Pekin Duck Club!

[Lovechickens43]

I want to be added to the pekin duck club! Have 2 of them named Juno and Dj!

 

[The Howards]

Hey all!.... I've got 3 jumbos....about 2 weeks old. I love all the things I need to do to make them happy/healthy...very fulfilling. I just have one question.... will the volume of poop ever decrease? They currently have 24/7 access to food and water. Ohhhhh.... the poop.....so much poop.

Sorry to say....NO. The poop doesn't ever decrease. Actually it mostly increases as they get bigger. You can make it slightly less messy by not giving them food or water at night. We found it that a huge mess was made when we kept it in the house, not only with less poop in the bedding but less spillage and chances for food waste.

HELP. My tweets beak isn't looking good and I have no idea what's wrong

Are there any soft/sore spots? Otherwise it looks normal to me. Butter developed the same kind of spots on her bill as she got older.
Butter after she matured and started laying she got her spots.

Butter before she matured, her bill was still bright yellow and not spotted.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

Thank you so much for the advice. It worked!! I tried it yesterday when I brought them outside. They are so funny. When they are outside in the grass it's like they can slowly run. They run really fast and look like linebackers. It's like a burst of energy for 3 seconds. What kind of treats can they have now?

Wow... I remember that, letting them out into the yard the first time... discovering *running*! Enjoy these moments... they are very special

As for tweets beak, some ducks develop freckles and discoloration as they age. My female (since deceased, RIP) had dark speckles on her bill and we totally panicked thinking she had a fungal infection or some other horror. Totally normal. You could try feeding corn as I've read that can enhance the orange color, but I'm not sure if I believe that... can't hurt at least.

 

[stephanie c]

Hi everyone! So my 3 month old duck has been panting lately. He goes in the pool during the day, I mist him with the hose, he always had cold water to drink, and at night he sleeps in a cage in my room and has access to alot of water. The room also is air conditioned. Most times his beak and feet are hot. Is that there normal temperature to be warm like that? Is the panting normal? Would appreciate any answers. Thanks
- quacky

 

[The Howards]

Wow... I remember that, letting them out into the yard the first time... discovering *running*! Enjoy these moments... they are very special

As for tweets beak, some ducks develop freckles and discoloration as they age. My female (since deceased, RIP) had dark speckles on her bill and we totally panicked thinking she had a fungal infection or some other horror. Totally normal. You could try feeding corn as I've read that can enhance the orange color, but I'm not sure if I believe that... can't hurt at least.

I also read that the beta-carotene, most abundant in carrots it is also found in pumpkins, apricots and nectarines, is what makes the bills orange and it was suggested to give them shredded carrots. Although ours won't eat much of them. Plus it is kinda freaky to find orange poo!

Hi everyone! So my 3 month old duck has been panting lately. He goes in the pool during the day, I mist him with the hose, he always had cold water to drink, and at night he sleeps in a cage in my room and has access to alot of water. The room also is air conditioned. Most times his beak and feet are hot. Is that there normal temperature to be warm like that? Is the panting normal? Would appreciate any answers. Thanks

- quacky

Cute pic! Even though they are in a cool environment their body temp is still really high, usually 100-106 degrees. Lots of veins run through their feet so the will stretch them out to get air flow over them and pant to help cool themselves. It sounds normal to me (not an expert by any means) ours did the same thing and still do. They are wearing a down jacket after all.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

I agree, probably just hot. On scorching days I bring them inside so they can enjoy the AC (my ducks have a pen in the mud room) and let them back out once the sun is off the pond... sometimes no amount of shade or ice in their water will help, especially when it is really humid.

If you can't bring them inside try to confine them in a shady area. Misting and iced drinking water will help keep the internal temp in a normal range.

 

[countrygirl74]

I just wanted to share the fun I had yesterday with my ducks - I have 5 ducklings that are 3 weeks old, and since they are still so young they stay in a smaller, more secure yard for now. They have a basin that I fill many times a day with water from our pond that has duckweed in it. They love it! They eat it up like spaghetti! So yesterday I netted up some tiny minnows for them... hoo boy! They really had a blast with that. After 4 or 5 refills of their bowl, they all settled down for a long nap.

I can't wait til they get old enough to go in the pond. They are going to be some happy ducks! But in the meantime, we are all being highly entertained.

Thanks for sharing - sounds like you are really enjoying them! They definitely are entertaining! : )

I bought 4 pekjns when they were 1 or 2 weeks old. I don't remember exactly and it was in February. But anyway. I named one Biggie and one Smalls (they had an almost obnoxious size difference) Quackers(my bf named him) and Psy(psyduck from pokemon) . And I kept them inside until it got warm enough ( end of march or very early April) and had a pen built for them. They are now all white and funny as all hell. I can say I've grown quite attached to Biggie. He comes inside and watches movies with us. Biggie has always been openly friendly and social with us..the others never really latched like that and seem scared of us. Biggie is also the only male ( he has the one feather on his backside that is extra curly). They have started laying. I've chosen not to incubate them. I'd love for Biggie to be able to run the house but he poops way too much. But then i noticed (he used to do it when he was younger but he is bigger now and it can hurt) but he will like shake and then kind of charge the length of neck up my arm. Is this affection or is he upset. Also he is literally sitting next to me as I am typing and quacking cuz I'm not showing him any attention. And then he flaps his big wings. And then he dips his beak(doesn't even drink it) and then shakes splashing water all over me...we are watching Half Baked lol he is being extra fiesty.

The behavior your drake is exhibiting is aggression... he is trying to establish that he's the head drake. You can decide how much you want to put up with. If he gets worse or starts biting as well, try flipping him on his back and holding him there for a few seconds. When you let him up, he should just walk away. You may have to do this again to remind him who's boss. Again, it is literally how much you are willing to let him do. We put up with ours lunging sometimes, even playful/aggressive nipping, but NO biting - so he gets reprimanded when he takes it too far.

Hey all!.... I've got 3 jumbos....about 2 weeks old. I love all the things I need to do to make them happy/healthy...very fulfilling. I just have one question.... will the volume of poop ever decrease? They currently have 24/7 access to food and water. Ohhhhh.... the poop.....so much poop.

Well... the actual volume, no. However, as they get older, they poop less times per day. So, if you diaper them or let them in the house, you actually have a better chance of them not pooping 100 times while they are inside. LOL - so no on the volume, but yes on the frequency.

HELP. My tweets beak isn't looking good and I have no idea what's wrong

I can't tell for sure from the photo but I do know that it could be 1 of 3 possibilities...
1. They can and do scratch them sometimes and get abrasions, usually heals up fine all on its own with time
2. They can peel as they grow (their feet do the same thing) - kind of like a snake shedding its skin as it grows
3. Spots will develop as they age - it's from the hormones as they change and grow, usually start noticing when they are coming into lay or mating age

Cute pic! Even though they are in a cool environment their body temp is still really high, usually 100-106 degrees. Lots of veins run through their feet so the will stretch them out to get air flow over them and pant to help cool themselves. It sounds normal to me (not an expert by any means) ours did the same thing and still do. They are wearing a down jacket after all.

X2 - try wearing a down coat in your room all night - you might pant too... : ) As long as you are providing water and everything that you are already doing, it should be fine.

 

[duck commander]

 

[chickensnewtome]

I'M IN LOVE

 

[Islandducklady]

My "boys" seems to love fresh chopped iceberg lettuce - it is a special treat for them.