Show off your house ducks!

[Julie Birb]

I'm very sorry to hear about your troubles, I hope the stress lets up for you soon This spring seems to just have it out for the birds.


Olive's lungs sounded clear to the vet, but they could see the labored breathing and didn't doubt that she had wheezing fits. She's now on an antibiotic (and an antifungal to prevent a form of mouth thrush from said antibiotic) and has proven to be the easiest to dose animal ever because she loves her medicine. Hold the plunger out and she rushes it to gobble it up! I'm glad, I really don't like damaging relationships by prying a bird's mouth open.

We also got our necropsy results for the deceased chicken and it wasn't marek's, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my body. Which it has,very literally. I'd been stressing so much over these birds, having nightmares and forgetting to eat, and fussing over the new baby duckling that I lost 8lbs in the last week. I don't believe in caring too much but if ever there was something to make me almost wish I cared less it is the uncertainty and helplessness that sometimes comes with animal husbandry! It is nice to know Olive and my other birds will be fine, and she'll grow in to perfect hugging size soon enough.

I am celebrating most of my chickens' birthdays this weekend, so Olive will benefit in the way of getting to try mealworms and watermelon for the first time. Do ducks like mealworms as much as chickens...? I have a feeling she'll like the melon more.

AW, thank you. I just love ducks of all kinds and all the posts about their lives and the great people behind them. Sweet how little Olive will benefit from mealworms. I am several days behind here. How is little Olive?

 

[Julie Birb]

Here is Phoebe! She hatched 3 days ago! She's got a crest too. She is a fawn and white runner, but she's only got fawn coloring on her face in stripes. How interesting.... I also got a sweet black runner with a white belly!!! She looks like a PENGUIN! Her name is Charlotte (I call her Char)


I can't get any pics of Char, she is quite fast!

Precious and so cute and I really am in love. Look at her webs. and her little brown buddy behind her. such sweet innocence in these birbs.

 

[Scovy Momma]

Hi everyone! I'm going to be a new duck owner (hopefully) pretty soon, but unfortunately they won't be house ducks for long due to an over-curious dog. :/
I figured I'd join anyways and see if I could pick up some more tips from y'all..... Thanks everyone for all the info here I have already read!
-Banti

Banti!
What 40 assorted ducks didja decide on?

 

[BantyChooks]

Banti!
What 40 assorted ducks didja decide on?

LOL. Not 40, starting with 3 welshies but.... Well, these are straight run and I have an incubator.... *cough*


Three. Yeah, just three. What, those eggs? Nah, those are easter egger eggs.
-Banti

 

[AxolotlLove]

Hey guys I starred a thread for Harmony my (rare) Chocolate Orpington. If you'd like to watch her grow up with me and see what she ends up looking like feel free to subscribe and comment! Her backround and information is on the thread called "Rare! Chocolate Orpington Duck" she is the only duck (I know of) that has that coloring

 

[Julie Birb]

Hey guys I starred a thread for Harmony my (rare) Chocolate Orpington. If you'd like to watch her grow up with me and see what she ends up looking like feel free to subscribe and comment! Her backround and information is on the thread called "Rare! Chocolate Orpington Duck" she is the only duck (I know of) that has that coloring

YAY. I wanna see…..

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Hey guys I starred a thread for Harmony my (rare) Chocolate Orpington. If you'd like to watch her grow up with me and see what she ends up looking like feel free to subscribe and comment! Her backround and information is on the thread called "Rare! Chocolate Orpington Duck" she is the only duck (I know of) that has that coloring

Subscribed... And for those of you too lazy to do the search, here is a link

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1100009/rare-chocolate-orpington-duck

 

[Ravynscroft]

Nah nah, I understand! I apologize if I came off short. I promise I did not mean my response rudely! Sadly they are still too small for mealworms yet it seems, they did their best but couldn't nibble up more than the flakes. Watermelon was a massive hit but I'm regretting it now. It seems Olive's medicines have given her a case of the runs... feeding her a very watery treat is unlikely to help with that haha!

I bet they will get more picky about new stuff once they get a little older, but I've got a trick. I've been presenting all new stuff on the same plate. Started with something I knew would win them over (chopped scrambled eggs) and they get all excited to see it coming ever since! I could probably serve up a shoelace on this and they'd give it their best shot.

Does anyone have a suggestion for what probiotics to use for ducks? I'm trying to research but it is all buried under chickens, chickens, chickens.

Nah, you were fine! Like I said, was just making sure... some aren't aware of that difference between ducks and chickens when it comes to eating dry foods...

As for probiotics... not real sure... yogurt if they'll eat it is usually good, but my ducks always shake their bills at it... I usually just put a little nutridrench in their water and brewers yeast in their food... *I think* the brewers yeast might be a probiotic too, but not totally sure... hope someone corrects me on that if I'm wrong...

Fruits or any veggies with high water content are gonna make the duck poo more splatable, lol... try mashing some thawed frozen peas... once they get fhe taste of those, there usually isn't anything you can't get them to do for peas...

 

[Skink]

AW, thank you. I just love ducks of all kinds and all the posts about their lives and the great people behind them. Sweet how little Olive will benefit from mealworms. I am several days behind here. How is little Olive?

She is doing well! Growing at an alarming rate and getting in to all sorts of trouble. Finally started to get a bit fussy about being given her medicine. I haven't heard any sounds from her to alarm me in a day or so, and the one nostril that kept clogging up finally stopped so she's not exuding anything. She is napping contentedly on my knee right now

Nah, you were fine! Like I said, was just making sure... some aren't aware of that difference between ducks and chickens when it comes to eating dry foods...

As for probiotics... not real sure... yogurt if they'll eat it is usually good, but my ducks always shake their bills at it... I usually just put a little nutridrench in their water and brewers yeast in their food... *I think* the brewers yeast might be a probiotic too, but not totally sure... hope someone corrects me on that if I'm wrong...

Fruits or any veggies with high water content are gonna make the duck poo more splatable, lol... try mashing some thawed frozen peas... once they get fhe taste of those, there usually isn't anything you can't get them to do for peas...

She tried a pea last night! Went absolutely gaga for it. She seems to favor the watermelon but both are very good for getting her to actually take her dips.. she doesn't like being in water AT ALL. Her siblings took to it like, well, ducks to water. Her? She stands there and cries, or now that she's a little bigger, tries throwing herself dramatically out of the container. Giving her something to dabble for is all I can do to get her to dip her bill under.

Right now we've got an unexpected problem. Olive has already come under the notion that she is boss of the house. She's not even as big as my serama roo yet, but today she saw the chickens eating today and made it a point to start biting their faces! Completely ignoring easy food to try and steal it instead. The roo is very patient with her because he thinks he's her dad (broodiest rooster ever) so he just stood there and took it, but my runty LF cochin hen is basically as flabbergasted as me. No one got hurt but now I'm just hoping she grows out of such things before she's bigger than everybody and can actually do some damage with her beak.

 

[Scovy Momma]

LOL. Not 40, starting with 3 welshies but.... Well, these are straight run and I have an incubator.... *cough*


Three. Yeah, just three. What, those eggs? Nah, those are easter egger eggs.

-Banti

3 is closer to 40 than 0 is...
You're almost there!