Hello fellow BYCers! I was hoping to get some information that might help my Pekin Duck, "Honey". She is 23 weeks old. During the day, she spends her time with a Buff Orpington Duck, 2 Pekin Drakes, a Cayuga Drake, and a Mallard Drake. They stay on the pond or the pond dam all day. At night (when they participate, they do come off the pond way more often than not), I call them off the pond with " Southern States Floating Fowl Feed" and let them eat in a small area in front of their duck house that is blocked with a play yard to keep them from going back out to the pond. It's usually about 30 minutes until the last Drake is filling up and they're ready to be locked in their duck house for the night. (I call them up just before sun set so they're ready for lock-up by dark) I let them back out on the pond at first light. I know that I have way too many drakes for my 2 ducks. Everyone is the same age with an exception of the Mallard and Cayuga that are one week younger. My 2 Pekin Drakes are not mature yet and do not even attempt to mate with the girls, so that's the only saving grace right now. I hope that was a complete history but feel free to ask for any information needed that I might have left out.
Tonight I noticed that Honey seems quite hoarse and has sneezed several times. She is eating and acting normal otherwise but I was hoping to get ahead of any possible sickness, if she is sick. I have noticed a fish crane hanging out at the pond this evening and every few days for the last month or more and tonight my ducks seemed quite spooked by this crane. We also have Canada Geese in the area right now. Before August 2019, we've always hosted at least 1 Canada Geese pair while they built a nest and hatched out goslings on a small island in the middle of our pond, every year they are migrating through. We have extremely large lakes on the other side of the road in a gated community. The distance between their lake and my pond is less than a quarter mile (way less but I just asked for help in estimating the distance and he is saying less than a quarter mile) and I know they're hosting Canada Geese right now. With all of this shared, what do I need to be on the lookout for? My concerns are the mating attempts that always happen while they're swimming around in the pond. I hope that Honey hasn't experienced a near drowning episode during a mating attempt. I am always nervous about the Buff Duck as the drakes are quite larger than her so she goes under often, but I haven't noticed this with my Pekin Honey. Also, is it common for wild geese and cranes to carry diseases around that could be making my girl sick? Thank you so much for your time
Tonight I noticed that Honey seems quite hoarse and has sneezed several times. She is eating and acting normal otherwise but I was hoping to get ahead of any possible sickness, if she is sick. I have noticed a fish crane hanging out at the pond this evening and every few days for the last month or more and tonight my ducks seemed quite spooked by this crane. We also have Canada Geese in the area right now. Before August 2019, we've always hosted at least 1 Canada Geese pair while they built a nest and hatched out goslings on a small island in the middle of our pond, every year they are migrating through. We have extremely large lakes on the other side of the road in a gated community. The distance between their lake and my pond is less than a quarter mile (way less but I just asked for help in estimating the distance and he is saying less than a quarter mile) and I know they're hosting Canada Geese right now. With all of this shared, what do I need to be on the lookout for? My concerns are the mating attempts that always happen while they're swimming around in the pond. I hope that Honey hasn't experienced a near drowning episode during a mating attempt. I am always nervous about the Buff Duck as the drakes are quite larger than her so she goes under often, but I haven't noticed this with my Pekin Honey. Also, is it common for wild geese and cranes to carry diseases around that could be making my girl sick? Thank you so much for your time
