Recent content by MissusDee

One of my 8 week old buffs. It's a female. Looks just like the grown ones, but she is still a bit smaller.

Mixed ducks are great! They have been some of the friendliest an most beautiful ducks in my experience. If you are just having them in the backyard, they are fantastic.

I had a mixed that looked very much like this one. It was from a buff egg, but I also had Mallards, and I guessed them to be mixed. They were quite beautiful, and when at full plumage, had a slightly richer buff color.

How old are the ducklings and do you have adult males? I have put female adults with ducklings, but not adult males. The males tend to want to mate with the ducklings, and they are too young. Best to wait until they are fully grown and keep them separate before say 15 to 17 weeks of age.

Hi, where are you located? I had just one female mallard alone for a winter some years back, with a mirror, and she became a lot more personable with me during that time, and even hung out with the cat. She had lost her mate in the fall, and it was hard to get another duck in the winter...

I have had domestic mallards that were not marked and from a hatchery, and it never was a problem. It depends on where the hatchery was, and I think Florida is the only state where it's a problem to own mallards. Just clip the wings. It's not hard, you can use scissors and it doesn't hurt.

Sorry you had such a bad experience. Mailed eggs seem to have a lower hatch rate anyway. I know I have tried just getting them off of ebay, the membrane often detaches or whatever. 50% doesn't seem that bad, though I have never ordered eggs from Metzers. Have you ordered eggs and tried to...

I gently push down on the drake's back with my foot (or you can use a hand). Not enough to hurt it, but to push it down. He will stop, at least for the time being.

Oh no. So sorry. I lost some of mine to raccoons last fall, it's a helpless feeling when you lose them that way. Hugs.

Is the one in the middle the raspy one? Guessing two girls and one drake. Wait, you have had them a year? Are you getting eggs? Males have a curl on the tail (unless it's molting season). Some seasons when they molt, it's harder to tell the males from the females as far as buffs go.

I have only had it that way since November, and I plan to separate them when mating season gets in full swing. Getting more females too. Right now it's ok.

I have 3 drakes, one female duck and 2 chicken hens right now. My drakes have never tried to mate with the chickens. I think they are afraid of the chickens in general.

How is he now. I can't imagine the roach caused him to get sick, unless it was sprayed or something. What kind of bedding do you use? It could be something bothering his breathing. Sorry he isn't any better.

Also, vetricyn is wonderful. They have one for eyes, but you can use the spray to clean out the eyes. It's pricey, but once you get it, you may need it a lot, and can use it for a while. It's wonderful stuff.

I had a pekin that I swear was a jumbo, she weighed about 12 lbs. Was the sweetest thing, but huge and a huge eater. Was the friendliest duck. Seems they tend to be like that. I call buffs on those light brownish ones too. The one in my profile picture is a buff.