Underweight duck

[Miss Lydia]

I think that's a very good plan. When she is off the nest I would candle her eggs for signs of life so you can take any that aren't growing away. In the heat we're having [in the US] it's not a good idea to leave non viable eggs in the nest they can go rotten and explode which would not be good. How many days has she been sitting ?

 

[tessandherducks]

I think that's a very good plan. When she is off the nest I would candle her eggs for signs of life so you can take any that aren't growing away. In the heat we're having [in the US] it's not a good idea to leave non viable eggs in the nest they can go rotten and explode which would not be good. How many days has she been sitting ?

In England even though it’s summer it is pretty rainy and cold . but yes I will candle them this evening.

 

[tessandherducks]

I think that's a very good plan. When she is off the nest I would candle her eggs for signs of life so you can take any that aren't growing away. In the heat we're having [in the US] it's not a good idea to leave non viable eggs in the nest they can go rotten and explode which would not be good. How many days has she been sitting ?

I candeled them today, about 10 of them have veins. I also weighed her today and will continue to, to make sure her weight isn’t decreasing to much

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds great. Hopefully she’ll get a nice ducklings reward for all her hard work.

 

[tessandherducks]

Sounds great. Hopefully she’ll get a nice ducklings reward for all her hard work.

today I weighed petunia and my other 2 females that are 1 year old. Petunia was 2.3kg, one of my other girls was 2.5kg and my other was 2.6kg, so she isn’t to much lighter then my other 2 which is good. I will just have to make sure she dosn’t get to much smaller then she is now

 

[Miss Lydia]

Life

That is good, your keeping a good eye on her she should do fine.

 

[tessandherducks]

Life

That is good, your keeping a good eye on her she should do fine.

Petunia is doing well, She's now eating much better and taking some time away from the nest to take care of herself. However, I've noticed that she tends to shiver whenever I approach her. It doesn't seem to be because she's cold; I wonder if she's trying to intimidate me. She shivers or slightly shakes and then will bite. I just want to make sure this behavior is normal, as she's otherwise perfectly fine, apart from being broody, of course. Apologies for all the questions.

 

[tessandherducks]

Petunia is doing well, She's now eating much better and taking some time away from the nest to take care of herself. However, I've noticed that she tends to shiver whenever I approach her. It doesn't seem to be because she's cold; I wonder if she's trying to intimidate me. She shivers or slightly shakes and then will bite. I just want to make sure this behavior is normal, as she's otherwise perfectly fine, apart from being broody, of course. Apologies for all the questions.

I have been wondering whether it is possible to reduce the number of eggs to six, even though they are already about 9 days into incubation, showing visible veins. Unfortunately, I don't have enough space to accommodate all 12 ducklings once fully grown . However, I have a friend who is interest in taking two of the ducklings once they are a few weeks old, as she has always wanted Muscovy ducks. This would leave me with four ducklings Witch I would have space for even when bigger. But I'm concerned about the ethical aspect of removing the eggs at this stage. Alternatively, if it is not good to take them away, I could consider selling the ducklings once they have hatched. I want to ensure the best possible outcome for the ducklings and their welfare. Any advice or suggestions would be great.
thanks X

side note: I didn’t take them away earlier as I wanted to be sure which 6 where most likely to hatch and I didn’t want to leave her with the unfertilised ones accidentally.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have been wondering whether it is possible to reduce the number of eggs to six, even though they are already about 9 days into incubation, showing visible veins. Unfortunately, I don't have enough space to accommodate all 12 ducklings once fully grown . However, I have a friend who is interest in taking two of the ducklings once they are a few weeks old, as she has always wanted Muscovy ducks. This would leave me with four ducklings Witch I would have space for even when bigger. But I'm concerned about the ethical aspect of removing the eggs at this stage. Alternatively, if it is not good to take them away, I could consider selling the ducklings once they have hatched. I want to ensure the best possible outcome for the ducklings and their welfare. Any advice or suggestions would be great.
thanks X

side note: I didn’t take them away earlier as I wanted to be sure which 6 where most likely to hatch and I didn’t want to leave her with the unfertilised ones accidentally.

You do what you have to. it's better to have the amount you can safely keep than be overcrowded. A hard decision but only you can make it. As for her shaking yes that is her way of trying to get you to leave her alone. Don't let her intimidate you. lol

Selling the extras is another option for sure.

 

[tessandherducks]

You do what you have to. it's better to have the amount you can safely keep than be overcrowded. A hard decision but only you can make it. As for her shaking yes that is her way of trying to get you to leave her alone. Don't let her intimidate you. lol

Selling the extras is another option for sure.

I feel really bad for asking all these questions! She also seems to have a wrinkly belly which feels very soft when I pick her up.
Should I be worried?

This was the best photo I could get? I have a feeling it may need a vet trip, I hope this is nothing to be concerned about!
(video on next page)