The Duck Thread

[Amiga]

Yes, as long as the ducks and ducklings cannot stick their heads through the wires of the crate. I have seen Bean our drake grab a duck by the top of her bill, right through the 2"x3" woven wire fence. So I added some netting and fastened it down tight all around.

So if the ducklings can poke their heads through, an adult might just grab them by the neck. I try to imagine the worst to avoid tragedy, it's how I am wired, I am not trying to upset anyone. But I have read some very sad stories - so I try to suggest what the worst case might be so we can NOT have that happen.

So - yes the crate, as long as no one can reach through. With water if you can manage it (I know that older ducklings are supposed to be okay without water for 8 hours, I am just a duckling spoiler).

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Yes, as long as the ducks and ducklings cannot stick their heads through the wires of the crate.  I have seen Bean our drake grab a duck by the top of her bill, right through the 2"x3" woven wire fence.  So I added some netting and fastened it down tight all around.

So if the ducklings can poke their heads through, an adult might just grab them by the neck.  I try to imagine the worst to avoid tragedy, it's how I am wired, I am not trying to upset anyone.  But I have read some very sad stories - so I try to suggest what the worst case might be so we can NOT have that happen.

So - yes the crate, as long as no one can reach through.  With water if you can manage it (I know that older ducklings are supposed to be okay without water for 8 hours, I am just a duckling spoiler).

The crate we have is covered in chicken wire since we also use it for baby chicks or to transport a chicken lol. It's multipurpose. No one should be able to stick their heads through and I appreciate someone who is more cautious. I'm the same way. I love my ducks to much to let something preventable happen to them. I usually don't leave water anymore because they are always soaked the next morning from trying to swim in their lol. I don't leave food either because they need water with their food. I get up at dawn to let them out though so they really don't go long.

 

[chickengirl72]

any tricks for identifying which ducks are laying? i had extra eggs in the coop today, so my new runners that we hatched this spring are laying. we have a few too many ducks right now and i need to rehome some, but i'd like to keep the early layers if i can figure out who they are!

 

[Welshies]

any tricks for identifying which ducks are laying? i had extra eggs in the coop today, so my new runners that we hatched this spring are laying. we have a few too many ducks right now and i need to rehome some, but i'd like to keep the early layers if i can figure out who they are!

Well ducks can't molt and lay at the same time, to exclude any molting ones. A moist, wide vent is a prominent feature in laying ducks, as well as a sligtly dropped abdomen. Any beak differences? Dark colorsd birds get darker beaks during laying, and light colored birds get paler beaks during laying.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Well ducks can't molt and lay at the same time, to exclude any molting ones. A moist, wide vent is a prominent feature in laying ducks, as well as a sligtly dropped abdomen. Any beak differences? Dark colorsd birds get darker beaks during laying, and light colored birds get paler beaks during laying.

Actually, the lighter bills like yellow or orange will be much brighter and with deeper color saturation at the onset of laying... the color pales as they reach the end of their laying cycle and stays pale when they aren't laying... they brighten back up just before the next laying cycle...

 

[Pyxis]

Actually, the lighter bills like yellow or orange will be much brighter and with deeper color saturation at the onset of laying... the color pales as they reach the end of their laying cycle and stays pale when they aren't laying... they brighten back up just before the next laying cycle...

X2 on this, the egg laying process leaches the color from them as they lay, just like with some chickens whose legs get paler as they've been laying. But when they first start laying there's really no noticeable difference.

 

[EmilyP]

Do ducks continue to need niacin supplementation once they are fully grown?? Our pekin has had some walking trouble previously but niacin seemed to fix it. I noticed today that he was limping. I haven't caught him to check his foot yet since it was right after I let them out for the evening that I noticed it. He is around 18 weeks old I guess I'm not sure if that is fully grown. We just switched them to a layer pellet as well, previously we sprinkled niacin on top of the crumbles and since he is our piggy he would get it all but it falls through the pellets to the bottom of the bowl

Update: after watching him a bit longer he was favoring his left foot while standing still so when the DH came home we took a look and his right "pad" (not sure that's the proper name) looks kind of callused and overgrown compared to the left. I didn't see any cuts but his feet were covered in mud. Any suggestions of something to put on it???

 

[Ravynscroft]

Do ducks continue to need niacin supplementation once they are fully grown?? Our pekin has had some walking trouble previously but niacin seemed to fix it. I noticed today that he was limping. I haven't caught him to check his foot yet since it was right after I let them out for the evening that I noticed it. He is around 18 weeks old I guess I'm not sure if that is fully grown. We just switched them to a layer pellet as well, previously we sprinkled niacin on top of the crumbles and since he is our piggy he would get it all but it falls through the pellets to the bottom of the bowl

Update: after watching him a bit longer he was favoring his left foot while standing still so when the DH came home we took a look and his right "pad" (not sure that's the proper name) looks kind of callused and overgrown compared to the left. I didn't see any cuts but his feet were covered in mud. Any suggestions of something to put on it???

Clear (decolorized) iodine... after washing the foot off or giving him a nice soak in clean water...

 

[EmilyP]

Clear (decolorized) iodine... after washing the foot off or giving him a nice soak in clean water...

Does it need covered or anything after that?! Unfortunately our ducks do not like being handled

This evening my DH put him right into the clean pool but it was too dark to do anything else.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Does it need covered or anything after that?! Unfortunately our ducks do not like being handled

This evening my DH put him right into the clean pool but it was too dark to do anything else.

If he doesn't have bumblefoot, then no... but if he does, the infection needs to be removed and he'll need to be kept in a clean area separate til it starts healing...