The Quack Shack

[Muscovy Wunda]

I know how to make them friendlier!!!

Okay I'll bite.... how? And it better not involve an oven, crock pot or fire

 

[igorsMistress]

I know how to make them friendlier!!!

If it involves the death of one of my babies forget it

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Yes. I can't explain it but it always happens to me @WannaBeHillBilly might have some insight.

I wonder if its a prey instinct to flee anything bigger than 2 foot

 

[igorsMistress]

I wonder if its a prey instinct to flee anything bigger than 2 foot

I was wondering that also. Chicks go through it too a bit.

 

[duluthralphie]

Okay I'll bite.... how? And it better not involve an oven, crock pot or fire

You left out axe...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

This will pass as soon as they feather out. All ducks go through the axe murderer stage from about 4 to 8 weeks.

Some never become tame again. The 13 Fall ducklings were eating cat food out of my hands, now they run for the hills if they see me holding anything in my hands. Could be an axe… Hey i don't even own an axe! My hatchet is missing since we moved from Houston to here, i may forgot it in the garage.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I can only assume too, but from observation i conclude that those first feathers must hurt like hell: I have observed on several occasions that the ducklings were sitting all huddled together, peacefully dozing when all of the sudden one jumps up, squeaks loud, "runs it off" and then franticly "cleans" one spot.
With my first ducklings i thought the had been bitten by an ant - we had this huge black ants on the property at that time and they had a nasty bite, but the 2019 Spring ducklings showed the very same behaviour and there were no ants in our house, guaranteed!
Runner ducks and closely related breeds seem to be more susceptible to this "feather sting" that for example White Layers. Never saw a WL jumping up like that, but the Runners, Buffs and Swedish/Magpie ducklings all did that.

As for those nasty black ants, they have all successfully been converted into yummy duck-eggs!

 

[Pyxis]

Soooo there's a weird smell coming from the eggs already. Not rotten smell, just weird. I'll give them three or four days so I can candle (as long as they don't start to smell actually rotten) but after that if I don't see life, they're coming out.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Soooo there's a weird smell coming from the eggs already. Not rotten smell, just weird. I'll give them three or four days so I can candle (as long as they don't start to smell actually rotten) but after that if I don't see life, they're coming out.

Oh no.... hopefully its just a breed smell. Example, my peking eggs get a smell about them when I incubate but the runners and cayugas never did

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Talking about incubation: What incubator can you guys recommend? I mean something affordable, way below $100… The owner of the Chinese Supermarket wants to eat duck and is asking if i can sell him some life ducks. He wants to do the slaughtering, butchering and plucking. So i thought i go get an incubator and hatch some eggs, sell him the drakes and keep the girls…