Recent content by ruthhope

If he is now safe and secure, you might consider adopting another drake to keep him company, or, alternatively, 3 females

My last introduction was see no touch for 4 weeks before I let them together. The new one was bullied to establish pecking order for weeks and now after 4 months he is not just a dab hand at avoiding being pecked, he is building a relationship hanging out with two of the muscovies. The last...

Peas are a good source of calcium! That is rather good as in my experience, ducks love defrosted frozen peas!

Epsom salts, magnesium sulfate, is great for soaks but don't let your duck drink the water. It's best to use table salt, sodium chloride, for cleaning infected wounds/eyes. I use 1 table spoon table salt in a cup of clean water for wounds; I use 1 tea spoon in a cup of boiled and cooled water...

You're doing just fine! Spend lots of time hanging out with them, and feeding them mealworms and peas by hand, and they will become less skittish

I second keeping Baytril on hand for future need, and also meloxicam. I have both in my Ducky First Aid kit.

Or weigh one!!! My pekin drakes have weighed only 7lbs. I always think of them as poor thin boys [compared with my great fat lumps of muscovy drakes]. My son's pekins are mostly a little larger than a female muscovy. His crested female is smaller than the others -- the same size as the...

Did you find a new home for your boy?

All's well that ends well. Such good news. Duck scabs are like human scabs. Leave them and they will drop off when the wound underneath is healed.

There will likely be side swipes biting as they pass eachother. There may be chasing: I stay with the chase as that can end with one drake standing on the other to exert dominance. Standing is OK in my book as dominance demonstrated generally reduces pecking order behavior. But when one drake...

I thought it was just my boys that were stinkers! I have one muscovy drake that bathes daily, two that don't bathe voluntarily and a pekin that was in water all day in his own wading pool when he was see no touch but stopped bathing the moment I took the temporary dog pen down and let him loose...

My boy that couldn't walk died 6 months later still acting like boss duck!!

If he and the jumbo pekin are sitting each side of a barrier, I would be tempted to try the two together with close supervision initially. If there is no serious pecking order behavior, your jumbo will be a good ally to stop aggression from the others. If that doesn't work out, then go to your...

Yes, shock and other events can stop egg laying for a while

I had a rescue pekin that lost the end of his bill in a raccoon attack when he was a little fluffy easter duckling. Keep the bill clean. Keep the duck in a quiet clean place until it heals. I would bring it into the house to care for initially. Bring a quiet friend too if it seems stressed by...