Pekin Duck Club!

[Apyl]

My 3 week old just puked water and is drooling. I fed it lettuce and tomatoes for a day rather then its normal duck feed. When I gave it the normal feed it ate drank then puked. Is it ok?

Why did you feed it lettuce and tomatoes all day ?
Did it have grit available? How much did you feed it ? Lettuce it not good for ducks, its all water and give diareaha. Anything other than feed should be given in very small portions at this age, with grit available.

 

[countrygirl74]

Anything other than feed should be given in very small portions at this age, with grit available.

X2

Edited to add... my ducks did that once or twice to me after picking them up. I read somewhere that if they had just finished drinking, etc. and you squeeze them by picking them up, it can come back up. So, I think it's pretty normal, but still think you should get them back on their starter feed and slow down on treats. Have fun with your new baby!

 

[3acres]

My ducks did that as well one day.....they've done it once. l stuck my hand of crushed peas out
and right when they first started to go to eat them, they all had water coming out of their beaks and were drooling. I believe in my case it was my fault. I had let them run out of food and water over night and had just filled their water and food that morning. Then went and got them a treat because I felt bad....I think they were too full. I now time their treats when I know they have been just laying around.

 

[lorid]

I'm thinking about getting pekin ducks. I have a couple of questions so I figured I should ask actual pekin duck owners.
I would like to know if I need to wash them and if I do would it be safe to use something like dawn dish soap or like a Johnson's baby shampoo? I would also like to know when I can start letting them swim freely and what I should do to let them swim in the meantime? What kind of environment do they need to sleep in and if they need to be kept warm when they are babies? Any information would help a lot and if anyone has any advice for a beginner I would appreciate it. I hope everyone's ducks are doing fantastic!!

I have 3 pekins myself. You don't need to wash them, they wash themselves up really good. They have special oil in their spit so you will see them cleaning themselves all the time. If you put them in the water, they know what to do. I had my swimming in a tub of water about 3 weeks old. Not too deep yet, they need all their feathers first. Wait til you see them diving around its a blast to watch. You need to house them at night so they don't get eaten by other animals. I use straw and wood chips for their pen. Yes, they need to be warm when they are younger, once they have their white feathers you don't have to warm them. I however, live in Western NY so it gets cold and I'll leave the heat lamb on when it get below 30. My ducks are spoiled. Owning ducks is the best thing ever, they make me really happy.

 

[rachellynn]

Thanks for the response! I was going to buy them their normal grain because they ran out but, it was Easter Sunday and I forgot everything was closed! That's why I have them lettuce and tomatoes for the day. They are back on their normal feed now and not puking or drooling. What are good treats to give them? And they won't hand feed, but that is ok right?

 

[Sadie57]

I, too, am new to this forum. My newly acquired Pekins, a breeding pr. are about a yr. old, laying an egg a day so am feeding them laying crumbles. Is this the right thing to do? We have a small pond but haven't introduced them to it yet. They are roaming our yard, using mud puddles and a sm. Koi pond for cleaning. We put them in a lg. dog kennel at night to protect them from whatever prowls in TN at night. My question is, do we need to fence in our pond to protect them from predators?

 

[PingTN]

I would like to join your Pekin Duck club! My husband ordered three ducklings for me for Easter from the local co-op. The shipment showed up four days late and most of the shipment did not make it! Only one of my ducklings made it and I named her Ping. She was very lonely and peeped all the time so my husband told me to get the rubber duck I had bought for our pup and put it in with her. She was so happy once we did that and talks to it all the time. We have to take it outside with her or she just peeps. We went yesterday to a Tractor Supply thirty miles away to pick up two more but when we got there they did not have any, only Mallards. (Even though I called and asked if they had White Pekin ducks!) We are going today forty miles to try and get her some friends. I just love Pekins! I had some years ago and have always wanted to get some again. Here is Ping's picture right after we put her buddy in.

 

[countrygirl74]

I would like to join your Pekin Duck club! My husband ordered three ducklings for me for Easter from the local co-op. The shipment showed up four days late and most of the shipment did not make it! Only one of my ducklings made it and I named her Ping. She was very lonely and peeped all the time so my husband told me to get the rubber duck I had bought for our pup and put it in with her. She was so happy once we did that and talks to it all the time. We have to take it outside with her or she just peeps. We went yesterday to a Tractor Supply thirty miles away to pick up two more but when we got there they did not have any, only Mallards. (Even though I called and asked if they had White Pekin ducks!) We are going today forty miles to try and get her some friends. I just love Pekins! I had some years ago and have always wanted to get some again. Here is Ping's picture right after we put her buddy in.

That is sooo cute! I have a Ping too - she turned out to be my Jumbo Pekin and I just love her. With my first shipment, only one survived as well and we put a stuffed animal in with her. I kind of spoiled her until we got the 3 others and to this day she is the most friendly. Her name is Yangtze. Have fun!

 

[countrygirl74]

I, too, am new to this forum. My newly acquired Pekins, a breeding pr. are about a yr. old, laying an egg a day so am feeding them laying crumbles. Is this the right thing to do? We have a small pond but haven't introduced them to it yet. They are roaming our yard, using mud puddles and a sm. Koi pond for cleaning. We put them in a lg. dog kennel at night to protect them from whatever prowls in TN at night. My question is, do we need to fence in our pond to protect them from predators?

I can't answer about fencing in the pond as I guess it depends on where you live and what kind of predators you might have... I keep mine in a fenced/covered run unless I am out there with them just to be on the safe side. I would be devastated if I lost one!

As for the layer feed, are they all girls? If not, I would use a grower and then give oyster shell on the side. The extra calcium is too hard on the kidneys for males. When did your Pekins start laying? I am still anxiously waiting!!

 

[chickery-do]

I have 13 chickens and was surprised with 2Pekin ducks from my 22 yr. old son as am Easter present

He was told that they could be raised w/ our girls. So if anyone in you club has some suggestions, give me a shout!