Update and new problems.

[Purra]

Hey all, I posted earlier about a duckling with a niacin deficiency. He's doing ok, but seems to have a permanent limp. He gets around fairly well, and has been accepted by my trio as part of the group. He's starting to get in his gray man-feathers.

I seem to have a talent for acquiring more ducks. My friend who got two of her own when I got mine had to get rid of them, so I now have two new ducks in my flock as of this week. The female has been accepted already and she gets along pretty well, but the male gets picked on by all my own males. (I ended up with 4 males and 2 females total, whats up with that) I have separate pools so he has access to water, and I can put out two bowls of food easily enough. He just gets run off whenever he gets too close. I imagine I'll have to let them work it own like I did with Igor (gimpy duck) before. (picture of the whole group is below)

My newest issue, however, is that it looks like Tofu, the new male, might have a foot infection? The pad of the foot is mostly hard and has a large rough scab/infected spot in the center. I can get a picture, if it would help. I know there's a how-to on treating bumblefoot, and I think even if it isnt bumblefoot it should maybe be wrapped. It doesn't look very pleasant. Would it be best to keep him on dry bedding for a while? I've had them a couple days and only today noticed it, since I hadn't flipped him over to check his feet yet. I've done it to my own now and then after the issues with Igor's feet.

Also, it looks like the females are getting into breeding mode and accepting the males. I don't want them to get overbred and injured, with four males. More females isn't an option, and I'd rather not get rid of any of them if I don't have to. I could keep them separated for the most part if that seems like a good thing to do. There's only been one breeding that I've seen so far, but I'm sure there's been some I haven't caught.

Sorry for being a complete noob, but I guess it's good that I'm willing to ask for help at least? Please and thank you for any advice!

And of course, a (crappy cellphone) picture of the whole flock:

 

[Amiga]

Well, it looks like a nice group.

Four drakes with two ducks is a recipe for injury or worse, worst case, and I would not rely on the drakes to restrain themselves. If you are in the northern hemisphere, we may be past the thick of breeding season, so there may be little trouble this year. It is just as likely that there will be trouble that comes out of the blue (three on one in the pool and a drowning, for example).

I would set up a drake pen. Perhaps the odd drake out can be with the ducks, but even one drake and two ducks can have problems.

Sometimes that ratio works out just fine, by the way. It is entirely up to the drakes. But I try to think from the ducks' perspective, and I would not want someone to gamble with my wellbeing just to avoid annoying a drake.

 

[Purra]

Well, it looks like a nice group.

Four drakes with two ducks is a recipe for injury or worse, worst case, and I would not rely on the drakes to restrain themselves. If you are in the northern hemisphere, we may be past the thick of breeding season, so there may be little trouble this year. It is just as likely that there will be trouble that comes out of the blue (three on one in the pool and a drowning, for example).

I would set up a drake pen. Perhaps the odd drake out can be with the ducks, but even one drake and two ducks can have problems.

Sometimes that ratio works out just fine, by the way. It is entirely up to the drakes. But I try to think from the ducks' perspective, and I would not want someone to gamble with my wellbeing just to avoid annoying a drake.

Thanks for the reply! Yep I'm in the northern hemisphere, and the migration should be before too long. I could probably work out the drake pen since we should be fencing off half the yard for the ducks soon. (They've taken over and seem to like the patio best, which has not been met with enthusiasm) At night, they go in a secure pen attached to a hutch, and theoretically I could put the girls in the hutch at night and leave the drakes out in the rest of the pen. At the moment, I've been using the hutch to keep the bullied male safe from Scooter, my big guy, at night.

 

[Amiga]

Please please make sure the rest of that pen is safe. My heart still aches from a friend losing her entire flock because she made some wrong assumptions.

 

[Purra]

It has a swing-up lid that latches down, generously stapled chicken wire that I cant even pull off without finding the end and wrestling with it, and sits on cement patio blocks so nothing can dig underneath. I usually leave them in the pen at night with the hutch open if they want to go in it. During the day they're usually out in the yard. I was pretty paranoid about making sure nothing could get into the pen, since we had coons or possibly an opossum raiding out trash a while back.

A couple years ago one of my friends had ducks, and something ripped the wood lattice off the area under their patio to get at them, so I suppose being paranoid isn't a bad thing.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It has a swing-up lid that latches down, generously stapled chicken wire that I cant even pull off without finding the end and wrestling with it, and sits on cement patio blocks so nothing can dig underneath. I usually leave them in the pen at night with the hutch open if they want to go in it. During the day they're usually out in the yard. I was pretty paranoid about making sure nothing could get into the pen, since we had coons or possibly an opossum raiding out trash a while back.

A couple years ago one of my friends had ducks, and something ripped the wood lattice off the area under their patio to get at them, so I suppose being paranoid isn't a bad thing.

Not at all.

 

[Amiga]

I forget the source of the quote, but

"just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you."

 

[Miss Lydia]

I forget the source of the quote, but

"just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you."

good one.

 

[Purra]

To update, Tofu's foot is healing up pretty well with just a little extra attention and he's more accepted into the group. He still gets picked on if he gets in the pool with the other boys, but it's better than it was.

 

[Amiga]

Good news, thanks!