The Duck Thread

[Amiga]

See if this post helps - https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry there is a section on curled toes in chicks. It may be similar for ducklings.

@sspeirs772

 

[MandyJ]

Well a flock of 2 is not like a flock of 14. My drakes are my little darlings. I love them to bits. They are not livestock they are pets. I could never give them away. I am going to try my hardest to get more ducks but I can't always know I'm getting females. The only place that sales ducks where I love you have to order ahead if time and if u want a certain breed it's even more money and they can't tell the sex. I have 5 Cayuga females that I got from a neighbor recently so that adds more females to my flock but they came with a male. Thank you everyone for your suggestions but drakes are not all that bad. If you treat then like pets and not livestock. My one drake follows me around like a dog and knows how to play tetherball

Oh I think most of us agree with you about them being pets. Mine are spoiled rotten!! I often wonder how you guys do it with 14! My 2 take up half the day.

I am going to be getting more hens in May, there is a hatchery about an hour away from us that sells sexed ducks. I am hoping to get Cayugas, pekins, and blue swedish. We'll just have to see what they have available in May. We will be driving 1 hour each way to get them because I can't bear the thought of them being in the mail! Yes, they are pets! LOL

Again...good luck! Keep us posted!

 

[Lacrystol]

A vet tech told us. Their feet will barely uncurl Beau on the other hand has one foot that isn't curled and she/he will stand on it. And yes way more then a hand full. But they are really getting attached as am I.

Can you send a pic and what have you done so far for it and how old is it??

 

[Lacrystol]

One of my Rouen drakes. See? I just think Rouen drakes are stunning. I'm a big photographer lover and birds are my favorite especially big colorful ones like my Freddie

That's a great pic considering he is moving his wings. Yet you got the pic in still movement!! Good job!!

 

[AxolotlLove]

I'll try my very hardest it get more females. The truth is it's very hard to get some. We are building a pen for out pot bellied pig in spring at can't get any more animals untill after May. Pot bellied pigs are a lot t handle and I'm not sure we can have ducklings in the house with our 6 cats already tempted by the many birds we have. I may be able to adopt a few older ones from lolypop farm but that's about my only option

You've all made me feel like a horrible person for keeping so many drakes with my females. I'm trying the best I can, I have a lot of other animals to take care of but ducks are my favorite and I always try to do what's best

 

[WVduckchick]

I'll try my very hardest it get more females. The truth is it's very hard to get some. We are building a pen for out pot bellied pig in spring at can't get any more animals untill after May. Pot bellied pigs are a lot t handle and I'm not sure we can have ducklings in the house with our 6 cats already tempted by the many birds we have. I may be able to adopt a few older ones from lolypop farm but that's about my only option



You've all made me feel like a horrible person for keeping so many drakes with my females. I'm trying the best I can, I have a lot of other animals to take care of but ducks are my favorite and I always try to do what's best

I don't think anyone wants to make you feel bad, just looking out for your beautiful ducks
.
You see, personally, I have a similar issue. 1 female, 3 males! I hatched them, so I'm having trouble getting rid of a couple of boys. I just can't bring myself to do it!! But I know I'm going to have to do it, at least by spring. They are 10 months old, and so far, they are cohabitating fine. I keep a sharp watch on my girl. I'm just trying to keep in mind that as much as I love my drakes, I have to do what's right by my girl! So I wish you and I both the best of luck!

 

[LittleLakePhil]

I also have too many drakes. I lost ducks to a dog attack. That left me with top many drakes. It hasn't been a problem until I try to introduce my other four duckling girls. The two drakes are hyper aggressive. I'm working on it though. But those two boys hang up on one hen at a time. Pisses me off.....

 

[needlessjunk]

I'll try my very hardest it get more females. The truth is it's very hard to get some. We are building a pen for out pot bellied pig in spring at can't get any more animals untill after May. Pot bellied pigs are a lot t handle and I'm not sure we can have ducklings in the house with our 6 cats already tempted by the many birds we have. I may be able to adopt a few older ones from lolypop farm but that's about my only option

You've all made me feel like a horrible person for keeping so many drakes with my females. I'm trying the best I can, I have a lot of other animals to take care of but ducks are my favorite and I always try to do what's best

You are not horrible at all and most people don't realize quite how bad it is to have too many drakes. If you cannot get more females I would seriously consider running two flocks once their hormones get going in the spring. Since you haven't had too many problems you can just play it by ear and keep really close tabs on the health of your females. If they start missing a lot of feathers on their necks and backs you should step in. Your drakes are really pretty!

 

[tomynoks]

You can just separate some drakes as well. I have 12 hens and 8 drakes so when the drakes go crazy I take the most aggressive 4 or 5 and pen them separately. I don't have a permanent pen but just wrap some plastic chicken wire fence around a couple trees. It works and the hens don't suffer.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Warning: tongue is firmly in cheek...

Those of us who have knowingly gotten drakes on purpose understanding their potential problems can manage our flocks to deal with those problems. I feel bad for the first time duck buyer who just gets some fuzzys from the feed store with no knowledge of duck/drake behavior, then ends up with a horror show in their yard. I think this is a good chunk of the pond abandonment problem. They are presented with a problem that they don't have the ability or will to deal with. To butcher Meatloaf: "I would do anything for ducks, but I can't do that..."

So to put a lighter spin on a serious problem, I propose labeling feed store ducklings like so:



(You will probably have to go to the actual image to read it.)