The Duck Thread

[Ren2014]

Gibby is a little confused...

Too cute!

This is Biff, my next Waffles-in-training. No duck can replace Waffles in my heart, but I need a buddy duck. It's only been a couple days since her death, but I can already feel the lack of liveliness and personality in my flock. Not that I don't love them too. Waffles was just my gem. Biff sounds almost exactly like her and is LOUD. She also eats fairly readily from my hand, although she didn't today. It took a long time for anyone to bolster enough confidence to eat from my hand without Waffles there to lead the way. Jeepers eventually crept up and got her treats from my hand, and Frankenduck (the drake I suspect is Potato and Waffles' son) soon followed. But Biff never came up to me. She just didn't have the courage without Waffles. I'm determined to work more with her and help her come around. And I can't wait for her to finish her molt, she's been looking scrappy for a while!

Here she is next to Waffles about a month ago eating from my hand. I wish she had this confidence still. Jeepers and Frankenduck are also in this picture. Those four were my little hand feeder gang.

LOVE the names

I'm the "bad" duck mommy. Mine are not quite a year old. We've had lows in the single digits and my ducks don't go in at night either. They have places that they can get out of the wind and snow, but they seem to like it.

I am not saying that i advocate this for others...do what you want with your own... I'm just saying that mine are out and not freezing.

OMG, the snow. I just can't imagine. You're not a bad duck mommy!

 

[AxolotlLove]

Your ducks are so cute :3 I want some black and white ducks they look like Oreos!

 

[PotatoWaffles]

Your ducks are so cute :3 I want some black and white ducks they look like Oreos!

I want a black and white duck too. I can't stop thinking about anconas lol. But after seeing my Cayuga after her first molt, I'm thinking I just have to be patient and then I'll have my black and white duck, lol.

 

[OldMissionChick]

So we let the babes join the flock. There was some fighting but now everyone seems to be getting along.

Sorry about your loss @PotatoWaffles

 

[Miss Lydia]

I want a black and white duck too. I can't stop thinking about anconas lol. But after seeing my Cayuga after her first molt, I'm thinking I just have to be patient and then I'll have my black and white duck, lol.

Pretty..

 

[Gone-Quackers]

How many Drakes are there going to be. ?If you have 2 hens and lots of Drakes, that is not good. The Drakes are too aggressive with only 2 hens. Two hens are just fine with out a Drake. Or if you want 1 drake then you need more hens. The Drakes will fight over the hens.

At my place I have 8 or 9 hens and 2-3 drakes. One of the drakes is kind of weird and may or may not be a drake.

 

[LeannS]

Quote: How many Drakes are there going to be. ?If you have 2 hens and lots of Drakes, that is not good. The Drakes are too aggressive with only 2 hens. Two hens are just fine with out a Drake. Or if you want 1 drake then you need more hens. The Drakes will fight over the hens.
Sorry, I was responding to MandyJ

 

[LeannS]

Question: I have 2 Pekin hens, I have a 10 x 10 covered chainlink fenced pen. I am going to be getting some more ducks in May. How many can this enclosure hold. The older Pekins only stay in the pen at night. They are free range during the day. Once the ducklings get older I would like to move them into this enclosure and eventually they will all be together in there. But I am unsure how many could live in that sized enclosure comfortably. Any ideas?

Thanks!

If you are planning on adding more ducks to your two females, Are they Drakes. ? If you have any more then 1 Drake, you will have a problem because Drakes will fight each other and to many drakes are not good for you 2 hens. If you want pets, then I would forget the Drakes. Unless you are going to eat them.

 

[Ren2014]

So we let the babes join the flock. There was some fighting but now everyone seems to be getting along.

Sorry about your loss @PotatoWaffles

How old are your babies? I still have the Fab 5 separated from the others. They can go nose to nose through fencing but I'm hoping to be able to tell their sex before letting them in with the big ducks.

 

[jtn42248]

Your ducks are so cute :3 I want some black and white ducks they look like Oreos!

Just get some Cayugas and wait long enough and they may accomidate your desire for black and white ducks. I have 16 Cayugas who are almost 3 years old and they are turning whiter each day that goes by...