Someone tell me...

[Here come the ducks]

Oh! I've been thinking about you and your duckings! They are all grown up now! It happens so quickly, right?

I'm glad your one baby is feeling better in regards to her leg issues.

Ducks are so messy. I understand - I get overwhelmed just cleaning up my ducks' barn room every weekend. I loved the time when they were babies, but the cleaning was intense. I gave my babies food and water at night when they were young enough to need added heat. I was tempted to continue giving it to them. They made their bedding so wet that I quickly took away water and food at night, and only gave them water and food outside during the day. I verified with my avian veterinarian that ducks do not need water all night, as long as they have access to water all day.

My ducks actually prefer the cold to the heat. They get visibly uncomfortable in the 80 degree weather I love and are perfectly comfortable in weather I'm shivering in. My only concern with your ducks being in 30 degree weather is the temperature extreme of going from inside to outside. It's hard not to be anthropomorphic, but ducks are very different animals than us and experience temperature quite differently - in my opinion.

Oh! I've been thinking about you and your duckings! They are all grown up now! It happens so quickly, right?

I'm glad your one baby is feeling better in regards to her leg issues.

Ducks are so messy. I understand - I get overwhelmed just cleaning up my ducks' barn room every weekend. I loved the time when they were babies, but the cleaning was intense. I gave my babies food and water at night when they were young enough to need added heat. I was tempted to continue giving it to them. They made their bedding so wet that I quickly took away water and food at night, and only gave them water and food outside during the day. I verified with my avian veterinarian that ducks do not need water all night, as long as they have access to water all day.

My ducks actually prefer the cold to the heat. They get visibly uncomfortable in the 80 degree weather I love and are perfectly comfortable in weather I'm shivering in. My only concern with your ducks being in 30 degree weather is the temperature extreme of going from inside to outside. It's hard not to be anthropomorphic, but ducks are very different animals than us and experience temperature quite differently - in my opinion.

I wanted to add to what I said in Mumbai last response to you.. lol
Yes yes the mess with water is really amazing!!
I agree with you ... we have a tendency to imagine they feel what we feel and it is just not the case ... hard to remember ... also.. I think mine actually enjoy the cold as well!!
Even when they were little tots they moved away from the heat lamp!!
Anyway.. you guys are all so great ... I really appreciate all the help and support !!
Hey ... I forgot to mention in my last response to you... YES they do make a mess at night ... I feel soooooo guilty taking the water ... but boy oh boy it’s getting to be a bit !!
Lol
I have never ever seen anything like what ducks do with water !!!! UNr

 

[CoriM]

Oh my that does sound like so so much on you.. I’m sorry. I can try imagine how much a of heartache his has been for you.. they are certainly lucky to have someone like you to care for them... I am sure your frustration level was though the roof!
I think the splayed leg thing is what is going on with my duck.. she continues to struggle when she walks and they said it too was bc of fast growth rate ... it is so sad to see her struggle ... how did you reverse it ?

I am sure you did everything you were supposed to do and then even more .. maybe the universe knew it would take someone with your heart to care for them.. not everyone can do what you’ve done ... you are a special person; I know just doesn’t make it easier .. but I do hope it gets easier for you.

I think I missed part of your earlier story. Did you end up getting the vitamin B complex for your duck that's struggling? I dosed that every day for several weeks. I also put hobbles made with vet wrap on until she was strong enough to walk on her own - also several weeks. If you haven't done these two things I strongly recommend it. My duck is great now with no walking issues, although maybe a tiny bit slower than the others. Here is a video of her walking with her hobbles.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

In my research leading up to getting ducks I had read they were pretty hardy but I haven't really found that to be the case. One of my pekins grew so fast she developed splay leg - which we were able to reverse, thankfully! I've had several cases of bumblefoot, including one that ended with euthanasia, sadly. This despite trying many different substrates for their run. At one time I was soaking feet for three ducks every day, which is just time consuming and gets to be frustrating. I had a duck with an eye infection, which was easy to clear up with meds. One of my pekins was having her feathers pulled by one of the other pekins and I had no idea it was going on, despite how often I was out in their run or watching them outside. This resulted in patches of raw skin and occasional bleeding, for which I saw two vets and spent hundreds of dollars trying every remedy they could think of for her mystery skin ailment - oh brother, what a waste of money and my poor duck was tortured with so many medications and treatments! I was SO thankful to finally discover what was happening there so I could remedy the situation. Now one of my welsh has been doing a weird head-shaking thing every once in awhile for a couple months and may have something trapped in her trachea (still trying to figure this one out). I think I've just had bad luck, despite my efforts to do everything perfectly and take the best care of them. I don't want to put a damper on your duck love, but you asked, and these were the surprises I've had in a year and a half of duck ownership. I would still do it all again. I'm sure you won't have all these issues - probably none!! But if anything pops up, you have good resources here at BYC.

Pekin ducks seem to have the most issues out of all the ducks I read about on this forum.
They were meant to be raised for meat..not pets. That is why they grow too fast and end up having so many issues when you keep them beyond the age they were meant to be butchered.

 

[Here come the ducks]

Pekin ducks seem to have the most issues out of all the ducks I read about on this forum.
They were meant to be raised for meat..not pets. That is why they grow too fast and end up having so many issues when you keep them beyond the age they were meant to be butchered.

Pekin ducks seem to have the most issues out of all the ducks I read about on this forum.
They were meant to be raised for meat..not pets. That is why they grow too fast and end up having so many issues when you keep them beyond the age they were meant to be butchered.

Pekin ducks seem to have the most issues out of all the ducks I read about on this forum.
They were meant to be raised for meat..not pets. That is why they grow too fast and end up having so many issues when you keep them beyond the age they were meant to be butchered.

