The Duck Thread

[WVduckchick]

Wonky zip okay?

Is it still alive in there? How long has it been that way?

 

[caesargirl]

Is it still alive in there? How long has it been that way?

Oh yes, alive and peeping! Pipped internal membrane Tuesday pm, safety hole made Wednesday around11pm. Pipped external sometime early Thursday am (12am-5am). Say the egg last night around 11pm,so started zipping 11pm-6am Humidity 60, ran a slight dry incubation.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Duck's typically start laying around 7-9 months, give or take a few week's depending on the breed.. They are beautiful.. Our Muscovy's are not a sprinkle as our silver Swedish.. But also, was raising 6 for about 2 week's.. So I missed out on holding them for long periods of time..

On a different note, I was not sure if the 2 older duckling's were Muscovy, but have decided they are.. I have read that when people get duckling's that one breed & end up with other breed's.. Hay, as long as they are quiet, I'm happy.. oh & I read that this breed will eat small rodents.. Whitch we don't have but, just a fun little fact..

You don't have small rodents?? how you work that out? lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am heartsick. Late a couple nights ago, Michael & I were out checking farm sumps and canals for bullfrogs. In one old dirt canal was a momma duck and 3 very tiny ducklings. Momma skittered off into the reeds and tall grasses when she saw us. Last night we went back out there and momma duck was gone, 1 duckling was gone, 1 was dead and the other one was suffering like it needed to get out of the water. There was nothing we could do as we had no way to rescue it. I told Michael I feared it wouldn't make it through today. Tonight we went out there around 7 pm with a big net to try to rescue that poor baby, and sure enough it had also drowned. I don't know what breed of ducks they were but I know they were not mallards. The momma was white with like long brown stripes running from neck to tail-a very pretty small duck. I'm not sure if it would have been legal for us to even rescue them had we been able to do so that first night. I really wouldn't have cared. But the 1st night, even though I've never seen ducks in these canals or sumps, I figured all was well bc there were 6 ducklings a bit bigger in another one further up the road without a momma, & they were happily swimming around in a little pond area and then later we went back and they were all curled up in grasses on the edge fast asleep. What I find strange is how do they get into these sump ponds in the first place as they are sort of deep. After we found the other baby dead, we left and checked out the others and they were all gone. They were way to young to fly so I just don't know how they got out of there. Later we found yet another larger sump and there again was a momma and babies but these looked like wild ducks. I never realized ducks inhabited these nasty places, but since California is in such a bad drought, I guess waterfowl are seeking out whatever they can find.I'm sorry this is so long but you all are the only people who I know will understand. Thanks for putting up with my mini novel. I'm so sad about those babies. And I didn't sleep well last night worrying about that one left out there all alone.

Most ducks you see that aren't wild are dumped so sad and heart breaking.

 

[WVduckchick]

Oh yes, alive and peeping! Pipped internal membrane Tuesday pm, safety hole made Wednesday around11pm. Pipped external sometime early Thursday am (12am-5am). Say the egg last night around 11pm,so started zipping 11pm-6am Humidity 60, ran a slight dry incubation.

I had a couple chicks do that and were fine. Maybe a little weak and just not zipping straight yet. Personally I'd give it more time to work it out, as long as its peeping and trying.

 

[needlessjunk]

yes they lay blue eggs and i've bought from Metzer twice and received healthy active ducklings both time and i live in KS which is a good distance from CA as well...not as far as you but still a good distance 

None of my runners lay blue eggs and I have a blue and fawn and white. My Cayuga however does. I've never heard of runners laying blue eggs.

