The Duck Thread

[City farm]

my 4 new ducklings should be here in the morning! got one each black, blue, chocolate and fawn and white runners all female from Metzer Farms....i'm so excited about future blue duck eggs!

Runners lay blue eggs? I didn't know that. I need females and our local hatchery only does straight run ducks. Was looking at Metzer but not sure since they are in CA & I am in MI.

Do all runners lay blue egg's? If so I might need to rethink adding? You guys are enablers.

Runners lay blue eggs? I didn't know that. I need females and our local hatchery only does straight run ducks. Was looking at Metzer but not sure since they are in CA

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 

Have them ship when the weather is cooler.. For us anyway!! Now I have to go on their site to see this!! & of course we would order extra just be sure we end up with a hen..

 

[Lacrystol]

Ok thank you... I'm new with ducks... Here's a pic of there cage

You have some big ducks so the chances of a bird trying to take them away is going to be very challenging, not impossible just challenging to carry it off. I would think they would land in the coop and pin them down and tear them apart before attempting to try and carry them off., That is if they are going to do it. But they are in an opened area around them, so chances are you will be able to get out there and scare them off before they actually kill them. Now from what I see since the top is opened, chances are raccoons can get in there. they are good climbers. they will just eat the heads off because apparently that's where the most protein is that is if you have raccoons in your area.. now a fox will grab and carry them off but I can't see a fox doing that because once he gets in he may not be able to master getting out unless he has made an escape hole and the hole is going to have to be big enough for him and the duck that he carries off to fit and foxes don't think that far ahead. LOL they make a hole that suits them..

I know I'm rambling LOL, I'm just trying to think of all scenarios'.. Personally I would try and build something to confine them at night. because unless your watching them around 3, 4, 5 in the morning, it's going to be an easy kill for them.. they could spend several hours chasing them and then take there time once they have them and I don't think it would be a bird that does it either..

 

[Lacrystol]

How so you get rid of ants and flys with out hurting the ducks cause my ducks have an outside cage

I sprinkle 7 dust..

 

[Lacrystol]

If you have Eagles and large birds of prey it really needs to have a net over it. Do they also sleep in there at night? If so you are going to have to really beef up your security or look into locking them up at night. Chicken wire is to keep poultry in not animals out. They are super cute! Mine eat the flys and ants. We finally don't have any fire ants in the yard due to the ducks!

Agree, make a confinement for them at night..

 

[Lacrystol]

TOO CUTE!! I just can't take it. I've always thought I'd never let my girls hatch any babies, but now I'm thinking, "oh, I sure hope one of my girls hatches babies!" LOL

I know it's hard to resist that adorable face..

 

[Lacrystol]

Yes they sleep there at night and we have no net but at night they seem fine... My ducks don't eat the flies or ants so there little quack shack is covered with them

Me personally, i would completely block that off. make a door and each morning let them out..

 

[Lacrystol]

Lol, when my girls do it, I never see them putting their babies in a cup!

No they don't but they would not allow the little stinkers to break out so soon. LOL

 

[City farm]

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.

Agh, bless your heart.. You never know if the Moma will come back.. I would of not slept either.. You might need to contact a local bird rescue and let them know about this..

 

[Lacrystol]

From what I can see of your current set up, you run the risk of most, if not all, predators being able to get to your ducks. Raccoons, foxes, etc are more active at night. A duck sleeping against the fence could be a quick victim. Also, I can't tell what type of fencing that is, but some animals can actually get through chicken wire, for example. The ducks should be shut in a secure shelter at night and have protection from overhead predators if they're outside unsupervised for any amount of time. You might check out some of the Coop threads/pictures for good examples of protective set ups.

Excellent point about them sleeping next to the fence.....

 

[Lacrystol]

There little house is covered on all sides I know it's not safe but we don't have very much room in the back yard and not very much wood to build a big sheather if you know a place around Indiana or like Fort Wayne then let me know

you could definitely make some changes without spending a whole lot of money..... How about a large dog crate? then cover it up with plastic. or even the wood you have in that pic. .