Things you wish you could say

Ok so here it goes:
I'm new to raising ducks and I tell myself every day I should set aside the panic and just let my ducks be ducks but every time I do that, thinking finally I've resolved all of my duck problems, something new happens. 😣
My grandma used to keep ducks and chickens and she's always telling me "in her time" nobody cared how many minutes they spend outside at what age and what temperature, nobody fed them special feed or took them to the vet or treated their sniffles and apparently they all did fine. Guess it's me then, thanks 🥺
I thought it can't be that hard raising a bunch of ducks. Ducks are hardy aren't they ? Healthy and strong animals. I've saved bunnies and baby sparrows before. I've had dogs and cats and reptiles. Surely waterfowl can't be any worse. Oh boy, it sure can!
First, two of the duckies hatched with wry necks. I panicked, then researched that and fixed them up. Then when they were 2 weeks old 3 duckies started to have trouble walking - here you guys told me it's niacin deficiency so I researched that, did my best to fix that. They are now 7 weeks old and one of them still wobbles (though he is slowly getting better).
I was hoping that's it - but no. They had upper respiratory infection - twice. First they sneezed and had eye discharge. When that stopped with antibiotics they had redness in the corners of their eyes and puffy cheeks. That cleared out again with antibiotics but two ducks still breathe as if their noses were stuffed and recently started coughing a bit. Vet said to wait if it clears out on its own. I'm waiting. Meanwhile I read all threads on respiratory infections, did everything everyone recommended, it's been 2 weeks now - no change. Not to mention the ducks already produced every colour and consistency of poop imaginable. Like I can start an encyclopaedia of duck poop at this point, I have pictures.
Ok, so that must be it, surely? Yeah, no. Today one of the ducks threw up a bunch of slugs right before bed ... I gave him som activated charcoal. He seems ok now.
Oh and of course, let us not forget I had an aggression problem, which I again solved thanks to wonderful people on this forum, who told me my coop was too small. My coop was too small guys! 😩

Meanwhile I have a friend who keeps chickens, ducks, geese, silkies and what not all in one run in hygiene conditions I would politely call sub par and she never has any problems with anything, no infections, no fighting, no nothing. And she has one runner duck and 2 drakes, one goose and 2 geese boys. Like what the hell ?
I don't know if I should rage or cry of both. 😩

I keep the duckies clean and dry since day one, away from the chickens, away from the pond 😓. I'm doing my level best. Yet every morning I go to the coop thinking: please let them all be alive, let them all be alive. Honestly I feel like the worst duck mom ever. 😥

🙈Ok that's all I had on my mind, thank you.
I'm going to go cry now.
 
Ok so here it goes:
I'm new to raising ducks and I tell myself every day I should set aside the panic and just let my ducks be ducks but every time I do that, thinking finally I've resolved all of my duck problems, something new happens. 😣
My grandma used to keep ducks and chickens and she's always telling me "in her time" nobody cared how many minutes they spend outside at what age and what temperature, nobody fed them special feed or took them to the vet or treated their sniffles and apparently they all did fine. Guess it's me then, thanks 🥺
I thought it can't be that hard raising a bunch of ducks. Ducks are hardy aren't they ? Healthy and strong animals. I've saved bunnies and baby sparrows before. I've had dogs and cats and reptiles. Surely waterfowl can't be any worse. Oh boy, it sure can!
First, two of the duckies hatched with wry necks. I panicked, then researched that and fixed them up. Then when they were 2 weeks old 3 duckies started to have trouble walking - here you guys told me it's niacin deficiency so I researched that, did my best to fix that. They are now 7 weeks old and one of them still wobbles (though he is slowly getting better).
I was hoping that's it - but no. They had upper respiratory infection - twice. First they sneezed and had eye discharge. When that stopped with antibiotics they had redness in the corners of their eyes and puffy cheeks. That cleared out again with antibiotics but two ducks still breathe as if their noses were stuffed and recently started coughing a bit. Vet said to wait if it clears out on its own. I'm waiting. Meanwhile I read all threads on respiratory infections, did everything everyone recommended, it's been 2 weeks now - no change. Not to mention the ducks already produced every colour and consistency of poop imaginable. Like I can start an encyclopaedia of duck poop at this point, I have pictures.
Ok, so that must be it, surely? Yeah, no. Today one of the ducks threw up a bunch of slugs right before bed ... I gave him som activated charcoal. He seems ok now.
Oh and of course, let us not forget I had an aggression problem, which I again solved thanks to wonderful people on this forum, who told me my coop was too small. My coop was too small guys! 😩

Meanwhile I have a friend who keeps chickens, ducks, geese, silkies and what not all in one run in hygiene conditions I would politely call sub par and she never has any problems with anything, no infections, no fighting, no nothing. And she has one runner duck and 2 drakes, one goose and 2 geese boys. Like what the hell ?
I don't know if I should rage or cry of both. 😩

I keep the duckies clean and dry since day one, away from the chickens, away from the pond 😓. I'm doing my level best. Yet every morning I go to the coop thinking: please let them all be alive, let them all be alive. Honestly I feel like the worst duck mom ever. 😥

🙈Ok that's all I had on my mind, thank you.
I'm going to go cry now.
I am sorry. Sounds like my early days with chickens. Felt like Everitt could go wrong did go wrong. All at once.
This too shall pass, and you will be stronger and more knowledgeable as a result.
Good luck.
:hugs:hugs
 
I wish people understood how hard having POTS can be. My last year as a teenager have been stuck in a doctor’s office with needles in my arms and the constant “your bloodwork is fine, you’re making it up in your head” doesn’t help.
It has completely taken away every aspect of my social life. I used to have so much fun and go travel and go to events with my friends, but now, after people heard I got sick, they just leave. They get frustrated after a month because I’m not better, but they don’t bother to understand the term “chronic illness”. It’s zapped so much out of me— my bubbliness, my energy, my hope for the future… I’m so tired.
And it gets so lonely so quickly. I have a loving partner, but I want my friends, too. My parents are upset when I have flare ups, but they don’t understand that this is a real issue and that making me eat vegetables isn’t going to cure it.
I eat well and have a healthy lifestyle, but that’s not going to cure me of this. I’m doing what I can when I can, but it is so lonely.
It’s scary, too— especially when I’m alone. When I pass out, sometimes it’s for long periods of time. This morning, I completely lost mobility in my legs and had to use a wheelchair to get around the upstairs. Moreover, I hate when people say that POTS isn’t as bad as other illnesses. It’s not about what it is, but it’s about how it affects an individual.
I was only 17.
 

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