The Duck Thread

[Debs Flock]

I just wanted to pop in and say hello!! We just placed an order for six new babies from a farm in MN today. They will be parent hatched so we don't have an exact date but we are getting a pair of blue magpies, a pair of saxony and a pair of silver appleyards. We do not plan to keep the drakes. We already have an Ancona drake and a Rouen drake who we can't imagine parting with (so wish we could keep all of them though). We are super excited. After a rough winter and realizing we are not muscovy people we only have our 2 rouens and 2 anconas right now. Tough choice to make but it was the best for our flock. Anyway be ready for lots of new pictures soon!! Baby time is the best time of the year

Oh!! Also the two girls (little duck and Oakley) have started laying!! We get an egg every single day from both and they crack me up because they usually lay them in a hut but if one lays in a new spot the other has to put hers there too. So cute.

Hi Wobbles!! Looking forward to pics of your new additions.

Thanks! I am excited about the babies! They are soooo cute!

Thankfully I haven't given the ducks any of the yeast, I was waiting on an answer from "the experts"! LOL

I now only have 5 ducklings, 1 pekin, 2 Cayuga, and 2 Blue Swedish. The other 4 Pekins were for a friend that heard I was driving to pick mine up and asked if I could get some for him. The people at Ideal were really wonderful at finding the additional 4 Pekins on such short notice.

So far they all look fine. Is it normal for the Swedish and Cayuga ducklings to be smaller than the Pekin duckling? Also, how do you tell the difference between the Swedish and the Cayuga. The ones I got all have black and cream on them. One seems to have a little cream fuzz on her face but otherwise they look mostly alike. These 5 girls will be added to the 2 Pekin ladies that I already have. Hopefully they will all be one happy family!!! I can hope!

I will try and post pictures. So far I haven't been lucky with the picture posting.

Thanks!
M

Again, thanks!
M

Yes, it's normal. Your Pekin will be the biggest adult so will grow a bit faster than the others. LOL...no idea how to tell the difference. Given time you'll notice different personalities. In the meantime, you could put leg bands on them, but I know virtually nothing about those things. I have 2 Rouen girls that are really hard to tell apart. The main physical difference is that one has a good bit of orange on her bill and the other has none.

 

[Sarkchick]

Ok. Need some more of your help.
So, my Welsh eggs got delivered to my house at 4:00 yesterday . PO did not call to pick up. So eggs bounced around all day on gravel roads after traveling from NC to Arkansas.
They were not packed well, wrapped in bubble wrap but had a 2 inch gap on top of eggs in a single medium size box. Have pics of a few ACs. They are resting in egg carton in my closet ( temp 70 and humidity 65%) .
The oldest is 5 days old. How long should the "rest" ??

Thanks a lot, Linda

 

[Sarkchick]

Ok. Need some more of your help.
So, my Welsh eggs got delivered to my house at 4:00 yesterday . PO did not call to pick up. So eggs bounced around all day on gravel roads after traveling from NC to Arkansas.
They were not packed well, wrapped in bubble wrap but had a 2 inch gap on top of eggs in a single medium size box. Have pics of a few ACs. They are resting in egg carton in my closet ( temp 70 and humidity 65%) .
The oldest is 5 days old. How long should the "rest" ??

Thanks a lot, Linda

sorry forgot pics

There was no packing of any kind on top of the eggs

@Miss Lydia. Maybe you can tell me when to sit these eggs

Linda

 

[MandyJ]

NONONO! Do not give them active dry yeast. My understanding is both of them are strains of a single celled fungus, but the active dry yeast uses strains that are selected to produce as much carbon dioxide as possible (for rising in baking) and the brewer's yeast is selected to turn sugars into alcohol. Both do both, but it is the speed and the quantity that is important. I think the hazard is that active dry yeast will produce too much gas inside the bird and they have no way to get rid of it so the pressure could lead to complications or even death. Both yeasts will be broken down by the ducks digestive system before enough alcohol is produced for that to be an issue. I could be wrong here, but I know you are not supposed to give baking yeast to ducks. The purpose of adding it is the yeast contains a high level of niacin. If you look in the vitamin/supplements section you should be able to find it there.

BTW - good catch! This is something that is commonly confused. I hope I got you this answer in time

Edit again: I don't know anything about the back of the neck issue but if you can post a picture, there are lots of people here with hatching experience (I would guess at that age it is a hatching issue).

