Pekin Duck Club!

[Amiga]

I'm not quite sure how to post for some reason??!! I just want to say I'm a city girl with a country guy and I love my 2 ducks!! Milo and Ralph. They are so fun and I enjoy everyday seeing them. Learning a little as I go. My ducks are happy but I am concerned about their feet a bit. They don't have bumble foot but do have possible callouses that could eventually become it. I'm trying to manage it. Any recommendations? Neosporin? HydroCortisone cream? I heard Epsom salt soaking. How do you get a ducks feet in salt for 15min at a time. Is it okay if they soak their whole body in it? I don't think she needs an antibiotic yet? What about just the vetericyn med first on feet? Please help!! Thx

Callouses are normal, just keep an eye on them. Take a look at photo's of bumblefoot in the archives. Sometimes it is minor, sometimes a big problem.

Epsom salts is a laxative, so it would not be good to put their whole body in a tub of it. I use compresses, others use unbreakable bowls and hold the duck so that it is standing in the bowl.

That can be followed by either triple antibiotic ointment or iodine. See this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/802590/questions-about-bumblefoot for some ideas.

 

[goosiemama]

Callouses are normal, just keep an eye on them. Take a look at photo's of bumblefoot in the archives. Sometimes it is minor, sometimes a big problem.

Epsom salts is a laxative, so it would not be good to put their whole body in a tub of it. I use compresses, others use unbreakable bowls and hold the duck so that it is standing in the bowl.

That can be followed by either triple antibiotic ointment or iodine. See this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/802590/questions-about-bumblefoot for some ideas.

I've found it works best if you put the bird in something with low sides like a 8 x 8 cake pan and once she is standing in it, pour in the bathing water to avoid you getting completely soaked. I used tricide neo on my very very infected rescue goose, and it worked like a charm, although it took many weeks to get the bumbles started coming off. I've heard that Epsom salt works just fine, so I'd love to hear back if you are using it. Sure would be cheaper! To keep her in the water I sang to her. Sometimes she wanted to stay in longer if she especially liked the song. Haha

 

[RTFchickens]

Hi Pekin Club!
I just got 2 Pekins (not sure of gender) today off Craigslist. They are about 16 weeks. They are super friendly! We have chickens already, and we have been on the Michigan thread.
I've been reading about Pekins for a while, but I'm sure you guys would have the best advice.

 

[Strawberryswyrl]

Hey, dog food sounds like a great idea. I have 3 dogs so I think I may add some in their food. I'm beginning to think that free roaming ducks know what to eat and the bit that I supplement every day isn't something to be overly concerned about. thanks for the post.

I need some help, well I have 13 week old Pekins one drake one hen and when they are old enough I am putting them on my giant dame I am making them a floating duck house where they can sit on but I am thinking of locking them up in a really big rabbit run at night then letting them out in the mornings is this a good idea?

Hey, yeah, that dog food did them great and I'm glad you liked the post. As for brands, though, stay away from anything below Purina, like that Ol' Roy garbage

I read up on changing from Purina to a more "quality" dog food and found that THAT is not a good idea, either, because the protein content is way too high and the "filler" content, that ducks need, is pretty much eliminated. So a $20 bag of the beef or chicken dry dog food by Purina ONE in the reddish bag from Walmart would feed my two beakie Pekings for over a month! And that was WITH my boyfriend's dog visiting with him on the weekends and sharing some

The food floats right in their water bowl and the beakies love to chomp it down under a minute! But I must warn you, after having the dog food they may never return to their grain!!! Also noteworthy is that the beef dog food makes their poop more pungent than the chicken. I prefer to feed them the chicken and only opt for the beef if Walmart is out of the chicken. However, turkey and lamb is always available, too, but have never tried it. My birds liked the regular adult formula and the "small bite" formula for smaller dogs the same. My Pekings ate nothing but the the dog food their whole lives, plus free-ranging, and grew to be a good size, healthy and happy! Below is a photo of my late Raptor boy. This photo was taken a few weeks before the foxes took my baby away from me. Look at that big, healthy bird!

The Raptor boy at 5 months old.



And Chickaroo I love your idea!!! I wanted to make my beakies a floating duck house at some point but never got around to it! Locking them up at night in a rabbit run sounds just as good as anything, at least to me, so long as they are safe until morning. My two mail-order JUMBO Pekings will hatch soon and be sent to me and I have to get on the ball and build a house and run. They are safe free-ranging during the day, and had always been safe just sleeping on the back porch with the lights on at night when they were *with me.* I have a 6' cedar fence encompassing the back yard and we have not seen a fox, raccoon nor opossum in the yard, but we'd rather be safe than sorry for our next round of beakies. For those of you who don't know, foxes got Billie-Beak and Raptor boy when I left them at my mom's house to watch them while I was out of town a couple weeks ago and she failed to lock them up into the fencing I provided for her. I will miss them forever. They sure were happy, healthy beakies

 

[Strawberryswyrl]

Hi Pekin Club!
I just got 2 Pekins (not sure of gender) today off Craigslist. They are about 16 weeks. They are super friendly! We have chickens already, and we have been on the Michigan thread.
I've been reading about Pekins for a while, but I'm sure you guys would have the best advicHow do they sound when they quack?

How do they sound when they quack? Go to this site to hear the difference between a male and a female,then tell us what you have

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artquacks.htm If one or both ducks sounds like neither in the soundtracks but has a screechy or even, hollowy or whispery quack that isn't even much of a quack, then it is/they are probably a boy(s) who have not yet hit puberty and will not develop their drake vocals for another month or so.

 

[mandycarlo]

[/IMG]My duckies first baby hatched :-0

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[chickarooo]

So so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bducky]

ERMA GERD!! They are sooooooo cute. Cant wait till mine hatch!!!!!

 

[BarredRockGirls]

All my girls are laying now! Sizes vary but that's ok . The kiddos and my Fil have a egg battle on who gets to eat em haha
Good job Cookie Charlotte & Webber!

 

[Amiga]