SWEDISH Duck Thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bird9]

No chewing out necessary! I just hatched 10 chicken eggs and knew a duck was slipped in and incubated anyways. Now I have a duck who might just think she's a chicken! We all make decisions we wonder about later.

My Swedish (which I got from eggs at Metzer's) started laying at about 24 weeks. She just stopped laying 3 days ago after 220 days with only 4 skipped days! Great layer! I have she and her Drake separated from the chickens by a fence, as he insists on trying to make duckens with my hens lol! We built my duck hen a little box and she goes in there daily to lay. Not sure this was ANY help at all, but Good luck on your decision

BTW The white duck in my avatar is my swedish - she is leucistic

 

[rancher hicks]

I would have them in their own coop if I could swing it. And by the way, we don't know how each flock of ducks will work out until we have them. Our first additions to our flock integrated very easily. The next little batch - oh, not so much. We are all winging it. (Even if we don't admit that

) Some of us have tried things a number of times and have a better idea of how it will turn out. But there are always surprises.

Keep an eye on the drakes, some of them are too pushy and injure females. Just a heads-up, not a guarantee. My runners started at just past 16 weeks for the earliest, took another 6 weeks for everyone to get on board. Larger ducks, like yours, generally take a bit longer to mature. So I would guess maybe 24 weeks . . . .

Now I knew Geese males could be mean but not ducks. Is there a chance one or both of these guys will be mean?

I mentioned on another thread that I planned to attach a separate smaller lean to type coop to the end of one of these chicken runs. It will be at ground level with a dirt floor and have it's own opening into the same run where they chickens spend much of there time in the winter. Will that work out okay? It will be about 8' LX 3 or 4'W X 4' H at the front with a nice slant for rain to run off.

I don't plan on getting more ducks and haven't decided whether to keep these. They're really not that much work so far. I let them out and they do their thing in the yard. They're not super friendly but I do like them.

Wife just had surgery for B. C. and we're playing it by ear. We'll see how treatments go. I do have help but with chickens too, it's one day at a time.

 

[rancher hicks]

No chewing out necessary! I just hatched 10 chicken eggs and knew a duck was slipped in and incubated anyways. Now I have a duck who might just think she's a chicken! We all make decisions we wonder about later.

My Swedish (which I got from eggs at Metzer's) started laying at about 24 weeks. She just stopped laying 3 days ago after 220 days with only 4 skipped days! Great layer! I have she and her Drake separated from the chickens by a fence, as he insists on trying to make duckens with my hens lol! We built my duck hen a little box and she goes in there daily to lay. Not sure this was ANY help at all, but Good luck on your decision

BTW The white duck in my avatar is my swedish - she is leucistic

It was great help and I feel a little better. I posted them to CL but no one wanted to pay my price so they're staying for now. They seem okay though a separate coop is in the works.

I too had a friend give me eggs to stick under a broody hen and three were ducks. She thought it was very funny. I made her come and get them as I was not up for ducks at the time.

I only wish NYS had more months of good weather. Last winter was harsh.

 

[Amiga]

Now I knew Geese males could be mean but not ducks. Is there a chance one or both of these guys will be mean?

I mentioned on another thread that I planned to attach a separate smaller lean to type coop to the end of one of these chicken runs. It will be at ground level with a dirt floor and have it's own opening into the same run where they chickens spend much of there time in the winter. Will that work out okay? It will be about 8' LX 3 or 4'W X 4' H at the front with a nice slant for rain to run off.

I don't plan on getting more ducks and haven't decided whether to keep these. They're really not that much work so far. I let them out and they do their thing in the yard. They're not super friendly but I do like them.

Wife just had surgery for B. C. and we're playing it by ear. We'll see how treatments go. I do have help but with chickens too, it's one day at a time.

Understood. I will say that I have found ducks are very therapeutic. Just sayin'

Technically, there is always a chance a drake will turn out to be difficult. Many of them are just fine. I like to warn people ahead of time to avoid heartache. Odds are pretty good they will not be a problem.

If you have some kind of guard against things digging under and into the coop, I think that sounds fine. I would place a swim pan (I use concrete mixing pans) at the lowest point in the run with some smooth pea gravel and sand under it, and make sure that the splashed water has a place to run to outside the pen. I have a shallow channel to a garden. Fertilizes and waters for no extra effort. I have amazing garden beds in that area!

My prayers for post surgery recovery that is rapid and complete, may you be surrounded by people who are truly helpful, and have many bright years ahead of you.

 

[PeepnQuack12]

Our blue Swedish duckling has a really bloated stomach. It feels kind of hard, and she sort of sinks when she swims. She sleeps more then the others. She's about a week old now. When she was born, she had lots of seizures and couldn't walk properly. We nursed her back, but now her tummy is a balloon, anyone ever heard of something like this and what I can do?? She doesn't have seizures anymore and walks fine. She also breathes faster and heavier. Other then that she acts normal. Anything I can do??

 

[ClucksnDucks11]

Could I join? I have a black Swedish and a Yellow Swedish.

 

[Amiga]

Our blue Swedish duckling has a really bloated stomach. It feels kind of hard, and she sort of sinks when she swims. She sleeps more then the others. She's about a week old now. When she was born, she had lots of seizures and couldn't walk properly. We nursed her back, but now her tummy is a balloon, anyone ever heard of something like this and what I can do?? She doesn't have seizures anymore and walks fine. She also breathes faster and heavier. Other then that she acts normal. Anything I can do??

My first thought is that there may be an impaction in her digestive tract. You could give her a quarter teaspoon of coconut oil - it may loosen something up, and it is said to have anti fungal properties, so if it is a yeast overgrowth (imbalance in gut flora) it may help.

Probiotics may also help, and you can get poultry probiotics, or some people put a little plain yogurt in water.

Does she get grit? has she been getting treats if she has not had grit? That can cause impaction. How is her poop?

 

[PeepnQuack12]

My first thought is that there may be an impaction in her digestive tract.  You could give her a quarter teaspoon of coconut oil - it may loosen something up, and it is said to have anti fungal properties, so if it is a yeast overgrowth (imbalance in gut flora) it may help.

Probiotics may also help, and you can get poultry probiotics, or some people put a little plain yogurt in water.

Does she get grit?  has she been getting treats if she has not had grit?  That can cause impaction.  How is her poop?

she gets grit. She had some yams and sprouts recently. Her poo seems normal to me. I'll go do some of that stuff. Thanks

 

[rancher hicks]

Could I join? I have a black Swedish and a Yellow Swedish.

I did not know there was a Yellow Swedish.

Of course you can join, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[rancher hicks]

My first thought is that there may be an impaction in her digestive tract. You could give her a quarter teaspoon of coconut oil - it may loosen something up, and it is said to have anti fungal properties, so if it is a yeast overgrowth (imbalance in gut flora) it may help.

Probiotics may also help, and you can get poultry probiotics, or some people put a little plain yogurt in water.

Does she get grit? has she been getting treats if she has not had grit? That can cause impaction. How is her poop?

Do ducks need grit? I'm new to ducks and I do put it out for the chickens, but I'm counting on the friendly folks of BYC to educate me about ducks.