The Duck Thread

[WVduckchick]

Opie hast to be one of the most gorgeous ducks! And yes, eggs on their sides the whole time, I've upped the humidity. And yup, duckie is poking at the internal membrane. Opinion on survival? (I'm not optimistic, just hopeful!)

Thanks... Opie is a ham lol

How many eggs, and how do the others look? Are they all the same breed? Are you sure about the dates? Sorry, I'm just trying to figure why it would be so early. And also I apologize... I know I have seen your posts before, I'm just too old for my memory to keep track of who has what. Honestly, I would think survival possibility could be good. They come out when they are ready. My fear would be unabsorbed yolk, but that can be managed.

Yep wants to make himself look big in front of the Ladies, as long as he doesn't let it get beyond that leave him alone or bend over and act like your going to pick hm up that usually gets mine going in the opposite direction.
My old drake use to wait till I turned around and started walking I could hear his webbed feet walking fast behind me but as soon as I turned around he stopped and looked around like "what's up" some drakes don't though and will start actually nipping you don't want that.

HAHA! I love it!

LOL...oh my gosh. That's funny. Guess it kinda makes sense though since he is the only boy. He's the biggest of the bunch already. I hope this doesn't mean his hormones are already on their way to kicking in. I'm not looking forward to temporarily losing my sweet boy to puberty. He's just over 8 weeks old.

HA...great visual. Here you are walking along and you've got mister drake stalking you from behind.

Yeah, my intention is to let nature take its course among them and only intervene to avoid bodily harm. How would you suggest I "correct" him if he starts nipping (me, not the ducks)?

My boy isn't acting that way yet, even at 12 weeks. Mine seems more timid... so far....

Weeeeeee, Opie. I remember that baby pic of her on burgundy towel. As an adult she now needs me to love squeeze her.

She would love a squeeze from you!

 

[Debs Flock]

When my now 4 yr old started wanting to mate with me[he is my imprinted one] all my other drakes have always been very good about not wanting to nip, but Opie well he really was a confused boy being raised by me and dh so when he started around 4 months of age jumping on me when i turned my back or trying to climb up my leg if i sat even climb up my back he was looney. I started out holding him down flat on his belly one hand on the neck the other at base of body where tails meets. I'd hold him till he stopped squirming, this is how another drake would discipline a subordinate drake. He would be so bad I would have to put the broom between us to stop him. [Hopefully you'll not have this problem with your drake] but we do see it alot when they start into puberty.8 weeks is kind of young so start training him now when you start towards him put your arms out like you want to scoop him up and snuggle him. your just letting him know you are big duck. I even do this with my roos and have only ever had one to spur me.

LOL...I bet you've got lots of funny stories to tell! @Miss Lydia

Putting my arms out should do the trick. I'm still learning all of their personalities. Of course, they come up with new ways to amuse me regularly. Donald, though, is the biggest surprise. He's all full of himself. (Well, his name was Diva when we didn't know he was a drake and boy, did it fit!) It's amazing how you can kind of tell what they're thinking.

 

[Miss Lydia]

LOL...I bet you've got lots of funny stories to tell! @Miss Lydia

Putting my arms out should do the trick. I'm still learning all of their personalities. Of course, they come up with new ways to amuse me regularly. Donald, though, is the biggest surprise. He's all full of himself. (Well, his name was Diva when we didn't know he was a drake and boy, did it fit!) It's amazing how you can kind of tell what they're thinking.

They let you know by their actions. and they can be rather straight forward too. When Opie started acting weird[drakish] I came in here asking for help because I had 2 drakes before him and neither had acted like this. Opie being my baby all of a sudden became crazy. I had quite a few tell me to kill him that once a drake starts that there is no help for them, Ha I listened to those who had used these methods and they worked, not over night but over a few months , he just turned 4 yrs June the 2nd and he still loves to spend time with me and I can pick him up and cuddle him when ever I want too. Him and dh are best buds too, He has his 5 girls and sometimes I have to remind him I am not one of them but he gets the message pretty quick. Works on ganders too.

Drakes I think are more personable than the females.I have loved all my drakes and miss the 2 I rehomed this year but my gosh what a difference it has made in the flock to not have all that testosterone around.

