The Duck Thread

[Mudbillkisses]

@Mudbillkisses Mites are blood sucking so you def want to treat your birds and coops. Here is some info I found on line
http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyar...-signs-of-mites-or-lice-and-how-do-I-H79.aspx

When we had a mite infestation i used inside my coop Neem tree oil mixed in a garden sprayer with warm water. sprayed the house top to bottom roost and all bedding let it dry all day with windows and doors open. For the birds you can use poultry dust get a large paper bag put poultry dust in. put bird in feet first close bag up around neck with head out and shake the bag gently till bird is completely covered. usually water fowl don't get external parasites if they have plenty of bathing water. But with her immune system fighting off this infection that maybe why she has them. You can also use Poultry protector which is a natural enzymes that kill mites i buy it on line but since I have used Neem inside the houses i haven't had any mites. I spray Poultry Protector on my roosts and bedding about 1X a week.

Thanks @Miss Lydia - I didn't realize they were harmful and so I'm glad I asked. I took out a good portion of the bedding and put down a dusting of DE and put fresh bedding in. Neem is a good idea- I haven't noticed any in the coop or on her since before I posted. I forgot I had a powder of brewers yeast with garlic and DE added that I am mixing in their feed every morning. I think I'll need to do something preventative for maintenance to stay ahead of this from now on. Thanks for the helpful response.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks again for all of your help, but little Milo just passed away. He started flailing his little head then just stopped moving. He was blinking and breathing and his heart beating forabout five minutes, then just stopped... ;(

So very sorry

 

[Ren2014]

Thanks again for all of your help, but little Milo just passed away. He started flailing his little head then just stopped moving. He was blinking and breathing and his heart beating forabout five minutes, then just stopped... ;(

My heart goes out to you.

 

[MandyJ]

Is it possible I got the sex of one of my ducks wrong? I thought they were girls because they are at six months all honk quacking (nothing raspy about it) and none are sporting a drake curl. However today when one was mounting the others I noticed it was using its tail like a male would and when I picked it up it looked like possibly cemen left on its feathers near its vent. Is it possible that a six month old drake could have no curl and no hint of male characteristics? It's loud, friendly, no green or white at the neck, not aggressive at all, orange bill. Here is a photo of all of them. Any of them look like they could possible be male? Was I just seeing some poop residue?

Sometimes females will "mate" to establish dominance. I only have hens. The dominant hen mates with the underling daily. It may be this. It looks like the real thing.
Mandy

 

[MandyJ]

Hello all, so I recently got two baby ducklings from Mcmuarry Hatchery. One a Buff, and the other a Cayuga. The Cayuga passed away after two days, so they're sending me replacements. Well, the buff duckling, Milo, has been super entergetic and full of life and always chirping. He's a blast. But this morning when I woke up, he was chirping lightly in his area, which is kept warm by a heating pad. He suddenly couldn't walk! He was perfectly fine the night before, playing, the whole nine yards. Now, his eyes seems more tired and he keeps wanting to sleep...even though he slept through the night and half the day. He can barely hold his head up accurately, and his wings are more downward and not toward his body at all. He's also not walking. I checked for any apparent injury, and found none. He seems like he's at a discomfort though. I'm just super worried about my little Milo and just want him back to his normal. Sometimes he walks a little but only very short bursts, and he's not as talkative. Please help! I have been feeding him dumor 24% starter, and he's had no problem up until now. He's a little over a week old, so he's still rather small. Could it be some sort of a niacin deficiency? Should I get him save a chik and nutri drench? Thanks so much

Did you give them niacine? Ducklings should have niason, bought at a health food store. 1 tablespoon per cup of food.
So sorry!

 

[MandyJ]

Thanks again for all of your help, but little Milo just passed away. He started flailing his little head then just stopped moving. He was blinking and breathing and his heart beating forabout five minutes, then just stopped... ;(

When you get the replacements start them on niacin immediately.
I'm so terribly sorry!
Mandy

 

[EmilyP]

Our Daffy girl sitting on her nest!!! She seems so sad tho

You peek in to her and she gives these sad little quack/squeaks won't look at ya. But she sure is cute!

 

[gander007]

Quote:
I have to agree as I see the same thing daily .

 

[AprilMayAndJun3]

What shelter should I build for my two Pekins? The low right now where I am ranges from 50s to 60s at night which is considerably chilly for my Floridian self. What temperatures can my ducks tolerate before they require intervention like me bringing them inside or on the lanai? What shelter works best? Basically I just need a run down of what I need to do this winter for my ducks (if I need a different kind of feed, water, etc.) sounds dramatic and naive I know but I'd rather be safe than sorry especially when it comes to my babies. Thank you all!!

 

[Amiga]

What shelter should I build for my two Pekins? The low right now where I am ranges from 50s to 60s at night which is considerably chilly for my Floridian self. What temperatures can my ducks tolerate before they require intervention like me bringing them inside or on the lanai? What shelter works best? Basically I just need a run down of what I need to do this winter for my ducks (if I need a different kind of feed, water, etc.) sounds dramatic and naive I know but I'd rather be safe than sorry especially when it comes to my babies. Thank you all!!

The big thing is safety from predators. My ducks do very well as long as it's above 40F. Outdoors it can get below 0F, so I have made a duck barn in part of my walkout basement.

Anyway, for a shelter, my thoughts:

A simple, sturdy box, with good ventilation and all openings covered securely with half inch metal hardware cloth (attach with screws through washers - the metal discs with small holes in the center)

A solid floor, or coated metal hardware cloth attached at the edges to the shelter to keep things from digging under and in.

Florida is pretty low-lying, so think about floods. You don't want them trapped in the shelter if the water rises.

Also - hurricanes - I recommend having a safe space, a ducky storm shelter, designated ahead of time so you can quickly move them in. What was our ducky storm shelter became the night pen.