Our boys are almost 5 months, will they stop nipping hands soon?

[araucanasmom]

Our girl went through the nipping stage about 6 weeks ago, but it only lasted a couple of weeks.The boys started about 3 weeks ago and are still nipping hard, how long does this stage last in the boys? My poor daughter and I have duck hickies on our hands and arms just from changing their water and feeding them. The strange thing is when we have one out at a time for playtime with us, they don't nip but they are best buddies and cry for each other when separated. If they don't stop soon, we may have to re-home them (together of course).

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've not had that problem except when my ducks want to brood and I don't want them too and go to take their eggs. so I know what it feels like and looks like. ouch. maybe try a spray bottle with water and get em fast so they don't know what hit them. then praise them when they back off, I use the hose with the nozzle on the end so it goes real far to train my chickens to stay out of fenced in flower beds, that way they don't know where the water is coming from they are too busy high tailing it out of there.

 

[Koipondduck]

Hi Miss Lydia., I have some questoins. Here are some queations

In the previous thread I could not put pictures. Let me put this time pictures first and then my questoins


Hi, this is my aviary where I have 10 ornamental water fowl. Inside the aviary is equipped with shelving and mechanize plumbing where I can do water change 3 times a week. I have used bulk head fitting that I found in HomeDepot and installed it in the walls for hoses to come our of the wall. Inside the pond there is a sump pump already sitting and all I have to really do is to plug in the switch for it to start emptying the water out of the pond to water my lawn and then I just reverse the hose to fill the pond back in. There are also live bamboos and water plants like arrow head since their barriers are favorite food for wood ducks. In the back of the coop, I created a corner piece water garden, where I am keeping some of water plants. They have n’t done much damage to it. However, if these plants were inside the pond, they will do severe damage. The coop size is 12 X 10 X 12 f tall. Coopy part is 12 foot and the other part is lower as you can see form the picture. Yes it has hard ware cloth all around.












H
Look at the mandarine tales and yes I realize that one tail is growing back ward....someone told me it is not the sign of lice but they are picking on each other. This one shows the corner water garden.





Here are some of questions.
It seems to me I want to load up that pond with plants but they chew everything down and make the water muddy.
Questions # 1) Can I just put loads of plant in it but wrap the pot with a plastic bag so they can’t dig it out. I have tall cat tails, winter green and very tall arrow head as well.
This coop is one month old and I have 10 birds. I wanted to have 8 birds ( a pair of pin tales, wood duck and two pair of mandarins, a white pair and a regular pair) but a gentleman I bought the wood ducks from keep giving me a mandarins hen for wood duck and one time a male. As we all know it is very hard to distinguish between male and a female wood duck and mandarins. Yes, I have applied for a license fo them
Questions 2
After I got a female wood duck, I began seeing that its tales are pulled off and all birds are constantly preening. Is this the sign of lice? A local friend that is very successful in keeping mandarin says that “ no, they are just getting used to each other”. I want to be assured.





Showing

Wood duck tail








Out side mallards pond I just put in to keep my Koi pond and a pond by the family room clean and mallards are not coming to my family room pond area since it is about 90 foot from their new pond.


Question # 4 I have mallards outside and I dug them their own pond to keep away from my family room area pond that I enjoy my breakfast tea. They were making a shell gas station shape pond that I keep water plants dirty. Notice these mallards pond is outside the aviary and they have their own house to spend the night. First after I moved their location, they were going in but the last tow days due to rain it won’t go in and I gave up. They are safe and not hurt by predators, thank god. As I try to hard them to their house, they constantly look at the aviary as these mallards want to go in there but I won’t them in with my ornamental water fowl since I saw one time one mallards was really picking on the female wood duck terribly while I carried them from Mt. Hope . Many professional said the house size is perfect for two mallards to spend the night only. I wanted something very nice looking.
Question 4: Why did they go in their outdoor house after I moved it from the old to a new location where this pond is dug and now in the rainful night , they sat by the pond and won’t


question # 3

Question #3
I spent $110 alone buying proper dishes, water bucket et from tractor supply. However, not matter what I see food is wet . I keep the water bucket right by the food since we all know how ducks eat with water. . I am feeling them Mazuri expensive game bird food missed with some poultry layer for calcium and some regular game birds food mixed with meal worms. How do I keep this food totally try so I am cutting waste

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi Miss Lydia., I have some questoins. Here are some queations

In the previous thread I could not put pictures. Let me put this time pictures first and then my questoins


Hi, this is my aviary where I have 10 ornamental water fowl. Inside the aviary is equipped with shelving and mechanize plumbing where I can do water change 3 times a week. I have used bulk head fitting that I found in HomeDepot and installed it in the walls for hoses to come our of the wall. Inside the pond there is a sump pump already sitting and all I have to really do is to plug in the switch for it to start emptying the water out of the pond to water my lawn and then I just reverse the hose to fill the pond back in. There are also live bamboos and water plants like arrow head since their barriers are favorite food for wood ducks. In the back of the coop, I created a corner piece water garden, where I am keeping some of water plants. They have n’t done much damage to it. However, if these plants were inside the pond, they will do severe damage. The coop size is 12 X 10 X 12 f tall. Coopy part is 12 foot and the other part is lower as you can see form the picture. Yes it has hard ware cloth all around.












H
Look at the mandarine tales and yes I realize that one tail is growing back ward....someone told me it is not the sign of lice but they are picking on each other. This one shows the corner water garden.





