The Duck Thread

[Ducky1324]

Mating can start as young as 5 months eggs usually come with in the month, every duck is different though. I have Muscovy's so those that say hatched in spring or summer of 2015 won't begin mating and laying till spring  2016

I have a female and she's a saxony and I have a male he's a appleyard I think do you know when my saxony will normal lay... I don't know her age but I'll post some pics of her and him later so you can see them

 

[caesargirl]

Everybody loves Hay Day!!!!

 

[Ducky1324]

Everybody loves Hay Day!!!!

CUTE!!!

 

[caesargirl]

Motorboat (goose with angel wing reminds me of a motorboat) taking care of his stolen babies!

 

[desiree210]

No hatches, I think my hudity was high during incubation. Going to do an eggtopsy when my BF gets home from work. Scared to do it alone. Found a local farm willing to sell eggs but I need to figure out what I did wrong. Sad day for me no ducklings and no chicks

 

[allergymama]

I've lost pets before, always a kick to the gut. I'd try the sample anyway... You might get an answer. Worst comes to worse, vet says it's not useable. We use 5 gallon buckets with screw top lids and just cut 4 holes around the sides about halfway up. Used some sandpaper to buff the edges and voilà! Especially great in the winter, keeps the duck house from being a huge frozen poop soup skating rink!

Curious about that waterer. Our pen was AWFUL last winter (michigan) ...at one point the only person entrance door froze shut. Is that their only water source in the winter? How big do you cut the holes?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Curious about that waterer. Our pen was AWFUL last winter (michigan) ...at one point the only person entrance door froze shut. Is that their only water source in the winter? How big do you cut the holes?

Heated buckets work good if you can get power or have power in your coops but you really don't need to have food and water over night once your ducks are around 8 weeks old.

 

[caesargirl]

Curious about that waterer. Our pen was AWFUL last winter (michigan) ...at one point the only person entrance door froze shut. Is that their only water source in the winter? How big do you cut the holes?

It is their only water. I have several that I use at once! The holes are actually oval. They need to be large enough that the ducks whole head fits in. I put the buckets in a small kiddie pool too. I have backups, that way I can fill them in the house and carry them out. I bring the used ones in and put them in the bathtub to defrost any ice and clean them.

 

[City farm]

 

 

He passed away yesterday. I left him with electrolytes and probiotics in his water, some meal worms, chopped lettuce and crumbled food...... I noticed before I left he would eat/drink, then seem uncomfortable, backing away from his food with his head low. Is it possible he had something stuck? his crop wasn't full. no foul smells, but he did have lime green poop, watery, with some very dark specs in it. I didn't autopsy him, but did ask my vets office last night when i stopped to pick up some medicine for a kitty and the vet that could do the necropsy was away at a seminar. They said probably bacterial, seeing how not everyone was sick (and i hope that stays that way!), no sneezing, no coughing - but maybe the play time in the rainstorm was too much (my horse paddock, though clean, filled up where the poop is cleaned up, and it created algae later that day - after they played in it, so i imagine it was there to begin with). Perhaps that made him ill? I'm so worried now. I don't coddle my chicks/ducks, but I do take good care of them. I had his sister die at 2 weeks old, and now he's gone. The other two i purchased elsewhere, hopefully they are OK. I'd love any suggestions. I've had chickens forever, had two die over the winter suddenly. I've never had ducks until these, and the first two die. Building a new coop that is to die for and bigger, we do a lot to make sure they're all happy and healthy, but feel like a mama-duck failure.  @City farm
 

Agh, don't beat yourself up, we all have pet's that have thing's that are out of our control.. One, they don't live as long as us.. We have to enjoy the time we have with them.. I think you did a great job of trying to help him & figure it out!! But that's my opion, and only my opion counts to me..
Trying to make light of your situation.. Condolences from us..

 

[caesargirl]

No hatches, I think my hudity was high during incubation. Going to do an eggtopsy when my BF gets home from work. Scared to do it alone. Found a local farm willing to sell eggs but I need to figure out what I did wrong. Sad day for me no ducklings and no chicks

I'm sorry for that. I'm glad you're trying to figure out what went wrong. A lot of people dont do that step. Just remember that even the most experienced hatchers still have trouble. I'm glad you're looking for answers. Good for you!