Ping the Duck: From Micro Duckling to Mega Muscovy (Page 6 Update!)

[Horsefly]

Aww, he is cute. I think the leg peeling is normal. I noticed it on some of my ducks more than others as they were growing.

 

[Kedreeva]

The skin peeling doesn't appear to bother him, nor is it red or puffy, so I will try not to worry too much about it.

In other news, I had a little time today to take pictures of Ping and his room mates, the Peachicks. He is about two weeks old now.

Sometimes, I will admit that he creeps me out a little. He doesn't make any noise (unlike the others, who never shut up) and he's VERY aware of me. If I peek over the edge of the brooder, he tilts his head to the side and looks right at me, silently. And it's not just a look... it's a STARE. Like this:

I mean, the peachicks look at me, but they mostly give me the dumb face while doing it like whut's goin on wheep wheep?

Here he is with his two roomies, who are a week old now.

And one last long, silent stare from my hand.

He is quite the adventure, definitely gives me a reason to look forward to coming home. Eats the wet mash off my fingers now, lets me pet his chest, and gives me the hairy eyeball every time I go near the brooder. The best part about Ping? He doesn't spend his day draining the water tower into the brooder like EVERY OTHER DUCK EVER. I caught him napping by the water bowl with a peachick mashed between him and the wall, with her face pressed to the water bowl.... pretending to be a duck with him.

 

[AdamD77]

He's beautiful

He has such huge eyes!

 

[Hattiegun]

hmmmm.. do u leave your backdoor unlocked? I may sneak in and get that little guy!!
He is soooooooooooo precious.... I hope he does well.... keep us posted.....

 

[Kedreeva]

Quote:
Yep... That's because he should be about twice this size by now... but he's got something wrong with him that's made him stay small. I look at the ducks that are a week older than him and go yeah there's no WAY he's getting that size by next week! I should try to get a pic of the one born July 1st next to him. You would not believe the difference!

And I will do, Hattie. I'm hoping that with enough good thoughts sent his way, he'll magically have a better chance at making it to adulthood.

 

[TriciaHowe]

You mentioned you had muscovies in your pen. I wonder if your duckling is a mule.
Here is an excerpt that I found. Made me wonder since you said yours doesn't make any noise....
Just a thought

He is awfully cute!

Moreover, mule ducklings are easy to raise. They are calm and exceptionally tame. In contrast to the nervous, noisy Pekin, mules are completely silent. Mules swim, an important trait for cooling in hot weather, but do not fly. Mules can be confined by a fence less than half a meter in height.
Eggs that hatch mules require 32 days of incubation.

 

[Kedreeva]

Very interesting. I have never heard of mule ducks! He hatched on time, though, so I'm not sure this is the case. I will definitely keep this possibility in mind, though, for when he gets his big boy feathers in. I am very curious as to what adult feathers he will have so I can make a better guess at his parents.

If it were MY pens, I'd have a better idea of who they were. Unfortunately the eggs were dumped on me by a friend who had no idea about anything, and I got a whole range of hatch dates and a lot of infertile eggs. The oldest two were set to hatch July 4th, they both hatched July 2nd-3rd (overnight) and the second one to hatch had a twisted neck deformity- we named him Stupid Duck, son of Stupid Duck (she has a duck who she later told me had this same problem when young, which makes me ask WHY she is letting this one breed at all), but he's actually the smartest of the group. One from that batch was a muscovy, who hatched on the 12th (2 days late). The second group were a week behind, and 4 of them hatched in one day, 3 days early on the 8th. Ping was born 2 days later (on time) on the 10th. Of the 3 eggs that didn't make it, 2 of them had WILD deformities, and I suspect Ping was on that list but managed to make it.

 

[Wifezilla]

So glad he is doing well!!

 

[Blooming chicks]

He is so adorable!! I hope he does okay for you. Glad you're going to keep us posted.

 

[callducklover20]

I was going to say the same thing about him being a Mule-everything about taking longer to hatch, being quiet etc all points toward that. I get my electrolytes from Tractor supply company if you have one by you, it comes dry in a small bag so you can just mix a little at a time so it doesnt go bad-otherwise I have feed the boiled eggs, mixed with Purina Duck chow starter (very hard to find- I use to use flock raiser but they do so much better on this) there are web sites you can order it if you cant find it. I mix the electolyte water, eggs and duck chow all together and mine chow it down-even the one runt I have started growing quick. Hope the little guy does good-he is so cute!