The Duck Thread

[jenniferlamar70]

So you don't preditor proof your ducklings enclosure and your going to kill the Ravens for being Ravens. You do know that Ravens drastically reduce the likelihood of other birds of prey that can take off with much more than a baby or two? Just me but i'd be kicking my own butt not killing them. Guess everyone's different.

That's really not a nice thing to say to someone who just lost their pets. And most people kill predators that eat their livestock. It's just how life is. It's our responsibility to protect them. Now that they know their is food there they will be back. I free range and I know I certainly would kill a predator that attacked my flock.

 

[Pyxis]

So you don't preditor proof your ducklings enclosure and your going to kill the Ravens for being Ravens. You do know that Ravens drastically reduce the likelihood of other birds of prey that can take off with much more than a baby or two? Just me but i'd be kicking my own butt not killing them. Guess everyone's different.

Trust me, I don't want to kill these ravens. I like birds (obviously). I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to. And no, I'm not going to beat myself up about losing a duckling that was protected by being inside a brooder inside a secure coop attached to a secure covered run that no other predator would have breached in broad daylight by going through multiple pop doors WHILE my dog was in the yard like these ravens did. This is not the first time these ravens have done something like this. This is the last straw. In the past year or so they have:

• Stolen eggs out of my coop by going in through the pop door every day and stealing them right out of the nest boxes, including right out from under brooding hens
• Given my birds lice multiple times by doing the above
• Stolen and eaten chicks from my broodies - only one broody was able to successfully raise chicks this year because of them and even then only two survived
• Flat out killed a bantam cochin and ate her head off and then ate all the chicks she was protecting
• Attacked and killed two half grown ducklings

And that's just what I'm remembering right now off the top of my head. I gave them a free pass on all that other stuff. At this point I'm just waiting for them to start going for my adult large fowl birds. Any benefit they would have provided has been far outweighed at this point. So they have to go. I'm not going to keep my birds locked up in their coops 24/7 and give them a poorer quality of life because these two birds have taken it upon themselves to wipe out all new life here and steal all my eggs. Maybe you'll understand if something similar happens to you. I have decided to try deterrence methods first, but if that doesn't work, well, if it's either my birds dying or them, it's going to be them.

 

[Ihaveducks]

PLEASE HELP.
My lovely duck Squidge was bitten by a jack Russell that had dug it's way into our garden. I took him to the vet, he got cleaned up! He's been fine for the last 3 days, he's been living in our house so I can keep close watch. I wake up this morning and his poop is fluorescent green!! Is this from the antibiotics?! Or should I take him back to the vets?! I would ring but it's not open yet. He's taking Baytril (antibiotic) and has just finished his painkiller Loxicom. I'm so worried about him. Other than the poop he is fine, just still a little unstable while walking. (Sorry for the picture)

 

[Ravynscroft]

PLEASE HELP.
My lovely duck Squidge was bitten by a jack Russell that had dug it's way into our garden. I took him to the vet, he got cleaned up! He's been fine for the last 3 days, he's been living in our house so I can keep close watch. I wake up this morning and his poop is fluorescent green!! Is this from the antibiotics?! Or should I take him back to the vets?! I would ring but it's not open yet. He's taking Baytril (antibiotic) and has just finished his painkiller Loxicom. I'm so worried about him. Other than the poop he is fine, just still a little unstable while walking. (Sorry for the picture)

Could be the medications or it could be from dehydration, which painkillers can cause as well... is he eating and drinking well? A lot of times they will not eat or drink as much as they should while injured which can lead to dehydration, poor nutrition intake, which is another cause of green poop... as long as he is acting fine, other than his current issues, I think he is ok... but give your vet a call and check it with them as soon as they are available...

 

[Ihaveducks]

He hasn't been eating as much, but drinking a lot! I'll keep trying the vet. Thank you.

Could be the medications or it could be from dehydration, which painkillers can cause as well... is he eating and drinking well? A lot of times they will not eat or drink as much as they should while injured which can lead to dehydration, poor nutrition intake, which is another cause of green poop... as long as he is acting fine, other than his current issues, I think he is ok... but give your vet a call and check it with them as soon as they are available...

 

[Ravynscroft]

He hasn't been eating as much, but drinking a lot! I'll keep trying the vet. Thank you.

Good he's drinking well, that's most important... do you have vitamins, probiotics, electrolytes you can add to his water to help since he isn't eating as much?

I think it's the meds and drop in eating... not much to pass so the body pushes out bile, etc, maybe?

Still best to check with your vet... good luck and I hope he pulls through!

 

[mischievouslady]

That's really not a nice thing to say to someone who just lost their pets. And most people kill predators that eat their livestock. It's just how life is. It's our responsibility to protect them. Now that they know their is food there they will be back. I free range and I know I certainly would kill a predator that attacked my flock.

I agree...

 

[mischievouslady]

http://morningchores.com/about-raising-ducks/

 

[casportpony]

Hey guys, I got some ducklings from metzer farms. They are about a week old now. This morning after getting them water and food they started leaking mucus from their mouth and nose. I freaked out and cleared their passage ways. I took the food out because it seemed to be making it worse. Other then the mucus they act fine. Running around, playing in their water dish.

They drank too much too quickly and overfilled their crop so it started coming back up. I've had this happen before. It's scary, but it's nothing to worry about.

In other, sadder, news, the **** ravens got my duckling!!!! I had let the cemanis out to free range and the ravens went through the pop door into their run, then through the pop door into the coop, then got into the brooder and took my duckling out, into the run, and ate her All that was left was feathers.

And then they took two of the guinea keets that were in with her and were working on a third when I heard an unholy ruckus in the yard and went out to investigate. They had made an error and taken the third keet out of the coop and run and into the yard (or it took itself out there trying to get away), where its distress cries made my male guinea and my two juveniles from this year very angry. I went out to see the keet running for its life and the others pummeling the crap out of two ravens, who weren't backing down (until they caught site of me). So that keet got lucky and made it. It and the surviving keet were relocated to my Eglu coop which is totally raven proof.

So these ravens are likely to come down with a severe case of lead poisoning if I can get them. If not, they're liable to come down with a case of regular poisoning. Hope they like chicken with a side of rat poison.

X2 on the overfilled crop, that happens with mine, too.

Sorry for your losses, and hope you can find a way to deal with the ravens.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

That's funny. -Kathy