The Duck Thread

[Lacrystol]

Lacrystol: I know this is a bad pun,sorry, but I hope everything came out ok.

Not as good as expected..

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: So sorry. Do you have a hen that might take the duckling? I had a cockerel that had an injured leg, I told him he had to brood chicks to earn his keep till he was well. He was a great dad he brooded 3 sets of chicks for me in the 6 months it took his leg to heal.

 

[hennible]

Wow what a roo

 

[Lacrystol]

OH this isn't my duck, I was contacted to help with assisting a hatching. LOL. I get them every so often, sometimes we are very hopeful and sometimes bad things happen..

 

[18angovem]

Can a silkie that hasn't started to lay eggs raise a duckling. She isn't broody. Hasn't even layed an egg yet but sorta raised a duckling that was about 2 months younger than it. Can I put my little duckling (if it hatches) out with her? Will she know what to do?

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

Can a silkie that hasn't started to lay eggs raise a duckling. She isn't broody. Hasn't even layed an egg yet but sorta raised a duckling that was about 2 months younger than it. Can I put my little duckling (if it hatches) out with her? Will she know what to do?

also curious, as I have tons of broody silkies but no broody ducks

 

[Lacrystol]

Can a silkie that hasn't started to lay eggs raise a duckling. She isn't broody. Hasn't even layed an egg yet but sorta raised a duckling that was about 2 months younger than it. Can I put my little duckling (if it hatches) out with her? Will she know what to do?

YES and no, Silkies can't teach them how to swim, Silkies can't put oils on them for when it comes to swim time. BUT they can teach them everything else.

Yes you can put the ducky out with her but if you have others you may want to watch them, Roosters and some aggressive hens will peck at him.

 

[18angovem]

Well I do have a rooster out there. Water will all be frozen anyway. LOL. I have a water system that allows them to drink and allows duck to wash nostrils but that is it.

 

[Lacrystol]

Well I do have a rooster out there. Water will all be frozen anyway. LOL. I have a water system that allows them to drink and allows duck to wash nostrils but that is it.

Your ducky will need one week in house to at least produce his own oils. BUT with this cold weather, I would keep him in longer. I had icles on my babies when I threw them out at three weeks, so in they came, now I'm waiting for the weather to hit 40 outside then will give it another shot to be ducks. LOL

 

[18angovem]

Wow hit 40 degrees. That will be around July probably. Its just sooo cold. At the cow farm the poor things are just dropping like flies to the cold. And of course all the girls. Have had 4 girl calves die in the last month. Also having terrible time getting girls. Out of 40 calves only 8 were girls and 4 of those girls were from sexed semen (The semen was sexed so that only girl sperm remained)