Pekin Duck Club!

[The Banty barn]

One more thing, my two male ones are fighting (I think over my one female) they won't kill each other, right...?

I don't think kill each other, because they have nothing to kill each other with.

 

[duck hatcher]

ok, thanks. I was just making sure their little sharp teeth wouldn't feel different on a duck instead of a human.. (I'm kinda new with ducks, I just let them do whatever till I found BYC) Is it normal for the males to be bigger and taller than the female? Sorry about so many questions, I just never realized how much care they need!

 

[The Banty barn]

...

ok, thanks. I was just making sure their little sharp teeth wouldn't feel different on a duck instead of a human.. (I'm kinda new with ducks, I just let them do whatever till I found BYC) Is it normal for the males to be bigger and taller than the female? Sorry about so many questions, I just never realized how much care they need!
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Sometimes the females are smaller, mine are the same size.

 

[duck hatcher]

Oh ok. I thought my female wasn't really right when she was fully grown lol! I remember when the first month I got them, I would walk around the hill in my front yard and they would follow me! They were SOOO cute! Now their all grown up, and I have a very friendly female, a very nice (and picked on) medium sized male, and a pretty big, mean, fighting, male. It's kinda sad that my female one lost her oils cause of that huge male duck, and my nice male one has the same problem! Sometimes I feel like getting rid of that mean duck

Luckily, I got it to leave my chickens alone, along with the other two, so now, the chickens are the bosses!

 

[duck hatcher]

Hey, I'm outta dat brooder! I get excited over the tiny things in life, sometimes.

 

[Amiga]

Hello! My soon to be ex husband surprised me with a Pekin for Valentines. I had been asking for a duck pretty much for the entire 7 years we were together, why he decided just months before our divorce is beyond me. We raised chickens when we lived out in the country - bard rock, road island reds, crested polish, fancy foots, I can't even remember all the different breeds we had (I miss my chickens) but anyways about 2 weeks ago now poor Rosie was attacked (I assume) by something and was found in the back yard just laying on the ground. She's able to hop on one foot but the left leg seemed broken so I followed google advice and local farmers advice of resetting and splinting it (The injury and repair both happened the same day) She's eating, seems to sleep okay, doesn't seem to be in any pain but cannot put any weight on that left leg or even fully extend it. I'm afraid I'm going to lose my sweet Rosie.

I'm open to any and all advice. I just want her well again. She's been such a sweet duck, she follows me around the yard and likes to stand on the front porch and peck at the door - taunting the cats I think or just wanting to be let back in. Currently I've made a lil house for her out of a large tote, i keep it lined with a soft towel and some cedar shavings, she has fresh water and I change out her box at least once every two days if not more often depending on cleanliness.

Before she broke her leg I was allowing her to swim in the tub - as seen in my avatar - but I've been afraid to do so until she's healed which I have no idea how long it takes. I broke my arm in 04 in a bad car accident and it took 6-8 weeks for it to heal. IDK in duck terms. I don't want to have to put her down because I have no idea how to process a duck - nor would I really want to. Any help would be appreciated.....Take care fellow Pekin owners. Night night.

The vet would be best. In the meantime, do let her float in a tub of warmish water. If she were hatched around Valentine's Day, she would have been only 2 or 3 weeks old when the attack occurred. Or if she were out in a yard, she could have broken it herself if her leg fell between the cracks in two boards, or she jumped off a foot-high step. Their legs are their weak spot.

Do not leave her alone in the tub. Stay with her and watch every moment, don't have her in there more than ten or fifteen minutes. You don't want her to get chilled or over-tired. Watch how she moves the leg. Often an injured duck will move quite gingerly - I would not be very worried about her hurting herself - but it's your call. I would want to get a really good look at the leg and, importantly, get her weight off the leg for a while for some relief. Also, hydrotherapy is good for the circulation in the legs.

After tub time, I would wrap the entire leg in an Epsom salt compress. (2 tablespoons Epsom salt, half a cup of lukewarm water, clean rag). Hold it on her for ten minutes unless she squirms too much.

While it's not modern medicine, and not a substitute for a vet, I would get some comfrey herb and make a tea, cool it, and make a compress of that also. There are some salves that contain comfrey, and a cream called T-Relief. I have used it on myself and my ducks for leg injuries.

Give her some poultry vitamins in her water twice a week to help, also.

Is she getting extra B vitamins? If she's eating chick starter I recommend extra B's, either a tablespoon of brewer's yeast (not baking yeast) on her food once a day, or plain niacin, 150 mg per gallon of drinking water for her first 8 weeks, or a B-Complex and use the amount of niacin (B3) as a guide for how much to put in each gallon of water.

 

[Amiga]

One more thing, my two male ones are fighting (I think over my one female) they won't kill each other, right...?

I am less concerned about your males than your female - the general rule of thumb about drake to duck ratio is 1 to 3, up to 1 to 6. Your girl's life depends on you protecting her. Please do not let her become a sad statistic.

As cute and sweet as drakes can be, when hormones kick in, they become self-centered. And some, not all, but some, have hurt or even killed ducks mating with them.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

ok, thanks. I was just making sure their little sharp teeth wouldn't feel different on a duck instead of a human.. (I'm kinda new with ducks, I just let them do whatever till I found BYC) Is it normal for the males to be bigger and taller than the female? Sorry about so many questions, I just never realized how much care they need!

Sounds like you need a few more ladies and a few less gentlemen in your flock! The breeding season is in full swing, and males can be really aggressive to each other and to the hens. Some of my boys are sporting some pretty mangled primaries, and I have more hens than drakes. Those little straining teeth on their bills can rip out feathers and do considerable damage. If you've ever been bitten by a duck, you know they tend to not want to let go - and they will use this grip to drag each other around. Males are usually a pound or two heavier than females, and are built heavier overall. Hens are fine sharing drakes, but drakes will compete fiercely for control of a group of hens. I would seriously consider separating your males for safety for the moment, and either rehoming one or getting a few more hens. If you leave one with the hen I would watch to make sure he isn't too rough with her.

 

[duck hatcher]

Sounds like you need a few more ladies and a few less gentlemen in your flock! The breeding season is in full swing, and males can be really aggressive to each other and to the hens. Some of my boys are sporting some pretty mangled primaries, and I have more hens than drakes. Those little straining teeth on their bills can rip out feathers and do considerable damage. If you've ever been bitten by a duck, you know they tend to not want to let go - and they will use this grip to drag each other around. Males are usually a pound or two heavier than females, and are built heavier overall. Hens are fine sharing drakes, but drakes will compete fiercely for control of a group of hens. I would seriously consider separating your males for safety for the moment, and either rehoming one or getting a few more hens. If you leave one with the hen I would watch to make sure he isn't too rough with her.

Ok, thanks. It's pretty much only my biggest one (of course) that's a problem. Luckily I made them be nice to my chickens! But hormones might change that..

 

[duck hatcher]

I am less concerned about your males than your female - the general rule of thumb about drake to duck ratio is 1 to 3, up to 1 to 6. Your girl's life depends on you protecting her. Please do not let her become a sad statistic.

As cute and sweet as drakes can be, when hormones kick in, they become self-centered. And some, not all, but some, have hurt or even killed ducks mating with them.

Thanks, I'll have to watch my biggest male. He's the boss, but still doesn't mess with my chickens, weirdly.