Editing yet again: Sorry, my critical siren went off and I wanted to get this out fast so you would get an answer, then I am going back through and rereading your post. I am putting 1T of yeast in 1C of crumble with my current brood. I know I looked it up and this should be fairly close (I did round it though so I could put a spoon in the yeast and a measuring cup in the crumble bag and when I'm a cup low I can top off the food.) In the feeder you are using, I would premix it so they don't end up with a mouthful of yeast or avoid the yeast altogether. I gave them medicated water from the get-go and no sugar water - I have in the past given sugar water to a duckling that was sluggish and it gave her the kick start she needed. I am giving a different supplement with probiotics and electrolytes that contains 25mg of niacin per gallon of water. I don't know how much niacin the save-a-chick has. I am planning on giving them the yeast until they are feathered. Niacin is a water soluble vitamin so a small overage should not be detrimental and I know a lack of it can cause serious problems. Good luck. And post pics of your babies

OK, where in the H _ _ _ do I find brewers yeast. I have gone to Walmart in the supplement section, they only have Red Yeast (never heard of it!), Tractor Supply, only has pills for dogs, Grocery store with pharmacy, they have the red yeast, 2 feed stores. They all look at me like I have lost my mind!!! Do I really need it? I will start them on the save-a-chick supplement in their water (it has niacin in it) starting tomorrow. I do this for 3 days then clear water. HELP!!!!!

Talk about frustration! The ducklings are doing fine, running around, eating, pooping, and sleeping. I know the niacin is for their legs but I am stumped!!! Where do I get it?

Thanks in advance!
Call me frustrated!!!
M

 

[Miss Lydia]

OK, where in the H _ _ _ do I find brewers yeast. I have gone to Walmart in the supplement section, they only have Red Yeast (never heard of it!), Tractor Supply, only has pills for dogs, Grocery store with pharmacy, they have the red yeast, 2 feed stores. They all look at me like I have lost my mind!!! Do I really need it? I will start them on the save-a-chick supplement in their water (it has niacin in it) starting tomorrow. I do this for 3 days then clear water. HELP!!!!!

Talk about frustration! The ducklings are doing fine, running around, eating, pooping, and sleeping. I know the niacin is for their legs but I am stumped!!! Where do I get it?

Thanks in advance!
Call me frustrated!!!
M

Health food store or online at Amazon or Vitacost.com

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Health food store or online at Amazon or Vitacost.com

I got mine at Amazon (I am used to not being able to find things locally. I live near a city of 28,000 and I have to drive nearly 100 miles in any direction to find another city of this size.) My previous two broods, I bought niacin capsules (for people) - make sure there is nothing else - no slow release no multivitamin, etc. I cut and emptied one capsule per gallon of water in their water with the probiotics and electrolytes. Maybe that will work better for you if you can't find the brewer's yeast and you don't want to wait for the mail. Also I give the niacin, probiotics, electrolytes and crumble to them until they are fully feathered (6-8 weeks) eating with the big ducks. Then they get pellets and regular water right along with the big ducks. This might be over kill, but they grow so fast I want to make sure there is never a shortage in their diets. It is easier and cheaper to prevent than to cure. (If I treated myself and ate as well as my ducks, I would be much better off

).

 

[needlessjunk]

 


NONONO!  Do not give them active dry yeast.  My understanding is both of them are strains of a single celled fungus, but the active dry yeast uses strains that are selected to produce as much carbon dioxide as possible (for rising in baking) and the brewer's yeast is selected to turn sugars into alcohol.  Both do both, but it is the speed and the quantity that is important.  I think the hazard is that active dry yeast will produce too much gas inside the bird and they have no way to get rid of it so the pressure could lead to complications or even death.  Both yeasts will be broken down by the ducks digestive system before enough alcohol is produced for that to be an issue.  I could be wrong here, but I know you are not supposed to give baking yeast to ducks.  The purpose of adding it is the yeast contains a high level of niacin.  If you look in the vitamin/supplements section you should be able to find it there.

BTW - good catch!  This is something that is commonly confused.  I hope I got you this answer in time  

Edit again: I don't know anything about the back of the neck issue but if you can post a picture, there are lots of people here with hatching experience (I would guess at that age it is a hatching issue).

