The Duck Thread

[duckies1230]

My hubby who won't get attached to the ducks still bought Charlie and JoJo a dozen guppies for dinner! He said he just wanted to see them go crazy eating and chasing the fish and my oh my did they love it. Those two ate a dozen live guppies in about 30 seconds. I'm glad they where happy. But charlie seems to be very very aggressive lately. She keeps running at ppl and is just being sorta mean. What do I do? If she were a kid I'd be grounding her or beating her ***! But she is not scared around anyone anymore, she'll come right to me and let me pet her. It just at times she's acting aggressive, almost like a teenager...lol

 

[Lynn Manes]

Thank you. Here are a group shot of the gang

What a nice looking bunch you've got there!

 

[Debs Flock]

Do we have a ducky 911 on here? I'm freaking out a bit.

Diva seems fine, but her bill is injured. The pic doesn't show that well, but I could see blood and there's definitely a scrape. The only thing we can figure is she somehow got it caught in the feeder hole. Please tell me how to care for her injury.

@duckies1230 - sorry, I'm kind of going around your post/question about the aggression. I'll tag some experts and hopefully we'll both get some help.

@Amiga
@Miss Lydia
@Kaessa
@WVduckchick

I know there's more, but my brain is in freak out mode.

 

[Lynn Manes]

We are having a HUGE fly problem around our duck pen. Just can't figure out why. We have no problems with the chicken, quail, goose or rabbit areas. We've got so many varying types of fly detractant set up all around their pen but the flies just swarm that entire area. They stay in their enclosure as we've not the area for them to roam freely on the property. It's just 3 WH's and their 3 babies. Has anyone else had this problem, and is there a solution? We keep everything clear and clean for them daily but the flies swarm the feed, the water, the straw nest area. Just awful.We bought Pymethrin yesterday at TSC and are going to spray with it in hopes this will help.Flies are bad here as it is but this is way out of control.Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Amiga]

@Debs Flock , this note is for Diva

I would rinse with saline solution or Vetericyn, then dab with antibacterial ointment (without painkiller).

Remove the offending item from their pen, though it may not happen again.

I might also add some apple cider vinegar - a tablespoon per gallon - to the drinking water tonight (it is a mild antimicrobial, and a tonic, I am told).

Keep putting the ointment on twice a day for a few days, and watch for any signs of swelling around the base of her bill.

Keep an eye on it. There is a slight risk it could get infected, and I would want a vet to see it if I had any indications (such as a very warm bill or swelling as I described). I would rinse it probably four times a day for a few days, by the way.

 

[Amiga]

We are having a HUGE fly problem around our duck pen. Just can't figure out why. We have no problems with the chicken, quail, goose or rabbit areas. We've got so many varying types of fly detractant set up all around their pen but the flies just swarm that entire area. They stay in their enclosure as we've not the area for them to roam freely on the property. It's just 3 WH's and their 3 babies. Has anyone else had this problem, and is there a solution? We keep everything clear and clean for them daily but the flies swarm the feed, the water, the straw nest area. Just awful.We bought Pymethrin yesterday at TSC and are going to spray with it in hopes this will help.Flies are bad here as it is but this is way out of control.Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks.

I use fly predators and fly traps. There may be something nearby that you are not aware of that the flies are breeding in. Moist manure is their favorite, or (pardon the graphics) carrion - dead flesh. Has something recently died in the area?

 

[Debs Flock]

I would rinse with saline solution or Vetericyn, then dab with antibacterial ointment (without painkiller).

Remove the offending item from their pen, though it may not happen again.

I might also add some apple cider vinegar - a tablespoon per gallon - to the drinking water tonight (it is a mild antimicrobial, and a tonic, I am told).

Keep putting the ointment on twice a day for a few days, and watch for any signs of swelling around the base of her bill.

Whew, okay, thanks. Did the first 2 items listed. I have Neosporin...assume label will say if it's with/without painkiller. I don't have any raw apple cider vinegar, though and I'm without a car until morning. Gee, my first issue with them and I'm a mess.

 

[Amiga]

Whew, okay, thanks. Did the first 2 items listed. I have Neosporin...assume label will say if it's with/without painkiller. I don't have any raw apple cider vinegar, though and I'm without a car until morning. Gee, my first issue with them and I'm a mess.

It is a good sign that you are a mess. You have empathy, and that will help you notice problems before they become critical, for the most part. Ducks hide illness very well, we almost have to be telepathic to intercept certain problems very early. I edited my post, added a few other thoughts.

I need to be away from the computer for a bit, but please use that @ sign (that's now I knew to check in), or PM me. I do not mind PMs.

 

[Debs Flock]

It is a good sign that you are a mess. You have empathy, and that will help you notice problems before they become critical, for the most part. Ducks hide illness very well, we almost have to be telepathic to intercept certain problems very early. I edited my post, added a few other thoughts.

I need to be away from the computer for a bit, but please use that @ sign (that's now I knew to check in), or PM me. I do not mind PMs.

Thanks again! I sure appreciate your help/input. Going now to check on her and get the Neo. I'm now able to breathe.

 

[Lynn Manes]

I use fly predators and fly traps.  There may be something nearby that you are not aware of that the flies are breeding in.  Moist manure is their favorite, or (pardon the graphics) carrion - dead flesh.  Has something recently died in the area?

We have the ducks in a temporary open top cage. Half the enclosure is covered with a 4'x8' board for shelter from the hot sun we have here in south central CA. That floor area is straw for their nests and their pool is under it also. The other half of their floor is OSB boards bc it keeps the area drier-less muddy and wet and easier to rinse off the poo. The feed hangs in one outside corner off the ground and their water is a constant pump-in setup. We have a regular large fowl waterer just under the edge of the "roof" for the babies and have the ducklings grain feed in a large galvanized dish on the ground under the roof. This morning those flies were just covering about half the ducklings feed which wasn't wet at all.This is in the west side of our backyard behind our pool and across from our patio. We have an electric bug zapper on the ceiling of the patio, 4 non disposable Terminator traps, 3 Gold sticks, 2 either lemon or vanilla scented tree shaped car air fresheners bc I read somewhere they deter flies, and another type of fly trap from Walmart we're trying out all around this pen.We also put those sticky fly strips out there but they blew off in the wind so we tossed them. In only a matter of a couple of days the Terminators are full and the gold sticks are covered. Not only do the flies just seem to becoming worse,but it's getting doggone expensive replacing the chemicals in all these things; and I'm at my wits end. I think flies are as nasty as cock roaches. And these flies bite so guess who gets bitten by them every time I go out there! I'm hoping once we get their final pen built which will be a bit larger we can eliminate this problem. If not the ducks will have to be moved and will be way out by themselves which I don't like and we certainly won't be able to enjoy our pool or patio this summer with this serious fly problem.Pymethrin is going down tonight so hope that does it. And no carrion or poo setting around. All poo goes into our closed composter which is not right in that area.