Pekin Duck Club!

[Amiga]

Thank you! I still need to know why she isn't eating.

What are you offering her? What did she eat before?

Ducks can get depressed. What kind of waterer and feeder are you using?

Trying to get a mental picture for some ideas.

 

[OlivetheDuck]

What are you offering her? What did she eat before?

Ducks can get depressed. What kind of waterer and feeder are you using?

Trying to get a mental picture for some ideas.

I have offered her some lettuce (not Iceberg), boiled egg, some plain ole mashed potatoes, Purina Flock Starter, and freeze dried apples.
I am using a slide top metal long feeder and a quart jar with a quail base. I am keeping her in my room in a big plastic tub, using pine shavings. She is a little bit depressed, and I know because whenever I leave her in her tub alone, she gets all fussy and starts to peep a lot.

 

[Amiga]

I just got a White Pekin duckling, and I am very worried about him/her.

I do not know the gender of my duck, and I have also noticed that it isn't eating very much. I am a little desperate, because I don't want it to starve. Can someone help? Another question I have is: Do White Pekins do well without another duck friend?

Okay, first please review at least the first post here

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

note that a number of us feel that 8 weeks not 2 weeks, is the age to begin limiting feeding times if at all. Most of us offer water and food 24/7. No food without water.

Next, if the duckling has not had grit, then anything but starter crumbles is risky - they cannot "chew." Moistened starter crumbles, changed out after 4 to hours to prevent mold, is probably the way to go. You might try a really wet mix, and offer it on your finger or in your cupped hand.

Single ducklings will be unhappy unless you are with them 24/7, 366 days a year. There are a few people who do that. But most of us cannot swing it, and the duckling needs other ducklings. In the meantime, an unbreakable mirror and stuffed toy (nothing on it that can be pulled and swallowed).

 

[Amiga]

The quail base may be okay for several days but I expect she will quickly outgrow it and be unable to drink well from it.

She needs to be able to dunk her head - there is a picture on the link I gave you.

 

[Jnkbtd08]

they are social any duckling friend would help

 

[Julez21]

Maybe lonely? I wish I could help!!!!

 

[Amiga]

Hope I did not sound cranky. Sometimes I get into problem solving mode and get very concerned about the duckling and forget to say important things like

Thank you for joining the Duck Forum and the Pekin Duck Club! Congratulations on having a duckling! I hope you have a long and happy life together.

And, I am sad to read she's not going great right now.

Hope it all gets sorted out soon. Please keep us posted.

 

[goosiemama]

Hello and welcome

Beautiful Duckies! Where are you in Texas?

 

[goosiemama]

I just got a White Pekin duckling, and I am very worried about him/her.

I do not know the gender of my duck, and I have also noticed that it isn't eating very much. I am a little desperate, because I don't want it to starve. Can someone help? Another question I have is: Do White Pekins do well without another duck friend?

Hello OlivetheDuck. I hope you will decide to get your little duckling a friend. I originally had only one elderly rescue goose. She seemed to do just fine hanging around close to the house with our house pets. She seems to have been hand raised by a human, since she loves getting pets and love from people, and she has lots of visitors because she is so sweet and pretty. But after I took in a Pekin duckling that needed a home, Francie Goose and Gabby Duck have become best friends. Gabby is so much younger, she is lots more active, but she stays pretty close to Francie. Sometimes, if Francie loses track of her, she honks, and Gabby goes running back to her. It's really a sweet relationship. I'm thinking of getting one or two more ducks, cuz I think Gabby would be devastated if she were the only bird out there. Let us know what you decide and best wishes with your little one! In the meantime, definitely get her/him a mirror and a cozy stuffed toy without buttons or anything that can be pulled off and swallowed. I forgot to see if you said how old your little duckling is. Ducks aren't vegetarians like geese. They love mealworms (which you can buy), grubs, and all kinds of little critters they find in the dirt or sand. You might want to try some. Cantaloupe is a favorite of my birds. If your little one is small, you can chop it up real fine, If it's warm enough where you are, you can try taking her outside for a little bit to give her a change of scenery. If you're keeping her inside, it would probably be best to keep her crate in the same room you are in and spend as much time as possible with her. Let us know how she's doing!

 

[jellobutt]

We have 4 pekins 3 female and 1 male. 1 of the females was hatched under a chicken and rejected by that hen. She chomped her to her skull. We thought she was done for. We brought her inside and one of our dogs was very very concerned about the baby. She survived the first night, and the next week, but she was alone. She became friends with the dog. They slept together. Ate out of the same dish. She laid her eggs on his bed. He was stolen almost a year ago and she still calls for him. When she gets out she goes to his outside bed and lays her eggs. I think when you have no other duck friends they will find someone to be friends with. They seem to make very strong bonds. I still look every day for our dog, not just for the kids but for Chomp his duck friend.