Here are some of questions.
It seems to me I want to load up that pond with plants but they chew everything down and make the water muddy.
Questions # 1) Can I just put loads of plant in it but wrap the pot with a plastic bag so they can’t dig it out. I have tall cat tails, winter green and very tall arrow head as well.
This coop is one month old and I have 10 birds. I wanted to have 8 birds ( a pair of pin tales, wood duck and two pair of mandarins, a white pair and a regular pair) but a gentleman I bought the wood ducks from keep giving me a mandarins hen for wood duck and one time a male. As we all know it is very hard to distinguish between male and a female wood duck and mandarins. Yes, I have applied for a license fo them
Questions 2
After I got a female wood duck, I began seeing that its tales are pulled off and all birds are constantly preening. Is this the sign of lice? A local friend that is very successful in keeping mandarin says that “ no, they are just getting used to each other”. I want to be assured.





Showing

Wood duck tail








Out side mallards pond I just put in to keep my Koi pond and a pond by the family room clean and mallards are not coming to my family room pond area since it is about 90 foot from their new pond.


Question # 4 I have mallards outside and I dug them their own pond to keep away from my family room area pond that I enjoy my breakfast tea. They were making a shell gas station shape pond that I keep water plants dirty. Notice these mallards pond is outside the aviary and they have their own house to spend the night. First after I moved their location, they were going in but the last tow days due to rain it won’t go in and I gave up. They are safe and not hurt by predators, thank god. As I try to hard them to their house, they constantly look at the aviary as these mallards want to go in there but I won’t them in with my ornamental water fowl since I saw one time one mallards was really picking on the female wood duck terribly while I carried them from Mt. Hope . Many professional said the house size is perfect for two mallards to spend the night only. I wanted something very nice looking.
Question 4: Why did they go in their outdoor house after I moved it from the old to a new location where this pond is dug and now in the rainful night , they sat by the pond and won’t


question # 3

Question #3
I spent $110 alone buying proper dishes, water bucket et from tractor supply. However, not matter what I see food is wet . I keep the water bucket right by the food since we all know how ducks eat with water. . I am feeling them Mazuri expensive game bird food missed with some poultry layer for calcium and some regular game birds food mixed with meal worms. How do I keep this food totally try so I am cutting waste

I don't put my waterers close to my feeders, it's the only way you can keep the feed close to being dry. I have been doing this for years and they are all fine. As far as pecking it happens till they get the order worked out, and still males will pick at each other and sometimes fight. I have a Muscovy drake who looks like he's been plucked by our older drake, thank goodness no injuries just feathers pulled out. The house you have for your mallards is very nice, but most birds if left to make their own decision willl sleep outside, you'll either have to herd them in and lock up or take a chance on a predator getting them eventually. Since your ducks have swimming water I would not think they would have lice, thats one nice thing about water fowl they keep themselves very clean if given a chance to swim and preen. as far as plants, I really don't know how you'll keep them safe, ducks just love to eat just about anything, but just like Koi you maybe able to keep them from uprooting things if you put something around the pot itself, just make sure what ever it is they can't pull it apart and eat it. You setup is really pretty, enjoy your birds they are beautiful.

 

[jdywntr]

Our girl went through the nipping stage about 6 weeks ago, but it only lasted a couple of weeks.The boys started about 3 weeks ago and are still nipping hard, how long does this stage last in the boys? My poor daughter and I have duck hickies on our hands and arms just from changing their water and feeding them. The strange thing is when we have one out at a time for playtime with us, they don't nip but they are best buddies and cry for each other when separated. If they don't stop soon, we may have to re-home them (together of course).

When I had too many drakes, they did this. I think part of it is hormones. I would do something to put a stop to it now. I had a runner that would come up and nip at my feet if I was in sandals and it hurt. I would softly kick him, more like push him away with my foot than kick him but quickly to that he would be a bit of balance. I would also carry a long thin branch and tap him on the side. Not hit just a tap to let him know that it was not okay.

 

[araucanasmom]

Well, I guess they heard me talking about re-homing them, because when my daughter took them out for playtime just now they didn't nip her! lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, I guess they heard me talking about re-homing them, because when my daughter took them out for playtime just now they didn't nip her! lol

 

[Koipondduck]

Thanks but I feel like some members here tend to preach rather than educated information. After having an MBA ( masers in business administration) and MPA ( a second masters in public administration) I do not need preaching but rather informative threads that add value to my hobby.

Also, several times, flock watcher came by telling me I did " this wrong and that" and I simply feel that is unnecessary. I will see if I can log out and not to return or change my screen name.
a month and a half I improved 110% with yoru help and other members that are delightful to be with and
my new pictures of the aviary, ... I can't post from this desk top since it is not letting me. Lot more perkier. I am glad to know you and other that I am following as members. I put stones around inside aviary. Thank god that you told me most that can swim can keep them pinned and do not have lice


I just do not know since my lap top is dead, how I can post new pictures.

 

[Koipondduck]

I also do not know for an Aviary a size of 12 foot X 10 foot, how I spend $2500.. may be I did every thing right and it cost money

 

[Miss Lydia]

I also do not know for an Aviary a size of 12 foot X 10 foot, how I spend $2500.. may be I did every thing right and it cost money

It looks like you spent alot of money on your aviary and it is very pretty, one thing I didn't mention is that crowding will cause feather picking too, so be careful not to add too many birds so they won't be crowded. And be sure that lil duck house you have for your mallards has windows or some kind of ventilation in it, they need good air circulation to stay healthy. Are you able to get them inside at night now?