The Duck Thread

[Ren2014]

Well I just had a close call about half an hour ago with the neighbor's dogs. I was letting the ducks forage in the yard outside their pen while I cleaned the coop and tended to the chicks, and my dog was milling about the yard as he always does when I am out in the pen. I heard shouting and saw that the neighbors black Shepherd mix was running in the field between our houses, and the neighbor was shouting at her to come back. What I didn't notice was that ANOTHER dog that I didn't know they even had had already reached the edge of the yard and was only about fifteen feet from my ducks. My dog shot out of nowhere and rushed at the other dog, a white husky dog. The strange dog immediately turned tail and ran home, and my dog stopped at the edge of our yard as he is trained to do. It all happened in seconds before I could even think to react. All I had time to do was yell my dogs name, and of course he came back to me. I am very thankful my dog is more vigilant and observant than I am.

And here is the hero himself, Chevy. I love my dog!

Good boy Chevy!

Update: candled my eggs and I can see movement! Can't see through the shells, but the air cells are obviously moving a little bit.

YAY! Congrats!

 

[Ren2014]

I am so upset.

Three days ago I had to make the call to move the boys to the garden to protect the girls. Pogo was beating up on little duck really badly during breeding. We were in the process of building a drake pen at my FIL's house but had a couple steps left before they could go in it. Figuring it would only be a few days we put them in our garden, it is not covered but it was that or risk them killing the girls. I figured the risk of a predator coming in under a week was low, we had had no issues so far and the muscovies often refused to come inside over night when we still had them. Wrong. We lost our beloved Pogo last night. I'm so mad at myself for putting him in the garden but I really didn't have a choice. We figure it was an owl, as Louie lost his mind at 4pm tonight when an owl started calling and he never reacted to it before. The pen was complete and they were going to move there today.

Nothing makes you feel like a bad duck parent worse than having had to make an emergency decision to save your ducks only to have it backfire and lose one.

So sorry for your loss. Try not to beat yourself up about it. You are not a bad duck parent. You did what you thought best for the girls and a bad duck parent wouldn't even have tried to do something for them.

 

[Margot30]

I am so upset.

Three days ago I had to make the call to move the boys to the garden to protect the girls. Pogo was beating up on little duck really badly during breeding. We were in the process of building a drake pen at my FIL's house but had a couple steps left before they could go in it. Figuring it would only be a few days we put them in our garden, it is not covered but it was that or risk them killing the girls. I figured the risk of a predator coming in under a week was low, we had had no issues so far and the muscovies often refused to come inside over night when we still had them. Wrong. We lost our beloved Pogo last night. I'm so mad at myself for putting him in the garden but I really didn't have a choice. We figure it was an owl, as Louie lost his mind at 4pm tonight when an owl started calling and he never reacted to it before. The pen was complete and they were going to move there today.   Nothing makes you feel like a bad duck parent worse than having had to make an emergency decision to save your ducks only to have it backfire and lose one.

Don't know that I wouldn't have made the same the decision myself. Try not to make yourself upset about it. I have made a few decisions that didn't work out for the best and I try to learn from them. Keep smiling

 

[LeannS]

Speaking of sexing... did anyone catch the recent article on sexing. I think in had pink or blue in the subject. I can't find it for the life of me now,

I have been told that this is not true for all types of ducks BUT;

Bean on the beak for Sexing----------------------

Black on grey/black == Hen

Light Black on grey/ pinkish ==Drake

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Well I just had a close call about half an hour ago with the neighbor's dogs. I was letting the ducks forage in the yard outside their pen while I cleaned the coop and tended to the chicks, and my dog was milling about the yard as he always does when I am out in the pen. I heard shouting and saw that the neighbors black Shepherd mix was running in the field between our houses, and the neighbor was shouting at her to come back. What I didn't notice was that ANOTHER dog that I didn't know they even had had already reached the edge of the yard and was only about fifteen feet from my ducks. My dog shot out of nowhere and rushed at the other dog, a white husky dog. The strange dog immediately turned tail and ran home, and my dog stopped at the edge of our yard as he is trained to do. It all happened in seconds before I could even think to react. All I had time to do was yell my dogs name, and of course he came back to me. I am very thankful my dog is more vigilant and observant than I am.

And here is the hero himself, Chevy. I love my dog!

Buy that boy a soup bone!!! Gooooooooood Dog!!!

Definitely could have been worse. I'll have to watch out for those dogs in the future.

On a lighter note, got some pics today of the youngsters

Great pics!!!

