The khaki-Campbell duck Thread !!!!!!!!

[wendeld]

Duckiedabbler i cant tell much from your picture

 

[DuckieDabbler]

Thank you all for your help, especially for the video. So pretty positive I have two drakes and 1 duck. Thank you so much for your response too Coop Scoop Boogie, I am sooooo relieved to hear that someone out there has been able to keep this combo. I raised all 3 of these guys together and so far all is going great, they are so friendly and I really love them to death. I am still hoping for the best, I figure I will know for sure if they are going to live in harmony or not within a month or two when the duck starts laying. So anyone know what to watch for if I don't witness any bad behavior? Pulled feathers around the neck area on the duck? I would think I'd be able to recognize the males not getting along, would think they would bicker in front of me but I don't really understand duck behavior. They actually do a strange jumping/neck wiggling/wrap around my arm or leg thing that I haven't been able to quite understand too. I have read about this behavior but seeing a lot of possibilities, could be affection, sexual behavior, pushiness or aggression .... ? They seem to be happy when they do this, I like to think of it as a duckie hug

 

[Carcajou]

My first flock consisted of 2 drakes and one duck. One drake became dominant and chased the other one off and wouldn't let him near the duck but other than that they all got along fine. Until a predator got the the less dominant drake.

 

[DuckieDabbler]

Carcajou, did you let them free range or were they in an enclosure of some sort? How much room did they have? I'm wondering if letting them free range all day rather than just when I'm home will help with any aggression. Sorry to hear about you losing your drake

 

[wendeld]

I let mine free range all day even when im not home, they go off quite a ways and come back to the house around 4 pm everyday. I have seven drakes the only time they get crankywith each other is when they are fighting over water but they are only 7 weeks old they get locked up at night

 

[Carcajou]

Carcajou, did you let them free range or were they in an enclosure of some sort? How much room did they have? I'm wondering if letting them free range all day rather than just when I'm home will help with any aggression. Sorry to hear about you losing your drake

I let them free range and put them in at night. That is until they decided they were going to stay on the pond where I couldn't herd them (I later learned that I probably could have used flashlights to herd them). I lost that drake in November 2011 during the night I suspect to an owl. With these first three the dominance establishment lasted for a week or so then the dominant drake (I still have him, he is the one on my avatar and is named Flighty) would just chase the other one off now and then.

I let my current flock (Flighty and five ducks) free-range all day whether I am here or not and they follow me into a fenced enclosure in the late afternoon when I place their feeder there, then into the coop at night.

 

[DuckieDabbler]

Flighty is so handsome! He's a Khaki Campbell? I love the color. I think I'll start leaving mine out all day too and of course locking them into their duck house at night. I just want to plant a few more small bushes and trees so they have some more places to duck and cover when there's a hawk, I worry about that a lot. I see a hawk flying around daily which seems like a lot to me but I've never had a reason to watch out for hawks before. So does anyone else's ducks do this strange behavior to you too and know what it really means: usually when feeding them lettuce or other treats the drakes will often look at me, shake/shiver, then leap out stretching their neck, wiggling their necks and bill up my arm? Strange ... but funny. They seem really happy during these times but I don't know if they are trying to be pushy and eventually start biting or being mean? Don't know if I should discourage the behavior so it doesn't progress? As I'm sure you've all caught on that I am very new to the duck world but love learning more about them and think they are super awesome and can't believe I've lived my life this far without realizing how fun ducks are

 

[wendeld]

My drakes do the exact same thing when i feed them treats ! And i wondered why too hopefully some can answer

 

[Lynzi777]

I wish someone could tell me how to get my KCs to be comfortable around us. We feed them treats just about every day and they still are skiddish around us. They'll come up close but they will not take anything from our hands.

 

[Carcajou]

I wish someone could tell me how to get my KCs to be comfortable around us. We feed them treats just about every day and they still are skiddish around us. They'll come up close but they will not take anything from our hands.

Khakis are a skittish breed of duck. My are trusting, especially when I am the bearer of food or treats, but they only allow me to approach to within a certain distance before they decide they need to widen the gap. It is just the way they are. Even when I had a sick duck recently she was sort of tolerant of me picking her up to care for her but as she got better she wanted no part of being touched. One thing you do need to do is never make any sudden motions or noises. Always move slowly around them and talk softly. You might try sitting on the ground and offering your treats and gradually letting them come to you and see if they eventually come closer. Time and patience.

I have read some that spend lots and lots and lots and lots of time with them when they are little can get them to eat treats out of their hands and sometimes willing to be touched. Ducks as a general rule are not cuddly, touchy-feely pets as dogs and cats are. I enjoy mine as they are, quacking to me when they think it is time for treats or food, picking bugs and grubs around the lawn, laying their eggs, and doing their jet-ski races on the pond.