Editing yet again: Sorry, my critical siren went off and I wanted to get this out fast so you would get an answer, then I am going back through and rereading your post.  I am putting 1T of yeast in 1C of crumble with my current brood.  I know I looked it up and this should be fairly close (I did round it though so I could put a spoon in the yeast and a measuring cup in the crumble bag and when I'm a cup low I can top off the food.)  In the feeder you are using, I would premix it so they don't end up with a mouthful of yeast or avoid the yeast altogether.  I gave them medicated water from the get-go and no sugar water - I have in the past given sugar water to a duckling that was sluggish and it gave her the kick start she needed.  I am giving a different supplement with probiotics and electrolytes that contains 25mg of niacin per gallon of water.  I don't know how much niacin the save-a-chick has.  I am planning on giving them the yeast until they are feathered.  Niacin is a water soluble vitamin so a small overage should not be detrimental and I know a lack of it can cause serious problems.  Good luck.  And post pics of your babies

OK, where in the H _ _ _  do I find brewers yeast. I have gone to Walmart in the supplement section, they only have Red Yeast (never heard of it!), Tractor Supply, only has pills for dogs, Grocery store with pharmacy, they have the red yeast, 2 feed stores. They all look at me like I have lost my mind!!!  Do I really need it? I will start them on the save-a-chick supplement in their water (it has niacin in it) starting tomorrow.  I do this for 3 days then clear water.  HELP!!!!!

Talk about frustration! The ducklings are doing fine, running around, eating, pooping, and sleeping.  I know the niacin is for their legs but I am stumped!!! Where do I get it?

Thanks in advance!
Call me frustrated!!!
M

I get nutritional yeast from the bulk health food section at the grocery store. Also look in the vitamin/supplement area it's not with the baking stuff. It's popular among vegaterian th help get enough b vitamins. I feed mine crumble right away as well and don't do any sugar water. Just crumble, nurti drench and nutional yeast to start out with.

 

[Amiga]

Friends, might we be able to use Bragg's Nutritional Yeast Seasoning?

Ingredients are listed as:
Inactive Dry Yeast
Niacin (B3)
Pyridoxine HCl (B6)
Riboflavin (B2)
Thiamine Hal (B1)
Folic Acid
Vitamin B12

 

[Ren2014]

I just wanted to pop in and say hello!! We just placed an order for six new babies from a farm in MN today. They will be parent hatched so we don't have an exact date but we are getting a pair of blue magpies, a pair of saxony and a pair of silver appleyards. We do not plan to keep the drakes. We already have an Ancona drake and a Rouen drake who we can't imagine parting with (so wish we could keep all of them though). We are super excited. After a rough winter and realizing we are not muscovy people we only have our 2 rouens and 2 anconas right now. Tough choice to make but it was the best for our flock. Anyway be ready for lots of new pictures soon!! Baby time is the best time of the year

Oh!! Also the two girls (little duck and Oakley) have started laying!! We get an egg every single day from both and they crack me up because they usually lay them in a hut but if one lays in a new spot the other has to put hers there too. So cute.

Not muscovy people? What happened. I am just starting to get muscovies.

Ducklings are here! Only the 4 black ducklings (2 Cayuga and 2 Blue Swedish) and the Pekin duckling on the back left with the smudge on her head are mine. The other four I picked up for a friend since I was going to Ideal to pick mine up. They are 2 days old!

 

[Wobbles]

Not muscovy people? What happened. I am just starting to get muscovies.

It could just be because we got 5 of them and all of them ended up being drakes, So our experience once they matured was not pleasant. They constantly attacked us (me especially, I assume because I am a female. Though if I wasn't around they would go after the dh as well). We also live in WI, our winters are brutal at times and we figured out that muscovies feet do not do well in the winter when we hit our severe lows. Now, they had shelter but they refused to stay in it and would get frozen feet during they day. We lost the only one that was not aggressive because of it. They also constantly try to get to the other ducks to fight them. It was just rough, they are so hormone crazy. Who knows, it may just of been this batch and because they all ended up being males.

I wouldn't say we will never do muscovies again. But I would make darn sure we had girls and then maybe a drake would be tolerable. Until the attacking started I adored them, they were so fun and so very sweet. But the hormones hit and they just went bonkers.