The Quack Shack

[Luv Ducks]

I know the two largest are drakes, Harry Duckhini and El Chapo Duckman.
And there are ducks and drakes. How many? No clue yet, the two smallest are still peeping for example.

How old are they now? I have lost track since you have so many.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

OMG! - Can Horseflies kill ducklings?

Went to the garden to harvest some tomatoes, inside of the fence i let ducky loose so it could nibble on whatever it watns to nibble on and started to pluck. Suddenly i heart that typical aggressive hum of a horsefly, but i was prepared with a flyswatter. Horse and deerflies are very common here this time of the year and the duck love to eat them after i turned them into chips.
Anyways i was swatting after that horsefly a couple of times, some close calls then it disappeared and i turned back to the toma… - Ducky screamed like i have never heart a duckling scream! I literally jumped in its direction, saw it running towards me and there was a dark speck on its back. That horsefly sat on the back of ducky digging through the fluff to bite!
I flicked that insect off and tried to stomp it but missed. - Instead it bit a piece of of my thigh and flew away:

Spoiler: Picture of a bloody horse-fly bite

What on earth was that? I have seen and killed deer- and horse-flies during the last five years here, but that was about twice the size of the largest insect i have encountered, about a full inch (2.5cm) in length and sounded almost like an aggressive hummingbird - if they ever sound aggressive...
Ducky is back to »muste be held in my hand at all cost«.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We had them in Florida boy can they hurt. Poor baby duck sure was great you were there but sad you got stung.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I hate biting insects, especially deerfly with the way they circle around your head constantly!

That's a nasty bite! What an aggressive bug. Are you sure you didn't have a mutant cicada??

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We had them in Florida boy can they hurt. Poor baby duck sure was great you were there but sad you got stung.

We have them here every year and i got pretty good in swatting and feeding them to the ducks. Blanca Duck loves them when they are still crunchy! - But that thing yesterday was something different. Maybe a Chinese Super-Bug?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Might have been one of Bill Gates's Mosquitos went awry.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I hate biting insects, especially deerfly with the way they circle around your head constantly!

That's a nasty bite! What an aggressive bug. Are you sure you didn't have a mutant cicada??

As said, i am very much used to deer and horse flies, i am "cool" enough to stand still, let them land, stun them and call in Blanca Duck for the kill. That bite has a nasty red halo around today, i might go to an Urgent care today...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Anybody any idea what i can try to feed "ducky"?
Five days old and still just 50grams...
Here is what i have tried

• Duck starter crumbles from mamma pro
• Meatbird crumbles
• ground layer pellets
• ground catfood
• ground scratch grain (multi grain)
• ground sunflower kernels
• banana
• tomatoe
• strawberry
• bread
• salad
• peppers hot and sweet
• apple
• peach
• crumbled egg yolk
• scrambled eggs
• wheat tortilla
• cracked corn
• whole corn
• whole sunflour seeds
• my fingers
• my toes
• ham
• spaghetti worms with and without sauce
• a dozen other crazy things

Everything is being refused by ducky! The only things this spoiled brat eats are flies, crushed meal-worms soaked in water and bits of croissant.
It eats some of the mealworm-soup, feels full due to lots of protein after a few bites, then wants to nap in my hand, poops and is hungry again within 15 minutes.
b4 you ask, the mealworm soup contains a healthy dose of niacin and a ground up multi vitamin tablet - everything from vitamin a to z.
Can a duckling grow up eating only flies and mealworms?
Is it time to prepare for force feeding?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Have you tried maybe floating little bits of vegetation in the mealworm soup?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Have you tried maybe floating little bits of vegetation in the mealworm soup?

Yes, ducklings have built-in strainers: The mealworms are being eaten, the veggie-bits are being flung into dad's face...