transporting 3 adult runners, and introducing them.

[Miss Lydia]

I can’t wait to see them all cleaned up.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

I can’t wait to see them all cleaned up.

Me too! So far no dice on the water except to fly into it in an attempt to escape when we brought peas and watermelon.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe they have never even seen a pool?

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

They are in good hands now and that's whats most important.

Thanks.. I dunno about good hands but we will give to our best go.
The ducklings were easy, they aren’t exactly imprinted, but they come For treats, follow us when we coax them and head right inside at night for their evening peas, no fear of people. These guys not so much. I would have loved to just release them and leave them in their spot but I’m not set up for that so they had to come into the brooder In the basement among the construction debris. More handling , but I am afraid it is more traumatic than beneficial.
As a side note, that white one gave me a mouthful of wing tonight and it tastes as bad as she smells.. ick! Can’t get rid of it, I tried mouthwash and Heddy Topper!

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

We have been reading a little about mites, is there an easy way to tell if they have an issue? How easily are they transmitted? What can we do for them if they have them and should we be treating preventatively?

 

[416bigbore]

We have been reading a little about mites, is there an easy way to tell if they have an issue? How easily are they transmitted? What can we do for them if they have them and should we be treating preventatively?

I guess they would be doing a lot of scratching like a dog with fleas. I found this link that might help. After holding our ducks and wrapping their wings, I too have noticed that they defiantly have their own odor, maybe from the oil on their feathers from their oil gland ?
http://www.callducks.net/ectop.htm

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

I am becoming somewhat concerned, they won’t eat the nutrina flock raiser , at least as far as I can tell. Even sprinkled some meal worms on top , no dice. We decided to leave them in the basement brooder for the day, it’s got plenty of room for them and they aren’t as messy as the Pekin and Rouens. They obviously are eating something because there was poop , but they had some watermelon yesterday and some peas, but the food dish hasn’t been touched today or last night. They are terrified of us run to the corner and tremble and then If I reach in to deal with water or whatever they try to fly up out . I have bird net stretched over the top so they can’t but I don’t want them tangled either.
The little white one seems to have cleaned her bill but I can’t get a good look because they run back and forth to escape when I get near.
It is a stark contrast to our other 5 who watch curiously as I walk past with a running chainsaw and then come to watch what I am doing when I clean out brush-expanding their run.
I bought some chick starter crumbles today, in ideal but I thought maybe it was closer to what they eat. Should I try a mash? Any ideas on getting them to eat would be appreciated.
Thoughts on calming them down around us would be great too. All of our other animals are pretty unflappable , so this is uncharted territory for us.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It’s going to take patience. For one thing they are Runners they are flighty any way. So just do things around them and let them work it out as far as getting comfortable around y’all. Try a warm mash for them. Do you know what they fed them? My ducks love fermented feed you don’t have to do this but mine tend to like moistened better than dry.

 

[416bigbore]

I would guess this whole experience has been a little traumatizing for everyone and will take them a little time to get used to you and their new place. I would defiantly get some electrolytes for them until they start eating. I am sure other members whom have dealt with this similar situation might have better advice. Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

This from the lady I got the runners from:
“ They have had blue seal layer pellets and cracked corn mix, I forget what it is called from tractor supply, a scratch feed for ducks and chickens was the cracked. Corn mix from TSC”

They did pick at some dry meal worms but I don’t see evidence of any other eating except for a couple dimples in the starter crumbles but no scooping marks. And nothing on the Nutrina flock raiser.
I am going to try some
Mash with the crumbles.
Where do I find the afore mentioned electrolytes? Is that a TSC thing? Is it duck specific ?