Depressed Duck?

[animalz11]

Hi All,
umm... my Muscovy duck rarely comes out of her house and when she does, it's only at night time to eat what ever food is left over and have a drink, she stays in her house the entire day and for about a week she was sitting on no eggs, she started laying (well, I'm pretty sure it was her, the other muscovy would of helped though) and I've been replacing her eggs with Dummy ones, and she always accepts them.
But I can't think of any other reason as to why she doesn't come out other than it's hot, but all of the other ducks come out and just sit in the shade or go swimming, and that maybe she doesn't like the dead grass because there is nothing for her to hunt.

She accept food from my hands but still doesn't like me because I take her eggs, so she'll eat her favourite food (watermellon, bugs etc) and wait until I leave for her to eat her carrot strips and beans.

So if anyone could give me reasons for this or provide solutions it would be appreciated beyond words. I was thinking about taking her to my aunties drakes and letting her have ducklings to liven her up and give her a purpose but it's too hot for little ones now...

Oh, by the way she is 11 months old on December the 1st.

Thank you so much for any suggesstions...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi All,
umm... my Muscovy duck rarely comes out of her house and when she does, it's only at night time to eat what ever food is left over and have a drink, she stays in her house the entire day and for about a week she was sitting on no eggs, she started laying (well, I'm pretty sure it was her, the other muscovy would of helped though) and I've been replacing her eggs with Dummy ones, and she always accepts them.
But I can't think of any other reason as to why she doesn't come out other than it's hot, but all of the other ducks come out and just sit in the shade or go swimming, and that maybe she doesn't like the dead grass because there is nothing for her to hunt.

She accept food from my hands but still doesn't like me because I take her eggs, so she'll eat her favourite food (watermellon, bugs etc) and wait until I leave for her to eat her carrot strips and beans.

So if anyone could give me reasons for this or provide solutions it would be appreciated beyond words. I was thinking about taking her to my aunties drakes and letting her have ducklings to liven her up and give her a purpose but it's too hot for little ones now...

Oh, by the way she is 11 months old on December the 1st.

Thank you so much for any suggesstions...

What part of the world are you in that it's hot? lol, okay sounds like your Muscovy is broody, make sure she has food and water close by and just wait it out in about 35 days she get over it and be back to normal, or take her to your Aunts and let her be with the drakes for a while then when she lays her eggs they will be fertile and she can brood some and have ducklings or get your Aunt to give you some fertile eggs to put under her. But when you take her eggs don't put fake eggs under her she'll just keep sitting which isn't good for her health. [if you don't do any of the above.]

 

[animalz11]

Hi Miss Lydia,

I am in Australia but in about mid-country and I must provide artificial shade as where their pen is minimal shade enters the pen, the grass is dead and all of the insects live in the bush, and I'm not keen on letting the ducks into the bush because there are snakes, foxes, dingos, feral dogs and cats etc, so normally I find some Cicado shells, Christmas beetles, snails, slugs and what ever else I can find to feed to the ducks, they also get poultry grain and fresh vegetables and fruit daily, normally twice a day for the fresh food, they absolutely love watermelon!

I'm not to keen on letting Daffyn hatch out eggs because it is too hot now, we are going in to summer and with the ducklings down feathers they would only get hotter and I've had animals die of heat before and I couldn't stand that loss again, especially when the situation is preventable, so I was thinking of waiting until next year after summer when it cools down a bit.
I can't get fertile eggs off my aunty as her hens are young 3-5 months), but the drakes are mature and mate with the hens.

I normally put fake eggs under her as it distracts her from me taking the real ones and I don't like ruining my reputation with her, it doesn't hurt when she bites as it's just a warning bite I believe. Also when I give her fake eggs, she stands up so I can slip out the real ones, unstead of lifting her up and her making bad connection with being picked up and having her eggs taken away, I'd much rather picking her up to give her a treat so she can at least tollerate it.

Also I can't take all of her eggs away because when I do, she stays broody on nothing for a few days, and in that time my mum takes care of the ducks when I'm staying at my dad's and doesn't take the eggs as she has a broken ancle and can't get over the fence.

Thank you,