Enjoy them they make awesome members of the family

 

[WVduckchick]

They let you know by their actions. and they can be rather straight forward too. When Opie started acting weird[drakish] I came in here asking for help because I had 2 drakes before him and neither had acted like this. Opie being my baby all of a sudden became crazy. I had quite a few tell me to kill him that once a drake starts that there is no help for them, Ha I listened to those who had used these methods and they worked, not over night but over a few months , he just turned 4 yrs June the 2nd and he still loves to spend time with me and I can pick him up and cuddle him when ever I want too. Him and dh are best buds too, He has his 5 girls and sometimes I have to remind him I am not one of them but he gets the message pretty quick. Works on ganders too.

Drakes I think are more personable than the females.I have loved all my drakes and miss the 2 I rehomed this year but my gosh what a difference it has made in the flock to not have all that testosterone around.

Enjoy them they make awesome members of the family

How did I not know that you had an Opie?!?! I named mine from 4 tv show characters (Sons of Anarchy). Tried to go with non-gender-ish names. My Opie turned out to be a girl lol

 

[caesargirl]

@WVduckchick try to shorten for you... Staggered hatch. 3 due next sat. Next group 10 days later next due seven after that. Pekin x mallard. Low humidity hatch. 3 eggs this group. As of 5 min ago, serious tapping, no pip. Egg in bator (only bator) in plastic tub on top of a small piece of sponge plastic soap riser between sponge and egg. Sponge moistened.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How did I not know that you had an Opie?!?! I named mine from 4 tv show characters (Sons of Anarchy). Tried to go with non-gender-ish names. My Opie turned out to be a girl lol

My Opie started out as Hope lol My Opies name came from Andy Griffin show your probably way to young to remember.

Only reason I know of Sons of Anarchy is my son asked me to go on ebay and bye the DVD's for him.

 

[needlessjunk]

So one of my ducks thought that she was being sly. I thought she took a day off and instead found this this next day.

Sneaky duck! I fenced it off and now she tried to lay an egg right by the fenced off plant. I locked her back up in the house and she I just having a fit all morning. Now I put a buddy in there with her. I really, really don't want her to lay in the yard today since its been raining all morning. What do y'all do when someone starts to make a nest in the yard? I think she is too stressed being in the house and won't lay. Usually all I have to do is lock her back in a little and she lays and goes back to laying in the house. No luck today though and I just have a pissy duck. She also keeps going back to her nest and checking it. Even when she was laying in the house she would go back and check on it and sit for a bit even when the eggs were gone. Crazy duck! She is so loud too for being so small.

 

[WVduckchick]

@WVduckchick try to shorten for you... Staggered hatch. 3 due next sat. Next group 10 days later next due seven after that. Pekin x mallard. Low humidity hatch. 3 eggs this group. As of 5 min ago, serious tapping, no pip. Egg in bator (only bator) in plastic tub on top of a small piece of sponge plastic soap riser between sponge and egg. Sponge moistened.

Ok, thanks for the refresher. I remember. What do the other 2 in this group look like? It sounds to me like what you are doing should be fine, if the little guy is ready to come out, you aren't gonna stop it. lol One thought... fan, or no fan? I would think the plastic tub would help keep the humidity to that egg a little better, but is it open on top? I mean, I don't suppose you closed it in, I'm just thinking if there is a lot of open area above the tub, and if you have a fan, it may be better to invert the tub over the egg, with some vent holes cut in the sides of it... I really don't know, just trying to think of a way to keep the humidity up on a single egg, while not affecting the other eggs.

My Opie started out as Hope lol My Opies name came from Andy Griffin show your probably way to young to remember.

Only reason I know of Sons of Anarchy is my son asked me to go on ebay and bye the DVD's for him.

I will be 50 in just a few weeks, so I remember Opie Taylor. "Half a boy, Pa?" My favorite Opie line...

Still an awesome name!

 

[WVduckchick]

So one of my ducks thought that she was being sly. I thought she took a day off and instead found this this next day.

Sneaky duck! I fenced it off and now she tried to lay an egg right by the fenced off plant. I locked her back up in the house and she I just having a fit all morning. Now I put a buddy in there with her. I really, really don't want her to lay in the yard today since its been raining all morning. What do y'all do when someone starts to make a nest in the yard? I think she is too stressed being in the house and won't lay. Usually all I have to do is lock her back in a little and she lays and goes back to laying in the house. No luck today though and I just have a pissy duck. She also keeps going back to her nest and checking it. Even when she was laying in the house she would go back and check on it and sit for a bit even when the eggs were gone. Crazy duck! She is so loud too for being so small.

Maybe she is going broody??? Building her collection?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe she is going broody??? Building her collection?

X2 sounds like some one is going broody.