I am heartsick. Late a couple nights ago, Michael & I were out checking farm sumps and canals for bullfrogs. In one old dirt canal was a momma duck and 3 very tiny ducklings. Momma skittered off into the reeds and tall grasses when she saw us. Last night we went back out there and momma duck was gone, 1 duckling was gone, 1 was dead and the other one was suffering like it needed to get out of the water. There was nothing we could do as we had no way to rescue it. I told Michael I feared it wouldn't make it through today. Tonight we went out there around 7 pm with a big net to try to rescue that poor baby, and sure enough it had also drowned. I don't know what breed of ducks they were but I know they were not mallards. The momma was white with like long brown stripes running from neck to tail-a very pretty small duck. I'm not sure if it would have been legal for us to even rescue them had we been able to do so that first night. I really wouldn't have cared. But the 1st night, even though I've never seen ducks in these canals or sumps, I figured all was well bc there were 6 ducklings a bit bigger in another one further up the road without a momma, & they were happily swimming around in a little pond area and then later we went back and they were all curled up in grasses on the edge fast asleep. What I find strange is how do they get into these sump ponds in the first place as they are sort of deep. After we found the other baby dead, we left and checked out the others and they were all gone. They were way to young to fly so I just don't know how they got out of there. Later we found yet another larger sump and there again was a momma and babies but these looked like wild ducks. I never realized ducks inhabited these nasty places, but since California is in such a bad drought, I guess waterfowl are seeking out whatever they can find.I'm sorry this is so long but you all are the only people who I know will understand. Thanks for putting up with my mini novel. I'm so sad about those babies. And I didn't sleep well last night worrying about that one left out there all alone.

So very sad.

 

[KuroKitsune]

None of my runners lay blue eggs and I have a blue and fawn and white. My Cayuga however does. I've never heard of runners laying blue eggs.
So very sad.

What ive read says they should lay v
blue eggs....and Cayuga lay black or gray eggs or at least good ones do...ive had cayuga and all three laid gray eggs

 

[duckmom68]

Hi i was told you may be able to help. I have a one day old duckling and his legs will not unfold

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi i was told you may be able to help. I have a one day old duckling and his legs will not unfold

Did he just hatch with you? please read this if it's a slipped tendon then it helps you to know what to do. If you can get a good pic of the legs some that have had this problem maybe able to tell you what needs to be done.




Fix Slipped Achilles Tendon in Hock Joint

Click here to read one little chick's success story of recovery from a Slipped Tendon & Perosis.
Click here to see a video of movement patterns of one chick with Perosis. Editor's note: The video says Perosis can't be treated after 24 hours, but I have not seen any other source say this, so I don't know that is true.
Note from Editor: I have had no personal experience with a Slipped Achilles Tendon being treated successfully, though a number of people have. Information below is from what I have read & tried to analyze myself, but may not be sufficiently informed. Please do additional research to ensure best treatments. [If you have a success story, photos, or treatment tips, it would be very helpful if you would Contact PoultryPedia so they can be shared to help others!]

• Slipped Achilles Tendon is a condition that results when tendon that runs down through the groove on the back of a bird's hock has slipped out of place off to the side.
• This problem causes a serious form of Splayed Leg that cannot be corrected until the Achilles Tendon is put back in place. It may also lead to Twisted Leg and other problems if not treated soon enough.
• This problem frequently occurs in conjunction with Chondrodystrophy / Achondroplasia & Perosis, conditions in which nutritional deficiencies in parent bird's diet keep chick's bones from developing properly to hold tendon.
  • See "Ensure adequate nutrition to prevent Perosis" section to be sure that your chick feed has appropriate amounts of essential nutrients, and try supplementing in extra if your chick is showing a problem.

• Symptoms:
  • The back of the hock will look flat (Compare to other legs to double-check).
  • The bird won't be able to fully straighten its leg by itself.
  • The bird will likely exhibit pain at least the first few days after injury. Birds may peep or cry repeatedly.
  • The joint will become swollen after a while.
  • Hold the joint between your thumb & finger and roll it back and forth. If the tendon has slipped, you will feel it snap back into place (and back out again, if the bone is not sufficiently developed). If you don't feel the tendon pop in, your bird may instead have a rotated femur, which requires surgery.
  • One leg may rotate out to the side or twist underneath the bird (showing Splayed Leg), depending on whether the tendon has slipped to the outside or inside of the leg.
  • If the tendons are slipped in both legs, the bird will stand & walk hunched down / squatting on its hocks ("elbows"), and may use its wings for balance.
• Treat this problem as soon as possible, so the joint doesn't swell as much (making healing more difficult) and the tendon does not end up shortened or deformed.
  • If the tendon has been out of place more than a few days, it may be unbearably painful to the bird to try to fix it or may cause damage. You could try gradually stretching the leg the leg a number of times a few days to lengthen the tendon, & then try correcting the placement.
    • This is especially true of young chicks because their legs are growing so quickly. Various bones, tendons & muscles will have done a lot of growing in just a couple of days and may have become too short, long or twisted so they can't allow the Achilles tendon to be back in the correct location.
      
