The Duck Thread

[BScott03]

Just made an impulsive buy and got a duck and one goose! Have chickens on the way! Hellllllp!!!!

 

[JacqueOCS]

Good evening all! Will ducks share a coop w/chickens for resting (at night)? We have a pond near the barn and 2 large ponds in the rear of the farm. Our neighbors mallards fly over and hang out around the small pond occasionally. I'd like to raise some ducks. Just wandering if they'd sleep in the same coop as the chickens at night. We have a barn they could sleep in too. Thankfully, thus far, our 2 Great Pyrs keep the animals safe from predators. Thank you for any info

 

[Amiga]

mmmm, pretty

 

[ducklover87]

My baby ducklings are now pretty big for being almost 2 months old. I thought they were Indian Runners but someone said maybe Cayugas. Now they are almost fully feathered. They have a shimmering greenish color on the tips of their wing feathers. It is about 2 inches of color on the ends. Other than that so far they are fully black. One of them is extremely talkative. The other one is much quieter and has something that looks like a slight curl of a few of it's tail feathers. Does that mean it is male? And the talkative one is female? These were taken by my phone so they might not be the best quality. My phone is a bit outdated. The one with her head turned giving the side eye look is the really talkative one. Like alllllll the time she just makes little quacks. She is the first one to let out the first real quack, kind of a deep tone. Especially when I pick her up to carry her to be put in the pool, she lets out the real quacks. The other one has that bit of tail feather sticking up there.

I'm not quite sure what breed you have but my cayugas are almost 7 weeks and they have green blue and purple all over their bodies and have had it since they started to feather, so I don't think you have cayugas. Hmm not quite sure what breed you do have.

 

[MommaLuve25]

Thank u!!!!!!!

 

[ringaring]

You may have to wait til they're fully feathered. I have 9 blue runners and 1 mutt duck - a beautiful rouen/khaki mix whose colours were not very obvious until he was over 4 months old. The runners are all girls and very yakity - typical. They have that distinctive 'runner walk', upright and fast! You may have mixed breeds but the walk should tell you if they are runners. The curly tail feather is a drake tail . It should curl more within the next couple of weeks.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Momma, they are beautiful!!!!!!!

 

[duckcrazed]

Me and my boyfriend got a duckling a week ago. We think it is a drake. It follows both of us and it is super loving.
I have a few questions. We try to make the space as accomodating as possible, but if there are any things we can improve, we should be informed.
Should we add vitamins to the feed? He is also fed crushed roasted egg shells with hiss feed.
We are in Europe, we cant order diaper or harnesses.. can we home meke some?
We spend cca 6-7 hors with him... Is there a thing as too much coddling?
Also, he sneezes, a lot lately. Eyes and nose are clean, and other than than the sneezes he is chirpy and active... Should we be worried?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Me and my boyfriend got a duckling a week ago. We think it is a drake. It follows both of us and it is super loving.
I have a few questions. We try to make the space as accomodating as possible, but if there are any things we can improve, we should be informed.
Should we add vitamins to the feed? He is also fed crushed roasted egg shells with hiss feed.
We are in Europe, we cant order diaper or harnesses.. can we home meke some?
We spend cca 6-7 hors with him... Is there a thing as too much coddling?
Also, he sneezes, a lot lately. Eyes and nose are clean, and other than than the sneezes he is chirpy and active... Should we be worried?

How old is your duckling and what makes you think it's a drake? and

An only duckling is a lonely duckling so spending alot of time with him is good. They are flock animals which means they need companionship of their own kind, and about the sneezing does he have a bowl deep enough to be able to wash out his nares and eyes? very important can be whats causing the sneezing..
He doesn't need the egg shells they have too much calcium in them and ducklings do not need extra calcium, only duck that begin laying eggs need extra calcium. it might be a good idea on the vitamins but you want to be careful not to give him to big a dose be sure to follow directions. oh and when you can't spend time with your duckling a stuffed animal will give him something to cuddle with. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/426909/non-spill-duckling-waterer/10

 

[duckcrazed]

How old is your duckling and what makes you think it's a drake?  and

Around 14 days. He met our parakeet and hissed at it a bit. From what i heard it is usually the drakes that do that.
I know sexing the ducklings is tricky. and it does not matter if it is male or female, we love it either way.
Also is there any way to file its nails? They're quie sharp, and soon enough they'll be proper talons