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

[rancher hicks]

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.

Wonder if I can build a set up with a plug so when I pull it the water runs directly into the garden or compost pile.

Thank you for your prayers we do appreciate them.

 

[RoosterThigh]

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.

My Blue Swede drake is sweet as can be with us humans, but he doesn't like the chickens at all. He is constantly mad at them, attacking and trying to rape them. I've had to lock him up and I hate having him locked up instead of out. I'm going to have to get rid of him unfortunately. If there is a chicken close when I let him out for a little bit with his mate he will go after the chickens instead of go with his mate.

 

[Amiga]

I started giving my ducklings small grit their first week (Storey's Guide).

 

[rancher hicks]

I'm almost certain I have two drakes and once they're out they leave the chickens alone. I have seen my ducks eating from the same tub of feed with some of the chickens.

Now I have to ask. How long do I keep them on Grower/starter feed?

 

[RoosterThigh]

I'm almost certain I have two drakes and once they're out they leave the chickens alone. I have seen my ducks eating from the same tub of feed with some of the chickens.

Now I have to ask. How long do I keep them on Grower/starter feed?

My drake was around the chickens since he was a duckling and never bothered them until he was at full maturity, hopefully yours will stay nice to the rest of the fowl. If you have two drakes and no hens then you can keep them on the grower as they won't need the calcium.

 

[rancher hicks]

My drake was around the chickens since he was a duckling and never bothered them until he was at full maturity, hopefully yours will stay nice to the rest of the fowl. If you have two drakes and no hens then you can keep them on the grower as they won't need the calcium.

I did not know that. How will I tell if they're fully mature? I have 5 ducks two of which I think are males.

I have everyone on Grower. Even the Chickens/hens for now. If there are growing youngsters in the run I put everyone on Grower until they near laying age.

Will the Drakes bother the chickens even if they're in the same yard? Or is it just in the coop?

 

[RoosterThigh]

I did not know that. How will I tell if they're fully mature? I have 5 ducks two of which I think are males.

I have everyone on Grower. Even the Chickens/hens for now. If there are growing youngsters in the run I put everyone on Grower until they near laying age.

Will the Drakes bother the chickens even if they're in the same yard? Or is it just in the coop?

The drakes will get their curly tail feathers and start mating with the females. It was at least after that before my drake started getting nasty with the chickens. Really you need only the 1 drake, I'm afraid with only 3 hens it might be too much for the girls and the males may go after the chickens like mine did. If it were me I would get rid of one before they mature and get the idea. Your one drake to 3 hens is fairly good, they can handle a couple more but hopefully that would be enough to keep his attention.

Hopefully yours will be OK. I had my ducks out all the time except for the evening and every once in a while I would just leave them out all night too. The first time I seen it is when I looked out the window and he was running full tilt at a chicken with his head lowered and his bill open. I thought it was funny at first and the chicken must have done something he didn't like. But it got to where he was chasing them all the time all over the yard and when I seen him get one by the tail feathers and yank a bunch out I started researching it more. I also seen him on top of a chicken once, I think he was trying to mate with her. They can kill a chicken and mess up their reproduction system. He was actually raised at the same time with the chickens, I had 2 brooders going at the same time. Anyway, maybe he doesn't have enough females as he only has the one mate. I got 2 more ducks and am praying they are girls and this calms him down. When a chicken cackles he will go running in that direction like it concerns him. I've had to lock him up and I hate that, I can only let him out right before dark.

As far as the feeding. I have read where some just keep grower for all of their fowl and then leave out oyster shell so they can get their calcium, and you can feed them their crushed egg shells back too. I have done that and it works well. But I can't find grower in pellet form and they probably don't make it that way anyway. My bunch get most of their food from free ranging so it doesn't matter too much for me. I prefer the pellets as there isn't as much waste. Good luck!

 

[Kinmera]

Subscribing to learn about these. My husband and would love to get our hands on some breeding stock someday. That and I have people asking me all the time for duck eggs and meat -there is no one in the are who sells them

 

[rancher hicks]

I noticed one of the five I have has a green bill. What's up with that?

 

[luvmypets]

It may change in time.