The Duck Thread

[gander007]

I live in a lake and my ducks are out on the water full time. Today when I went out to feed them I noticed two of my eight Pekin/Rouens were shivering. It's in the 20s here. Is that bad? Will she be okay? I have a pen I can put them in but I don't have a heat lamp or water heater. I rarely pen them too so I don't want to stress them out. Last year they did fine on the water all winter so I don't know what to do!

My geese have been shivering in the morning also so I have been feeding them a little bit more corn and that seems to calm them down and in the evening I have been feeding cooked warm rice with beans and for some reason they seem to be much happier but I also noticed the geese and ducks have been snoozing on their wood platform .....



This is a photo of their feeding platform but I have also had to wash it off every day ...

 

[Charlielou14]

My geese have been shivering in the morning also so I have been feeding them a little bit more corn and that seems to calm them down and in the evening I have been feeding cooked warm rice with beans and for some reason they seem to be much happier but I also noticed the geese and ducks have been snoozing on their wood platform ..... Okay, thank you! Just wanted to make sure they were okay and weren't gonna freeze or get sick. I will feed them more. This is a photo of their feeding platform but I have also had to wash it off every day ...

 

[tomynoks]

Were they shivering or preening?? No expert here, but when my ducks preen they make some moves that look like shivering. Today I released Buffy the Earwig Slayer back to the flock and welcomed Miss Pepper Potts to Uncle Toms Ducky Dayspa. She was limping badly. So now she's enjoying her warm soak to be followed with niacin spiked water and Epsom salt wraps.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Were they shivering or preening?? No expert here, but when my ducks preen they make some moves that look like shivering. Today I released Buffy the Earwig Slayer back to the flock and welcomed Miss Pepper Potts to Uncle Toms Ducky Dayspa. She was limping badly. So now she's enjoying her warm soak to be followed with niacin spiked water and Epsom salt wraps.

Have you also checked for Bumble foot? Miss Pepper Potts is lovely

 

[Amiga]

I live in a lake and my ducks are out on the water full time. Today when I went out to feed them I noticed two of my eight Pekin/Rouens were shivering. It's in the 20s here. Is that bad? Will she be okay? I have a pen I can put them in but I don't have a heat lamp or water heater. I rarely pen them too so I don't want to stress them out. Last year they did fine on the water all winter so I don't know what to do!

I would be concerned that they are stressed - either from illness or injury, perhaps - I would get them in where it's warmer and dry especially at night. Extra calories (not too much) like some corn or peas or sprouted wheat may help. I'd put some poultry vitamins in their water once a week for a month, too.

You need to watch closely. If they are injured or ill, including anything like lead poisoning, they'll need some help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Amiga is the expert on Runners since that is her main flock so I'm sure she has sound advise about these slim lil ones, I'd say they can't keep in the body heat as well as their pudgy cousins so you may very well have seen shivering. I do give mine whole corn in the afternoons for over night warmth.

 

[Amiga]

As Miss Lydia pointed out, Runners do not have much personal insulation. I have flock members who are not cold hardy. They will shiver, scrunch their necks in, walk stiff-legged. Those are signs that they are at risk of hypothermia, which can be fatal.

Their lives depend on us. Runners came from tropical areas years ago.

 

[casportpony]

My friends ducks:






-Kathy

 

[needlessjunk]

My friends ducks: -Kathy

So pretty!

 

[caesargirl]

My friends ducks: -Kathy

They're very pretty. What breed? Love the chicks in the background too!