The Quack Shack

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I agree it’s weird and it makes me nervous but I reported to the hatchery right away. Here’s a pic of how I have the duck house separated. I know the older ducks can’t reach over the barrier, it’s two feet tall. I don’t think their bills can fit through to do get to the babies. I never saw babies on the wrong side of the barrier and their bodies were all on their own side when I found them. This made me reject the idea that the older birds did something to harm them. I’m considering a HWC strip across the bottom of the barrier as an extra precaution.

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If that soothes the pain: You did everything perfect!
You said one of the ducklings was under the heat-pad when it died - so they did not got cold and the grown-ups bills won't fit far enough through that sturdy barrier to hurt an duckling. Anyways, it is my experience that ducks rarely get excited about little ducklings, at worst they become instant-broody and want to adopt the little ones. Integrating the half grown ducks later is another story.
The only two explanations i can come up with is that they got an infection at the hatchery or during their trip. Or somebody fed them with breadcrumbs.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Does anyone else here have pekin? If so.... how many kg/LBs do they eat a day?

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning folks Good evening Wunda & Kiwi

 

[igorsMistress]

If that soothes the pain: You did everything perfect!
You said one of the ducklings was under the heat-pad when it died - so they did not got cold and the grown-ups bills won't fit far enough through that sturdy barrier to hurt an duckling. Anyways, it is my experience that ducks rarely get excited about little ducklings, at worst they become instant-broody and want to adopt the little ones. Integrating the half grown ducks later is another story.
The only two explanations i can come up with is that they got an infection at the hatchery or during their trip. Or somebody fed them with breadcrumbs.

I didn’t find bread in their box but someone definitely was looking inside so anything is possible.. I dunno, it was upsetting and I’ve done my due diligence and now I’m hoping for the best.

I was hoping that brooding the ducklings in the same place the bigs eat and sleep would help with integration later. Worst case scenario is Ilet the bigs out to the big yard and lock the littles in the small yard for a while. My “big ducks” are only just now going through their 10-16 week molt

 

[rjohns39]

I didn’t find bread in their box but someone definitely was looking inside so anything is possible.. I dunno, it was upsetting and I’ve done my due diligence and now I’m hoping for the best.

I was hoping that brooding the ducklings in the same place the bigs eat and sleep would help with integration later. Worst case scenario is Ilet the bigs out to the big yard and lock the littles in the small yard for a while. My “big ducks” are only just now going through their 10-16 week molt

Good morning IM, have a great day

 

[shawluvsbirds]

If that soothes the pain: You did everything perfect!
You said one of the ducklings was under the heat-pad when it died - so they did not got cold and the grown-ups bills won't fit far enough through that sturdy barrier to hurt an duckling. Anyways, it is my experience that ducks rarely get excited about little ducklings, at worst they become instant-broody and want to adopt the little ones. Integrating the half grown ducks later is another story.
The only two explanations i can come up with is that they got an infection at the hatchery or during their trip. Or somebody fed them with breadcrumbs.

My ducks must be belly buttons.
The cayuga ducks go EEEEK! and run away from littles.
And I've had call girls attack and kill little ones.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Does anyone else here have pekin? If so.... how many kg/LBs do they eat a day?

It depends on the Pekin Duck: Some of them eat as much as you feed them. Pekins have been selectively bred to never feel full…
What is "normal" for a healthy duck to eat? - Let's run some numbers, this is what my 28 ducks and 11 drakes have used in January:

Layer-Pellets: 200lbs / 31days / 39ducks ≈ 0.17lbs = 77grams per duck per day
Cat-Food: 39lbs / 31days / 39ducks ≈ 0.03lbs = 13grams per duck per day

This is just a mathematical average, the ducks eat more food than the drakes, especually when it comes to the cat-food. And Blanca Duck will eat more than 100 grams of anything edible at once! And my ducks are free ranging, so they find a lot to eat outside, even though it is winter here.
Out of my guts, i wouldn't let a Peking duck eat (much) more than 100 grams of food per day.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I didn’t find bread in their box but someone definitely was looking inside so anything is possible.. I dunno, it was upsetting and I’ve done my due diligence and now I’m hoping for the best.

I was hoping that brooding the ducklings in the same place the bigs eat and sleep would help with integration later. Worst case scenario is Ilet the bigs out to the big yard and lock the littles in the small yard for a while. My “big ducks” are only just now going through their 10-16 week molt

This is the absolutely correct method to integrate the ducklings with the ducks! If you are really lucky, one (or more) of your ducks will turn instant-broody and adopt the little ones on the spot. That happened with last year's Summer Ducklings: Pinball Duck hatched them and thought »Job done«! - Then two other ducks adopted the four little ducklings immediately and cared for them. So they had three Mommas protecting them.
I had the Fall-Ducklings outside as much as possible so that they all got used to each other and later they were on separate pastures, separated by just a small fence and they integrated into the flock perfectly.

 

[Cecisflock]

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

My ducks must be belly buttons.
The cayuga ducks go EEEEK! and run away from littles.
And I've had call girls attack and kill little ones.

Disclaimer: My personal opinion, so please no offense to anybody!
Call ducks are in my opinion at the same level as crested ducks. Some are over breed to a dumb human defined standard. Their ducklings often assistance during hatching and the some ducks have necks too short to tug their bills under their wings. I have even seen "show-quality" call-ducks with too tiny bills, causing breathing problems.
In my experience the closer a duck is to "show-quality" the more likely that issues with health and behaviour occur.
Again: My personal opinion, i don't want to offend anybody.