The Duck Thread

[caesargirl]

Yeah.. I have Pekins I just can't stand them eating living things xD

Spring time gets a bit gruesome around here... Frogs, baby birds, snakes.... My ducks are my wildlife cleanup crew

 

[Lamaremybabies]

Spring time gets a bit gruesome around here... Frogs, baby birds, snakes.... My ducks are my wildlife cleanup crew

Yeah... Mine are into insects but they don't really go after the frogs and I hope not snakes but sadly I don't trust my drake not to eat a baby bird.. I have chicks and I was holding one and thought I would see how the ducks would react so I walked outside and sat on the steps with it in my hand and my drake was WAY to interested in it.

 

[Ren2014]

Here are a few pics of my loves from this week. They love picking around in the orchard mulch.








We used our first duck eggs to make a homemade breakfast pizza. It was amazing! I can't eat gluten so I make most things from scratch.


And I mentioned on here before we would be getting a new puppy! Here he is, 12 week old Kaiser.

Everything is beautiful! Ducks, dog and pizza

X2

OK I need help! We picked up our new ducklings (2 Cayuga, 2 Blue Swedish and 1 Pekin) on Wednesday of last week. They are growing too fast!!! They have already outgrown the first box (too short to contain them) and the second box will be too small in a week or so. I don't want them to start pecking each other, so far they are one happy family. I know a shortage of space can cause pecking, I am trying to avoid this. When can I realistically expect for these babies to be able to go outside in a protected area? I know they have to be fully feathered but when might that be? We are trying to figure out what we need to do and for how long. HELP!!! Love the babies but just concerned. The Pekin is a whole lot bigger than the smaller Cayuga and Swedish.

I have never had ducklings before; my other 2 ducks came to us when they were 2 or 3 months old (I think). They were fully feathered by then and didn't need to be inside.

One of the little black ducklings jumped out of their container today (it is about 10" high)! I am glad I was out with them to see it or she would have been outside the box without food and water for no telling how long! They have since been moved into a taller box but it will be too small in a week or so.

Thanks in advance.
M

I put mine out as early as 3 weeks because of the warm weather we have. I put a heating pad in with them though and they go into a duck house that is fully enclosed

Do you have something like a wire dog kennel? All my ducks began their lives in one and it worked fine. Otherwise anything that is tall enough and large enough for them to move about, have food and water. You can always cover the top of a box or something like that (a large plastic tote from Walmart about 20 bucks) cover it with a piece of screen or chicken wire as a temporary solution.

I looked at your location and weather. Actually your weather looks pretty good for letting them outside before they are fully feathered. They will need shelter in the night and a secure are to keep them from harm. You look to be in the mid 80's in the day and the 60's at night except for a little cold spell this coming weekend. So, if you move them out make sure they have a warm spot to huddle in without piling up and suffocating the smallest on the bottom. If you use a heat lamp make sure it can not start a fire and that it is securely fastened. Don't depend on just the clamp that comes with it.

If they are closely bonded now then they will help each other stay warm if needed.

x2

So I was eating my dinner outside today when my ducks waddled up. They were playing around me and I noticed one of my girls watching me eat (Fried chicken) so I offer her a small piece thinking she'd nibble it and not want it, but low and behold she ate it and wanted more.... Does anyone else have a chicken eating duck??? My other two tried it but they dropped it so she came up and ate it.. I also learned that all three of them go nuts for banana!

I haven't tried but makes sense being they are omnivores. I will have to try it. My chickens love chicken lol.

 

[gander007]

Quote:
How true my Peking's eat all the little creatures

 

[MandyJ]

Have you thought about going to Lowes or Home depot and asking if they have an appliance box you can have? I don't k now how long they keep them but we just had to buy a refrigerator and it came delivered in the box So they may have some at the store. or a Furniture box. Or a x large plastic tote that you can use once the ducklings go outside. They start out at first week of life with temps of 85-90 and go down 5* each week there after.I used and Xlarge dog kennel I tie wrapped the door in place and used old window screens over the top to keep everyone inside.

I hadn't thought of the appliance box. I have them in a large tote (32" long X 17 wide) now but it seems crowded. I have a kiddie pool I'll check the depth of that. I would like to give them more room. I am using my husband's climate controlled electronics room to house them.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
M

 

[MandyJ]

Do you have something like a wire dog kennel? All my ducks began their lives in one and it worked fine. Otherwise anything that is tall enough and large enough for them to move about, have food and water. You can always cover the top of a box or something like that (a large plastic tote from Walmart about 20 bucks) cover it with a piece of screen or chicken wire as a temporary solution.

I looked at your location and weather. Actually your weather looks pretty good for letting them outside before they are fully feathered. They will need shelter in the night and a secure are to keep them from harm. You look to be in the mid 80's in the day and the 60's at night except for a little cold spell this coming weekend. So, if you move them out make sure they have a warm spot to huddle in without piling up and suffocating the smallest on the bottom. If you use a heat lamp make sure it can not start a fire and that it is securely fastened. Don't depend on just the clamp that comes with it.

If they are closely bonded now then they will help each other stay warm if needed.

Thanks! I was planning on taking them outside tomorrow in a wire dog kennel. It is supposed to be 89 degrees!!! I think they will enjoy having grass under their feet. I will take the solid plastic tray out of the bottom so the wire is next to the ground and let them play. Hopefully my big girls will be interested and come say Hi...we can always hope! We have had a very mild winter here so far.

So far is seems to be "tall enough" that is the problem. I have one that can JUMP!! I have them in a tote currently but I know they are growing fast and will need something larger for them. Once they are fully feathered do they still need a heat lamp?

Thanks for yall's advice! It's great to be able to bounce things off of everyone!

M

 

[MandyJ]

Wow. I'm thinking for their Birthday I'll make them some sort of banana based treat with like crushed dried meal worms.

Now that sounds yummy! Yuck!!

 

[tracyjg]

I only have one male for that reason. And my hope is blind from to many males in mating season before I got her.

 

[gander007]

Quote:
I really had to think about this one as I have a Drake with the same problem this time of year and I found that picking him up in front of the other geese seems to be an insult where as if I catch him away from the rest of the flock he is relaxed and he lets me carry him but in front of the flock he fights go get away and runs around with his wings out and honks a lot after I release him animals are just so funny ...

You really don't want to insult him in front of the flock if there are other males as you could lower his standing in the flock .

If you take him away from the flock and try to get him to sit on your lap till he is calm with you and then let him walk back to the flock not carried should help as this is how I got my gander to keep a distance from me but he is still the big man on campus .

 

[jtn42248]

Thanks! I was planning on taking them outside tomorrow in a wire dog kennel. It is supposed to be 89 degrees!!! I think they will enjoy having grass under their feet. I will take the solid plastic tray out of the bottom so the wire is next to the ground and let them play. Hopefully my big girls will be interested and come say Hi...we can always hope! We have had a very mild winter here so far.

So far is seems to be "tall enough" that is the problem. I have one that can JUMP!! I have them in a tote currently but I know they are growing fast and will need something larger for them. Once they are fully feathered do they still need a heat lamp?

Thanks for yall's advice! It's great to be able to bounce things off of everyone!

M

Once fully feathered they will need no supplemental heat at all. Even now, with warmer nights, a heat pad may provide enough heat for them. Just make sure it is not the kind that turns of automatically. Mine survive our West Texas winters with no problem and, in fact, love playing in the snow and ice.