they act normally...he was feeding them layers pellets and oats, but i think mostly oats as he said they dont lay this time of year....
thanks for our help...
he did say they were all over a year old too...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Well you'll have eggs come spring time and duckling too if you get a broody out of your girls.

 

[wackwack]

yup! anything before that will be a nice surprise! I dont really have a set up for ducklings though, (in case of no other option i can borrow an incubator though) if they get broody can i just take the eggs away? is that cruel? last think i need is lots of little drakes! I could never bear to kill them, or sell them to be kiled, not if i was responsibly (sorta) for their creation.........


sorry about my spelling lads, its 1.30am here!!! way past bedtime!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I have a problem with that too, I fall in love with all that are hatched including the drakes. I take their eggs, oh they may fuss but they get over it pretty quick. with Pekins and runneres they don't get broody much anyway so maybe it will work out for you. It's not cruel to take the eggs away. I have run out of space so my ducks can't hatch and muscovies love to brood and hatch ducklings.

 

[wackwack]

i might only have them a week, but i'm addicted, by spring i expect i will hve lots more and will be having to extend my pond!!!
between ducks, goat, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbit, 18 horses/ponies over 100 gold fish.....i am a busy lady, so i best get myself to my bed! night! and thanks for all the help, I shall be back tomorrow!!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Sounds like you have your hands full, look forward to talking to you again. Sleep tight!

 

[wackwack]

hi again,
ok so while diggingf my new duck pond

for the last 2 days i have been spending a lot of time with the ducks
the one that is supposed to be a duck but i felt wasn't quacking, definatly does NOT have curly tail feathers, but, she also doesnt quack...she makes a kinda of a squeak that somewhat resembles a quack rather than a drake rasp but still not a quack.
do differnet breeds sound different when it comes to drake noises, or, does my runner duck have a broken quack???!

 

[Amiga]

My runners make a gagging motion when they're nervous, as well as when something is stuck in their throat.

I would not rule out something being stuck in her throat, which could affect her vocalizations, perhaps? An old throat injury?

How's her appetite?

Oh, and my runners display mating behavior all through the year. The only time they take a break is when they molt. And they're all girls.

 

[wackwack]

yes the odd behavioiur i noticed must have been mating talk as all the 3 girls are doing it now, i havent seen her do the gagging thing since but say the others do it a bit so seems normal enough, seems fine in every other way, acts and does same as the others, eats the same, drinks the same, maybe not as 'starved' as the others (no one is actually starved) but still eats up, cant say that there is any visably physical differnence to the other runner, every feather has been compared for shape size etc etc!!!!
i have noticed tho that over the week the duck in question, who is called buttons, has taken charge, she leads the way everywhere now........and seems to make decisions as to where they go or what they do, and i was let to believe thats the job of the drake? i have also noticed that my aylesbury/pekin drake is very much more than happy for buttons to take charge....and appears to actually run away from the girls whey they are doing their little dance for him.......where ever they go he is at the back of the queue and almost 'lets them go first' to see if they survive before he tried it..........
i think my runner buttons has issues, but i think my drake is confused too........................... every day they mystify me more!!

 

[ChickInDelight]

Beautiful ducks! They look like full Pekins and that last Runner is pencilled? I am new to ducks too.

One lesson I learned the hard way- ducks are creatures of habit. As much as possible, establish their home and routine and do not deviate.