Well, perhaps an another way of looking at that is to say once again humans created a disaster ... they were bred over years to BE meat products , by humans ... that was not how they naturally were... we ( humans) create all kinds of problems for wildlife and this earth in general.
Perhaps we should not have started deciding that humans should treat them like commodities, instead of living creatures who have a right to a life that is free from our inhumane treatment of them... just my little take of things ... I am Vegan.

I think I missed part of your earlier story. Did you end up getting the vitamin B complex for your duck that's struggling? I dosed that every day for several weeks. I also put hobbles made with vet wrap on until she was strong enough to walk on her own - also several weeks. If you haven't done these two things I strongly recommend it. My duck is great now with no walking issues, although maybe a tiny bit slower than the others. Here is a video of her walking with her hobbles.

I think I missed part of your earlier story. Did you end up getting the vitamin B complex for your duck that's struggling? I dosed that every day for several weeks. I also put hobbles made with vet wrap on until she was strong enough to walk on her own - also several weeks. If you haven't done these two things I strongly recommend it. My duck is great now with no walking issues, although maybe a tiny bit slower than the others. Here is a video of her walking with her hobbles.

First... OMG how precious!!!
Second ... my vet keeps telling me she doesn’t need need the niacin... but I bought it and now I have to figure out how to dose her ... ugh.. it isn’t in a liquid dropper but it looks like one dropper is 80mg and I believe they are only supposed to get 10-20 mhm

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Well, perhaps an another way of looking at that is to say once again humans created a disaster ... they were bred over years to BE meat products , by humans ... that was not how they naturally were... we ( humans) create all kinds of problems for wildlife and this earth in general.
Perhaps we should not have started deciding that humans should treat them like commodities, instead of living creatures who have a right to a life that is free from our inhumane treatment of them... just my little take of things ... I am Vegan.


First... OMG how precious!!!
Second ... my vet keeps telling me she doesn’t need need the niacin... but I bought it and now I have to figure out how to dose her ... ugh.. it isn’t in a liquid dropper but it looks like one dropper is 80mg and I believe they are only supposed to get 10-20 mhm

Hey I am not arguing whether or not they should have been bred and raised for that purpose. I was simply making the point that since the Pekin breed was intended to be a meat bird they are going to be prone to foot and leg issues from being so heavy.

 

[KaleIAm]

Well, perhaps an another way of looking at that is to say once again humans created a disaster ... they were bred over years to BE meat products , by humans ... that was not how they naturally were... we ( humans) create all kinds of problems for wildlife and this earth in general.
Perhaps we should not have started deciding that humans should treat them like commodities, instead of living creatures who have a right to a life that is free from our inhumane treatment of them... just my little take of things ... I am Vegan.

Woohoo! Go vegan! <3

 

[KaleIAm]

Hey I am not arguing whether or not they should have been bred and raised for that purpose. I was simply making the point that since the Pekin breed was intended to be a meat bird they are going to be prone to foot and leg issues from being so heavy.

It is sadly true that my pekin has had the most foot issues of any of my ducks, but she also has the most wonderful personality. I feel like my life revolves around keeping that duck alive.

 

[Here come the ducks]

Hey I am not arguing whether or not they should have been bred and raised for that purpose. I was simply making the point that since the Pekin breed was intended to be a meat bird they are going to be prone to foot and leg issues from being so heavy.

Hey I am not arguing whether or not they should have been bred and raised for that purpose. I was simply making the point that since the Pekin breed was intended to be a meat bird they are going to be prone to foot and leg issues from being so heavy.

OMG... i so hope what I said didn’t come off as angry... ugh... so sorry ... yes i am sure you were not saying any of that for sure .. ugh I think I reacted bc I had a neighbor who walked over the other day while my hubby and I were in the duck run.. enjoying them and then told me a story about how her friend had children who had taken the ducklings after they were incubated in class home ... the 2 ducklings imprinted on them very much so.. would wait For the little boy to get home from school and when the bus dropped him off the ducklings would walk him to the house the ducks lived in the house with the family ... well after about 4 months when winter came they thought “ well we can’t keep them more now” and brought them to a pond and left them... the duck s chard jen car down the road after them... and they never turned nice turned back to get them ... I was so so so so so upset by this story ... so I think you got my feelings about the mistreatment of animals ... gosh I hope I wasn’t mean sounding ... if so I’m sorry.

You guys are all so so helpful.. and kind. Ugh that story...

 

[Here come the ducks]

OMG... i so hope what I said didn’t come off as angry... ugh... so sorry ... yes i am sure you were not saying any of that for sure .. ugh I think I reacted bc I had a neighbor who walked over the other day while my hubby and I were in the duck run.. enjoying them and then told me a story about how her friend had children who had taken the ducklings after they were incubated in class home ... the 2 ducklings imprinted on them very much so.. would wait For the little boy to get home from school and when the bus dropped him off the ducklings would walk him to the house the ducks lived in the house with the family ... well after about 4 months when winter came they thought “ well we can’t keep them more now” and brought them to a pond and left them... the duck s chard jen car down the road after them... and they never turned nice turned back to get them ... I was so so so so so upset by this story ... so I think you got my feelings about the mistreatment of animals ... gosh I hope I wasn’t mean sounding ... if so I’m sorry.

You guys are all so so helpful.. and kind. Ugh that story...

That was supposed to say the ducks were chasing them down the road and the people never turned back to them...

 

[Here come the ducks]

It is sadly true that my pekin has had the most foot issues of any of my ducks, but she also has the most wonderful personality. I feel like my life revolves around keeping that duck alive.