The Quack Shack

[Luv Ducks]

No, we helped her along. It took her leg

I am so sorry for your loss. Predators can be terrible for our flocks. I know it may just be their nature and we try our best to protect them but sometimes they still win.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

I am so sorry for your loss. Predators can be terrible for our flocks. I know it may just be their nature and we try our best to protect them but sometimes they still win.

Foxes are pure evil. They turn it into a sport

 

[Luv Ducks]

Foxes are pure evil. They turn it into a sport

Cats can be the same way. My Son's cat will catch mice and small birds and bring them alive into his house just so it can chase it all over the place until my Son gets it and puts it out of its misery. I hate to see an animal kill for sport but then when I think about all of this, there are humans that do that too. Some go hunting just to kill something with no intentions of ever eating it. Not all mind you by no means, but some do.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Cats can be the same way. My Son's cat will catch mice and small birds and bring them alive into his house just so it can chase it all over the place until my Son gets it and puts it out of its misery. I hate to see an animal kill for sport but then when I think about all of this, there are humans that do that too. Some go hunting just to kill something with no intentions of ever eating it. Not all mind you by no means, but some do.

I have read a theory that cats do this because they are catching food for their humans because they think we don't know how to hunt. But the way they play pingpong with mice I think it is sport

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Did you let Metzer know about the mix up and if you did was anything done about it? I am just curious about that. My two Mallard ducklings I got from them have been great layers. One is bigger than the other one and the smaller one can fly well. She has only left the outside pen once and luckily a neighbor knowing I had ducks returned her to me.

No, they will send you a replacement female duckling and a "mystery duckling" as shipping buddy, but you can be 100% sure that that buddy-duckling is a male. Double drake-trouble…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

First little-bit-more-serious frost for ducks... Ice on the buckets but the ducks are swimming happily in the kiddie pools.

They are practicing with Chinese (Napa) cabbage and palm (Tuscan) kale for the winter time - it's going well.

My duck devour any kind of greens during the winter. I have frozen several bags of cabbage/kale/kohlrabi/mustard greens/rape/swiss chard/… all the stuff that grew, but failed to grow into a human pleasant form. All cut to bits and pieces, stuffed into zip-lock-bags (used!) and thrown into the freezer. ½ bag per supper-bowl and the ducks are happy.
Also feeding any type of brassica makes the egg-yolks more orange as well as the duck's feed and bills.
I also grow fodder, i have a fodder-tower in my garage where i have already started to grow wheat grass. At the moment the duck's are not too greedy for that stuff, but that will change when the grasses here have been all eaten.

• Don't tell the wife, I'm growing fodder in the 2nd bathroom!​

• My $10 Inexpensive DIY Fodder Tower with Dollar Tree Dish Bins​

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Oh No!!!! Is your female duck alright? I pray that it is. A fox can be brutal on them and kill them or drag them off to their den. I did not know peafowl could chase a fox off. That' s great that they can.

As long as Mr. Peaduck was here, he would protect the ducklings. Have you ever looked at a peacocks feet? Their toenails are close to be talents and they attack with their feet first. I'm sure a fully grown peacock can disembowel a raccoon with ease and is able to severely injure a fox.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I have read a theory that cats do this because they are catching food for their humans because they think we don't know how to hunt. But the way they play pingpong with mice I think it is sport

Orca's and dolphins have been observed playing with their prey too. They kick the unlucky seal high into the air with their tail fin:

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Happy Saturday Everybody!

Duck problems again: The incubator gang - plus some of the other newcomers from this summer - still insist in sleeping on the pond…
And now El Chapo Duckman, the beautiful black/white drake from this year:

The one in the foreground has an eye-infection. A really bad one on both eyes!
Yesterday he came down to the house with his friends to eat and i was able to grab him and apply Terramycin to both of his eyes. It was a fight!
Today he spend the whole day on the pond, out of my reach, so no medication.
Could there be something in the pond, causing these eye infections?
There are several other ducks with swollen and infected eyes, but of course i can't get a hold on them…

 

[Luv Ducks]

Happy Saturday Everybody!

Duck problems again: The incubator gang - plus some of the other newcomers from this summer - still insist in sleeping on the pond…
And now El Chapo Duckman, the beautiful black/white drake from this year:

The one in the foreground has an eye-infection. A really bad one on both eyes!
Yesterday he came down to the house with his friends to eat and i was able to grab him and apply Terramycin to both of his eyes. It was a fight!
Today he spend the whole day on the pond, out of my reach, so no medication.
Could there be something in the pond, causing these eye infections?
There are several other ducks with swollen and infected eyes, but of course i can't get a hold on them…

They get eye infections from bacterial, viral or fungal problems in their environment so if any of this would happen to be in your pond that is possible.