Update: candled my eggs and I can see movement! Can't see through the shells, but the air cells are obviously moving a little bit.

Congratulations!!!

I am so upset.

Three days ago I had to make the call to move the boys to the garden to protect the girls. Pogo was beating up on little duck really badly during breeding. We were in the process of building a drake pen at my FIL's house but had a couple steps left before they could go in it. Figuring it would only be a few days we put them in our garden, it is not covered but it was that or risk them killing the girls. I figured the risk of a predator coming in under a week was low, we had had no issues so far and the muscovies often refused to come inside over night when we still had them. Wrong. We lost our beloved Pogo last night. I'm so mad at myself for putting him in the garden but I really didn't have a choice. We figure it was an owl, as Louie lost his mind at 4pm tonight when an owl started calling and he never reacted to it before. The pen was complete and they were going to move there today.

Nothing makes you feel like a bad duck parent worse than having had to make an emergency decision to save your ducks only to have it backfire and lose one.

So sorry

we all have limitations, time, money, space, whatever and sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have based on what you know. It really sounds like you did that. And had you put him in with the girls, the situation might have been just as bad or worse. I know from my own losses, you can get carried away with what you could have done if you would have known. But you didn't know. All you can do now is look forward and continue to do your best.

 

[Wobbles]

So sorry for your loss. Try not to beat yourself up about it. You are not a bad duck parent. You did what you thought best for the girls and a bad duck parent wouldn't even have tried to do something for them.

Thank you, I do believe I did exactly what needed to be done...I just wish we had an emergency pen. Something we never thought of.

Don't know that I wouldn't have made the same the decision myself. Try not to make yourself upset about it. I have made a few decisions that didn't work out for the best and I try to learn from them. Keep smiling

Every day with animals is a new learning experience that is for sure. I will be setting up a second pen for future emergencies. Thanks for your kind words.

Buy that boy a soup bone!!! Gooooooooood Dog!!!

Great pics!!!

Congratulations!!!

So sorry

we all have limitations, time, money, space, whatever and sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have based on what you know. It really sounds like you did that. And had you put him in with the girls, the situation might have been just as bad or worse. I know from my own losses, you can get carried away with what you could have done if you would have known. But you didn't know. All you can do now is look forward and continue to do your best.

Thank you. Yes, I do think it would of been even worse had I not moved the boys (Pogo really, Louie isn't much for breeding). The night prior he really did a number on Little Duck. No serious injuries but each time it would get worse so I know exactly where it was heading. Little Duck was a baby we rescued from being a cats dinner at a friends house while he was out of town. So I feel having saved her once that she doesn't need anymore trauma. The garden is a fairly safe pen, it doesn't have netting but you can't see down from way up above (hawks and eagles) as it is covered by trees. What I did not consider was owls sitting in those trees. We made the drake pen as fast as possible. It was done just before dark last night and we didn't want to stress the boys and move them in the dark. I think, that may be the worst part of it all. Knowing that their new pen was ready.

 

[Margot30]

Thank you, I do believe I did exactly what needed to be done...I just wish we had an emergency pen. Something we never thought of.


Every day with animals is a new learning experience that is for sure. I will be setting up a second pen for future emergencies. Thanks for your kind words.


Thank you. Yes, I do think it would of been even worse had I not moved the boys (Pogo really, Louie isn't much for breeding). The night prior he really did a number on Little Duck. No serious injuries but each time it would get worse so I know exactly where it was heading. Little Duck was a baby we rescued from being a cats dinner at a friends house while he was out of town. So I feel having saved her once that she doesn't need anymore trauma. The garden is a fairly safe pen, it doesn't have netting but you can't see down from way up above (hawks and eagles) as it is covered by trees. What I did not consider was owls sitting in those trees. We made the drake pen as fast as possible. It was done just before dark last night and we didn't want to stress the boys and move them in the dark. I think, that may be the worst part of it all. Knowing that their new pen was ready. 

We bought a couple of puppy pens and use them for either new comers or recovering ducks. They fold up for easy storage and they peg straight into the grass. A bit of bird netting over the top and it keeps them safe all day.

 

[AuroraDoerksen]

How high should I hang my feeders off the ground for medium weight breeds?

 

[Ren2014]

How high should I hang my feeders off the ground for medium weight breeds?

I hang mine at top of back height.

 

[harrellkd]

I have a duckling that is about two weeks old. All day today it has had labored breathing and sounds like there is water in its lungs? Almost a weezing. It is worse when it drinks or is swimming. No other symptoms. Please help!!!!!