I have very bad luck with ducklings, but I am leaning towards throwing her eggs in her coop tomorrow and hoping that entices her to brood. I went out there today and cleaned out the deep dank hay that has been in there all winter (new layer every week). I was able to get about 90% out - the rest is still frozen in there. There's a pool of water at the bottom, and it's really windy today, so I'll leave it to "dry" until about 6 then pile a bunch of hay in there and throw the rest of her eggs in once she makes a nest tomorrow. Hopefully she won't be too distraught that she doesn't lay.
SCG, do ducks sit on golfballs? You could get a head start by throwing the eggs in the bator and give her a pile of balls to sit instead, then just swap them out if and when she starts sitting them.
SCG, do ducks sit on golfballs? You could get a head start by throwing the eggs in the bator and give her a pile of balls to sit instead, then just swap them out if and when she starts sitting them.
That's a most excellent suggestion. Thank you. I'm not sure if she will sit on golf balls, but I don't see why she wouldn't. I already have the incubator going.
...And they'll hatch while I'm out of town in Zion with Dsqard... poor BF.
I had great luck with ducks, had some that were super good broodies. Had way too many when we moved here. Started losing them to predators so I advertised the last mom and her 18 little ones for free on Craig's list. Don't ever put your phone number down, the phone rang all day long and they were already picked up the first half hour.
I lost one duckling this morning, another is looking bad, and the rest seem okay.
I took them out of the brooder and put them on the ground outside the coop (as usual.) They made a bee-line for the spring (as usual) and began puddling (as usual.) About an hour later, I was cleaning out their brooder and noticed that they were back up near the coop (not usual.) I looked around for something that could have spooked them, but didn't see anything. They waddled back to the spring, so I went back to cleaning the brooder. Two of the ducks came back up toward the coop a second and I was watching them. One started looking up and weaving it's head from side to side. It got worse until it fell over and onto it's back. I picked it up and brought it into the coop and put it in the brooder. I gave it some vitamin drops (thinking it might be a "Stargazing" type deficiency and noticed a second one was acting off. I brought it in and gave it some drops, too. In the meantime, the first one appeared to seize and then slowly died. I got the others in and they started drinking immediately but not the one that was acting off. It just sits on it's butt with it's head straight up. I forced it to drink some water with a dropper and left it alone. I noticed that a couple of the others were staggery but not much.
I have no idea what happened. It looked like poisoning, but the spring comes out of the ground just 50 feet from where they were. We have not used anything like chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., and I don't think anyone up hill from that spot has either, It is hundreds of acres of hunting land on that side.
Horrific end to a horrific week. At least I hope it's an end. Last Saturday there was a fox out. Our duck pair free ranges. I ran out and closed them up and my general rule is I lock them up a week to make the fox "move on" and then let them out. This morning I thought about keeping them in, but figured I was going to be home and it had been a week and they bolted as soon as they saw the open gate. I went into the bathroom a few minutes ago. The bathroom has a great double window overlooking the chicken coop. The chickens and turkeys were all freaked out and staring at a fox eating something. Turned out it was boy duck that the fox had just gotten.
My panic ended up waking BF up. BF sleeps in the emperors clothes and thought nothing of grabbing the rifle (I had the Walther hand gun) and sneaking out of the house, around the side and trying to get the fox that got the duck (he's a good boy). On the other side of the chicken pen was another red fox, trying to get girl duck. I could have gotten it but it would have scared the other fox that BF went after. I was ready to shoot if it came after girl duck, but wasn't going to risk it otherwise.
Both foxes got away.
Girl duck is miserable. I've posted her on the Maine thread hoping someone wants a really well behaved and good laying duck.
So very true! I spent 22 yrs of my life alone because I did not want any more men in my children's lives after my 2nd divorce. But after my kids were grown I asked my higher power for a soul mate and for him to be put in my lap so that I would know he was the one for me! And he did! Yahoo! I now have my soul mate and I have never been happier than I have in the last 5 years!