• To reposition the tendon into the correct place: Gently pull the upper part of bird's leg a bit behind normal position and then carefully straighten the leg as though bird were stretching its leg back in a pretty normal stretching motion. Press gently against the side of the tendon if needed, and it should pop back into place pretty easily and cause little if any pain. Gently release the leg and it should return to a normal bent position.
  • Some sources recommend pushing the tendon back in place just by pressing with your finger. However, stretching the leg back is a much less painful method.
    
• Sometimes a tendon has a hard time staying in place. It may have been out of place for too long or a chick's hock groove may not yet have developed enough to hold the tendon well (Be sure to provide very good nutrition to support optimal bone growth at this time. Do NOT give Calcium or other nutrients in excessive amounts, however--that could cause other problems.).
  • You can repeat the repositioning of the tendon additional times. This may help the tendon gradually lengthen & shape correctly, while the bone is also growing enough to hold the tendon better.
  • You can put the tendon in place & then ***wrap the joint area with sports tape*** or other tape to help hold it there. Use a thin strip of tape wrapped several times around the joint. Change the tape after a few days to ensure it doesn't restrict circulation too much.
  • It will also help if you put the bird in a Chick / Chicken Sling or Chair and/or put its leg in a cast (such as one made from a bendable drinking straw) for a few days (~5) while re-alignment stabilizes.
    • (Note: There is some debate on whether it is better for feet to not touch the ground--as recommended below-- or to touch the ground a little. Please research further when making the choice.)
    • It is important for the legs not be able to reach the ground. The bird needs to be suspended with its legs just hanging freely or in not-too-tight casts shaped in normal bent angle. In this position, the chick won't try to use its legs as much. Its legs need relaxed rest in their normal position until the tendon(s) have stretched and adjusted back to the right place and shape.
• Even after the tendon is back in place, the bird may continue to have some problems walking for a few days. If so, use a Hock Cushion(s) to protect its hock(s) from chafing & bruising during recovery. Limber the leg by gently stretching the leg several times a day, as you did when repositioning the tendon (Check to make sure the tendon stays in place.). If the chick struggles to figure out correct movements, Physical Therapy or short sessions in a Chick Cup (More info to be added.) may help.

• You can try Surgery for a tendon that won't go into place or won't stay in place, along with other treatments. Click here to read one little chick's success story.
  
• If there is swelling on hock:

• If infection is part of what is causing joint to swell, you will find pus. In this case, recovery is almost always impossible, and would be EXTREMELY difficult. In almost all cases the bird should be put down to avoid additional suffering.
• If swelling was just caused by displacement that has now been fixed, swelling will go down in 2-4 days.

Ensure adequate nutrition to prevent Perosis leading to

 

[Debs Flock]

I am heartsick. Late a couple nights ago, Michael & I were out checking farm sumps and canals for bullfrogs. In one old dirt canal was a momma duck and 3 very tiny ducklings. Momma skittered off into the reeds and tall grasses when she saw us. Last night we went back out there and momma duck was gone, 1 duckling was gone, 1 was dead and the other one was suffering like it needed to get out of the water. There was nothing we could do as we had no way to rescue it. I told Michael I feared it wouldn't make it through today. Tonight we went out there around 7 pm with a big net to try to rescue that poor baby, and sure enough it had also drowned. I don't know what breed of ducks they were but I know they were not mallards. The momma was white with like long brown stripes running from neck to tail-a very pretty small duck. I'm not sure if it would have been legal for us to even rescue them had we been able to do so that first night. I really wouldn't have cared. But the 1st night, even though I've never seen ducks in these canals or sumps, I figured all was well bc there were 6 ducklings a bit bigger in another one further up the road without a momma, & they were happily swimming around in a little pond area and then later we went back and they were all curled up in grasses on the edge fast asleep. What I find strange is how do they get into these sump ponds in the first place as they are sort of deep. After we found the other baby dead, we left and checked out the others and they were all gone. They were way to young to fly so I just don't know how they got out of there. Later we found yet another larger sump and there again was a momma and babies but these looked like wild ducks. I never realized ducks inhabited these nasty places, but since California is in such a bad drought, I guess waterfowl are seeking out whatever they can find.I'm sorry this is so long but you all are the only people who I know will understand. Thanks for putting up with my mini novel. I'm so sad about those babies. And I didn't sleep well last night worrying about that one left out there all alone.

Very sad...I wouldn't have been able to sleep either. Poor babies!