Raising and caring for ducklings

[jtn42248]

.... Guess I just can't raise Ducks and Chickens together!!!!!

I know plenty of people who do (raise them together) with no problem...I don't know how but they do. Plus there are a number of posts here that say it is o.k. to do so. However, I keep by birds apart. Chickens have their own coop and run, ducks have theirs and geese have theirs. The only time they are remotely together is when I let them out to free range and that is only when I am there with them...mainly to protect from flying predators but also the keep the peace. I am going to have to create a separate free range for the geese though as they are getting more and more aggressive toward both the chickens and the ducks. I admit that I am lucky to have enough space to do all this. If I had less space I would have to focus on only one type of bird.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know plenty of people who do (raise them together) with no problem...I don't know how but they do. Plus there are a number of posts here that say it is o.k. to do so. However, I keep by birds apart. Chickens have their own coop and run, ducks have theirs and geese have theirs. The only time they are remotely together is when I let them out to free range and that is only when I am there with them...mainly to protect from flying predators but also the keep the peace. I am going to have to create a separate free range for the geese though as they are getting more and more aggressive toward both the chickens and the ducks. I admit that I am lucky to have enough space to do all this. If I had less space I would have to focus on only one type of bird.

I have chickens and ducks together and now goslings in the mix but I never let my babies wander around without supervision, I learned the hard way.

 

[Lacrystol]

X2

HE"S FINE, He's got some scratches and marks but when I got home, He was up and walking. He must be very SORE.

 

[Miss Lydia]

HE"S FINE, He's got some scratches and marks but when I got home, He was up and walking. He must be very SORE.

That's great news. poor thing to encounter a mean roo right off the bat. Glad to hear he is up moving around.

 

[holm25]

That's great news. poor thing to encounter a mean roo right off the bat. Glad to hear he is up moving around.

x2

 

[holm25]

HE"S FINE, He's got some scratches and marks but when I got home, He was up and walking. He must be very SORE.

He's probably going to be scared of chickens because I don't think he will forget all that trauma .

 

[Lacrystol]

He's probably going to be scared of chickens because I don't think he will forget all that trauma .

Well He'll have to get over it because right now, I have him and mommy and his other two siblings, locked up in the coop with Silkies. Although silkies won't do a thing to them, I think they are more scared of them then anything. LOL But perhaps this will help his FEAR. LOL.

IT'S SOOO CUTE TO SEE THOSE LITTLE GUYS FOLLOWING MOMMA...

 

[Lacrystol]

I have Raised chickens and Ducks for several years, I don't know why all of a suddenly these hens and roosters decided to Flip this poor baby around, this is the FIRST time, I have had a momma duck use the Nesting boxes to hatch out babies. Usually my ducks go out into the woods or in the tall grass so perhaps the chickens felt threatened by her.

 

[Silvester]

I hope this is the right spot for this question and it hasn't been asked a dozen times before....


A month or so back one of my Pekins had an eye infections. It was all crusted up and sealed shut, at first glance I though something had plucked his eye out because the dirt, feathers and goo made it look like an empty eye socket. I applied a wash washcloth several times a day for three days straight and eventually found a wood chip between the outer eye lid and the inner lid. I got the wood chip out and did a few more warm washcloths and let him heal - he had torn the outer eyelid trying to scratch at the chip. Obviously he has a bit of a scar on his eye lid, but he seemed to be back to normal.

A few days ago it looked like his eye had turned white, I was afraid he had lost the eye and gone blind. Once I caught him it turned out to just be a white froth in the front corner of his eye, another warm washcloth and I didn't see any froth the rest of the day. This morning he has the froth again...



I'm just beginning my second year with critters and know nothing....

Is this a new infection? A continuation of the old infection? A tear duct issue? A nasal issue? Temporary? Deadly? Contagious?

 

[Amiga]

I hope this is the right spot for this question and it hasn't been asked a dozen times before....


A month or so back one of my Pekins had an eye infections. It was all crusted up and sealed shut, at first glance I though something had plucked his eye out because the dirt, feathers and goo made it look like an empty eye socket. I applied a wash washcloth several times a day for three days straight and eventually found a wood chip between the outer eye lid and the inner lid. I got the wood chip out and did a few more warm washcloths and let him heal - he had torn the outer eyelid trying to scratch at the chip. Obviously he has a bit of a scar on his eye lid, but he seemed to be back to normal.

A few days ago it looked like his eye had turned white, I was afraid he had lost the eye and gone blind. Once I caught him it turned out to just be a white froth in the front corner of his eye, another warm washcloth and I didn't see any froth the rest of the day. This morning he has the froth again...



I'm just beginning my second year with critters and know nothing....

Is this a new infection? A continuation of the old infection? A tear duct issue? A nasal issue? Temporary? Deadly? Contagious?

Sounds like foamy eye. (You can start your own thread about this - it is okay to ask a question that has already been asked, at least it's okay with me!)

Could be a new problem, could be a flare-up, perhaps some of the bacteria were not completely knocked out. Treated, it is not deadly, and probably is not contagious.

Head washers are great - in fact, our water bowls are also head washers - it's just a clean (I know, it's relative with ducks) water bucket they can wash their entire heads in many times a day, to get rid of dust and debris. I use stew pots. You can add some apple cider vinegar (many recommend the unpasteurized, unfiltered kind) to the water. It is mildly antibacterial. One tablespoon per gallon is what I would try for a few days, anyway.

You can make a saline solution and dribble that into the eye three times a day for several days, you can get some Vetericyn ophthalmic gel, or Vetericyn spray and mist the eye.