The Duck Thread

[AxolotlLove]

Awesome! I love all mixed ducks! I desperately want some! I have only pure breds and a few rare ducks but I'm hoping my magpie female will cross with a male Rouen next year, and a black runner to a pekin.

 

[my5chicks]

Hello! I'm brand new to this forum stuff and ducks! We've owned chickens for 2 years now and thought we could try ducks - I've always thought they are so cute and fun but was scared of them mess! But we did it anyway and got three ducklings a few weeks ago that are now 5 wks tomorrow (I believe) anyway is there anyway I can post some pics and you all could give me your thoughts? My daughter wanted a Rouen and Badly wants it to be a him! And my other daughter and I got Anconas 2 reasons-1. Super cute! Love white ducks but white ducks with splashes of color!! 2. We learned they were endangered and hoping for a breeding pair. And 3. They are both involved in 4h and would like thoughts on how they "look" at this age.. Thanks so much!!

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[Margot30]

...

Hello! I'm brand new to this forum stuff and ducks! We've owned chickens for 2 years now and thought we could try ducks - I've always thought they are so cute and fun but was scared of them mess! But we did it anyway and got three ducklings a few weeks ago that are now 5 wks tomorrow (I believe) anyway is there anyway I can post some pics and you all could give me your thoughts? My daughter wanted a Rouen and Badly wants it to be a him! And my other daughter and I got Anconas 2 reasons-1. Super cute! Love white ducks but white ducks with splashes of color!! 2. We learned they were endangered and hoping for a breeding pair. And 3. They are both involved in 4h and would like thoughts on how they "look" at this age.. Thanks so much!!

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Oh my gosh they are gorgeous! ]

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Hello! I'm brand new to this forum stuff and ducks! We've owned chickens for 2 years now and thought we could try ducks - I've always thought they are so cute and fun but was scared of them mess! But we did it anyway and got three ducklings a few weeks ago that are now 5 wks tomorrow (I believe) anyway is there anyway I can post some pics and you all could give me your thoughts? My daughter wanted a Rouen and Badly wants it to be a him! And my other daughter and I got Anconas 2 reasons-1. Super cute! Love white ducks but white ducks with splashes of color!! 2. We learned they were endangered and hoping for a breeding pair. And 3. They are both involved in 4h and would like thoughts on how they "look" at this age.. Thanks so much!!

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Such beauty-cutie-patooties!

 

[tracyjg]

What setting did you have your heating pad on low medium high. I put it down laid the towel over it put the nesting box on top of that. I didn't want duck to eat the cord. I still hope they don't eat the cord coming up out of dog house up to the extension cord. The heat lamp only hit snowflakes eggs. Not hopes eggs so I gave hope my heating pad. It's on low. We lost another egg not developed at all.

 

[duketheduck331]

My Rouen duck duke when he was a week old and now he is about 4 months

Very cuddly and VERY protective of me funny to see him scare family members away when they get to close to me also does that to our other animals lol

 

[Pyxis]

What setting did you have your heating pad on low medium high. I put it down laid the towel over it put the nesting box on top of that. I didn't want duck to eat the cord. I still hope they don't eat the cord coming up out of dog house up to the extension cord. The heat lamp only hit snowflakes eggs. Not hopes eggs so I gave hope my heating pad. It's on low. We lost another egg not developed at all.

You shouldn't need to have a heat light or a heating pad on eggs that a duck is incubating. Especially a heat light, there's no way to know what the temperature is and you could actually be killing them. I have a feeling the added heat you are providing is killing the eggs.

If your females are broody and are sitting on the eggs all the time except for a half hour to an hour a day when they get up and eat etc then just leave them to it with no interference. If they're not, you'll need to put the eggs in the incubator because they won't hatch otherwise.

Also where are all the new eggs you are incubating coming from? If your girls are still laying eggs, they are not really broody.

 

[tracyjg]

The eggs our dieing no development at all. Trying to help them. The article says to put heat light in. It only goes to one side. I add the heat pad to hopes eggs. It was getting enough light.

 

[Pyxis]

The eggs our dieing no development at all. Trying to help them. The article says to put heat light in. It only goes to one side. I add the heat pad to hopes eggs. It was getting enough light.

Which article are you referring to? I've never heard to add a heat lamp to a broody's eggs. Even in the dead of winter I've never had to, the broodies can keep them warm all on their own. Have you taken the temperature where the heat lamp is on the eggs? I wouldn't be surprised if it was way too hot, they can really generate a lot of warmth especially where they're aimed. Also with the heating pad, between the warmth of that and the warmth of the broody I also wouldn't be surprised if the combined warmth is too hot and is killing the eggs. I also see you are in Nevada (I think, looking at what you've put under Location). You should be plenty warm this time of year, there should be no need for added heat.

Are you sure the ducks are really broody? Are they only getting off the eggs for a half hour a day?

You say you're losing eggs with no development at all. Are you sure they are fertile? Have you been cracking them open and checking for a bullseye? Something is obviously not working for you, you shouldn't be having this kind of trouble, especially not with broodies.

As for the eggs you are incubating, what are your incubator conditions like? What kind of incubator are you using? What is your temp and humidity? Something has to be going wrong somewhere for you to get no development and no ducklings.

 

[tracyjg]

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/agriculture/livestock/poultry/health-disease