The Duck Thread

[Lacrystol]

Shes not going to absorb, GRR, can you show me how much space is between her belly button and the sac?

 

[caesargirl]

Shes not going to absorb, GRR, can you show me how much space is between her belly button and the sac?

Also, I had to come back to work until 10pm and back in at 5am-2pm Sunday.

 

[City farm]

Very pretty egg assortment

Nice. Do you eat the dove eggs too?

No I cook them in with the rest of our old egg's for our dog's..

 

[casportpony]

Quote: No I cook them in with the rest of our old egg's for our dog's..
That picture you posted is one of the nicest I've seen... Keep that around and enter it in one of the BYC photo contests.

-Kathy

 

[Lacrystol]

Grrr this is a tough one. I would say let's tie her off so that the infection doesn't get the best of her but I'm afraid to attempt to because shes got such a wide open space with her belly botton. She'll have this huge hole there and thar can just cause more problems. Grrr she is making the choice very vey difficult.
I do think if you have some antibiotics perhaps lets get her started on it. Maybe maybe it would help. But water is going to be her number one priority right now.

 

[City farm]

So many questions about my ducklings... This is my first time, I got them when they were 4 weeks old and now they are 5 weeks old, so yeah it's been a week. I went from keeping them in a big plastic container with hay on the bottom and their food and water in to lining the outdoor cement bottom tin top kennel with chicken wire from top to bottom and letting them in there during the day and putting them back in the container at night. To letting them stay in the kennel all day and night. Keep in mind I have their plastic container sideways on the ground with hay in it and a plastic dog crate with hay in it and their food and water feeder and a plastic tub of water they can easily get in and out of for bath and swim time... But I take the bath and swim time water away at night because I'm a worry wart.
They like me and they do not avoid me but they don't like to be picked up. I what to have a good relationship with them so that when they grow up they are friendly, and I would like for them to eat out of my hand. So far they aren't that into snacks. I've been reading about safe snacks for ducklings. They didn't care about the clover I put in their water (they picked it out and dropped it) or the scrambled eggs they didn't touch at all... The thing they seed to like the most was sweet peas but they only picked at them a little, but i boiled them I didn't just thaw them and I didn't mash them up, so I'm going to try that next.
I still don't know if I have boys or girls because they are still peeping. So I can't name them yet
If I have more than one drake will one end up running off the other? When they get fully feathered and can fly I will let them outside the kennel where they can forage and go in the pond.
Will a brother mate a sister and if so is that ok?
And when they are adults should I try to get them in the kennel at night or will they be okay because they could fly away from predators?
Thanks for listening and thanks for any input
~Jasper

Depending on preditors.. What preditors do you have in your area?
Integration can be tricky.. Drakes are protective.. We only have 2 at the moment, the other 3 are in the area with them, but behind 1/2 in hard wire.. They have not meet yet and won't untill it is cooler here.. I will put Rick up first.. The do it slowly.. Don't want a vet bill.. What about photos of your crew and set up??

 

[City farm]

Lacrystol I'm just worried that when they are independent adults they won't get in the kennel at night. If they will, then be sure that I will lock them up tight!!! Where I am is not attached to any woods and I have not seen any foxes or coyotes, better hope I don't either because I have a gun with their name on it

I love all animals but I need to protect my ducks... They are my babies.

Ok well ducks are NOT like chickens, Chickens will march right into a coop or where ever to there roosting box and call it a day.  Ducks they do not do this, you have to physically drive them into the kennel.  I have 36 ducks, I use a rake and i guide them right into bed.  If I didn't put them to bed, LOL they would stay out ALL night, PARTY TIME.  LOL, so you have to guide them into it.

Now you MAy have to do one group at a time Like I do, I have to do the first group of 8 then the next group of 5.  Yeh, They all just can't go in at the same TIME.  GRRRR...

Do you have video of you doing this??
I take my duck's for walks on our block!! When it rains I let them play in the gutters.. We wash them out first, it's kinda funny.. A elderly neighbor saw me carrying on of the youngsters & said, boy you are a interesting lady!! I guess so!! We love our duck's..

 

[Miss Lydia]

That picture you posted is one of the nicest I've seen... Keep that around and enter it in one of the BYC photo contests.

-Kathy

X2!

 

[City farm]

Is mating season only once a year? Also, do you have mallards? When were you able to tell their sex?

Our drake mates all year, but he mates more in the spring. That is why we are adding some girl's.. 7 monts, maybe longer. Depends on what breed. What do you have, I might have missed you saying

Oops, trying to do to many things at one time

 

[tinkerfairy]

How much brewers yeast should I add to my 2 week old ducklings water? I've been using nutridrench but I guess it's not enough niacin should I add a pill to a gallon of water? I've noticed stumbling and limping so we rushed and got brewers yeast and poly vi sol