The Duck Thread

[Miss Lydia]

I will try that tonight. I scooped the peach soaked pill out with meal worms just now and he took that with pleasure. He won't eat peas out of my hand but if they sink to the bottom of their pool he loves to get those.

Great whatever it takes.

so glad to hear your already see results..

 

[Ren2014]

Nice pond redo!!!


Speaking of LA... we have a dear friend in Zachary... her home was destroyed and she lost all her flock except a few... please take a moment to send good thoughts, energy or prayers her way and towards all the others devasted by this mass flooding...

O so sorry to hear this. Sending prayers up for her.

Fabbbbbulous!!
I didn't hear she got to check on the birds? Bummer.

Thank you. The ducks are loving it.

Nice pond!

Thank you

is your beautiful pond lined? i want one. then i would not have to clean and fill and clean and fill and did i say clean and fill all my pools. i have, or should i say my ducks have 3-50 gal and 2-15 gal pools. w/t heat lately, they get green in a day. ugghhh but i love my ducks.

No, we did not line it. We plan on planting submerged oxygenating plants and adding a skippy filter.

So the liquid med is a struggle but we are making it. He is about as stubborn as can be tho and pretty much is refusing any treat I try to stuff the little pill in

Watermelon went well the first two try's (ran out) then peach went fine the next time and last two tries have been fails ugh! Guess I have to cut up more watermelon and hope he takes it still.
Good news though is that his leg is looking less swollen and he is using it a little more everytime we go see him. Refusing the pill tho is going to damper that

Great whatever it takes.

so glad to hear your already see results..

X2

 

[Jattaway]

[VIDEO]

[/VIDEO]
My Rex and Sadie, still growing, Rex is my Indian Runner duck, and her partner in crime is Sadie, my Rouen drake,
I love them so, they are a handful but a delight, every day is a new adventure!

 

[CyndiD]

Hi, my pekin duck was hatched w/leg problems, pigeon toed, wide hip joints, etc.
i just noticed tonight that her right leg (which is her most handicapped leg) knee/hock is swollen & hot. i have her in an epson salt bath.
i am wondering what can i put on her hock to reduce the swelling? any suggestions?
@Miss Lydia & @Amiga
thank you

 

[smtirmdu25]

So a few questions.

First we ended up with all drakes.. They all have a very distinct curl to their tail feathers. My boyfriend and I were wondering how risky it would be for us to get females. We have four males and they get a long great but we would like some eggs or more ducklings. Any ideas? Will they be okay or will the males start fighting a lot?

Also do the different varieties breed together? We have three peking and a rounen, who seems to be the vip, and might get some Indian runners next. Also do the different breeds get along?

 

[jenniferlamar70]

So a few questions.

First we ended up with all drakes.. They all have a very distinct curl to their tail feathers. My boyfriend and I were wondering how risky it would be for us to get females. We have four males and they get a long great but we would like some eggs or more ducklings. Any ideas? Will they be okay or will the males start fighting a lot?

Also do the different varieties breed together? We have three peking and a rounen, who seems to be the vip, and might get some Indian runners next. Also do the different breeds get along?

We keep mixed breeds and they seem to be fine. Our rouen is trying to mate our swedish so I don't think they discriminate lol. We have swedish, one rouen amd a ton of anconas. All see to get along well for now. Our drakes don't fight but I imagine that will be different in the springtime. No experience with that yet..

 

[Amiga]

Hi, my pekin duck was hatched w/leg problems, pigeon toed, wide hip joints, etc.
i just noticed tonight that her right leg (which is her most handicapped leg) knee/hock is swollen & hot. i have her in an epson salt bath.
i am wondering what can i put on her hock to reduce the swelling? any suggestions?
@Miss Lydia & @Amiga
thank you

Hi, @CyndiD

Since I worry sometimes - I hope she cannot drink the Epsom salt bath? It's a laxative, she needs to either be held or maybe a compress around the leg instead (and oh, I comprehend how for some ducks this is not a good idea . . . Vier will hurt herself flailing around if I am not very careful how I hold her).

Okay.

Swollen, hot, if you can get to a good duck vet that would be best, ideally . At the same time, vets are not always a possibility.

So - it could be an infection, it could be something like arthritis. So an anti-inflammatory is needed. There are natural anti-inflammatories, both topical and oral. Turmeric is something I have started to suggest after clearing it with my vet. I do not know if there has been much research on this, so I cannot suggest a science-based dosage amount. I was told it would be difficult to give too much (but stil....). And please forgive me for shouting, but if someone in the future reads this post quickly, I don't want them to miss this: TURMERIC STAINS - YELLOW TO BROWN DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE WEARING. IT STAINS SKIN, TOO. But it is known to be anti-inflammatory.

Topically, there are some homeopathic and herbal ointments. I like comfrey, that I make at home, and T-Relief that I can buy at the drugstore (call ahead, sometimes you have to look in the health food store).

If it's an infection, then something to deal with that is needed. I would be tempted to try clear iodine topically. My reasoning (remember I am not a vet, nor a vet tech, just a duck lover) is that based on how I have seen it work on bumblefoot, I think it sinks into the skin a little bit. Another "at the same time" thought is that it might be better to treat with something that gets into the bloodstream to prevent the spread of infection and really get into where the joint is.

Oregano is used by a number of poultry farms to "reduce the need for antibiotics," and I have read it has antimicrobial properties.

Feed stores sell antibiotics, as I think you know . . . and I often rely on @casportpony and some of her posts. @Orca5094 has also been helpful, as has @Lacrystol . And many others, actually - so if any of you with more antibiotic experience could make some suggestions here that would be kind.

 

[The Duck Ladie]

So a few questions.

First we ended up with all drakes.. They all have a very distinct curl to their tail feathers. My boyfriend and I were wondering how risky it would be for us to get females. We have four males and they get a long great but we would like some eggs or more ducklings. Any ideas? Will they be okay or will the males start fighting a lot?

Also do the different varieties breed together? We have three peking and a rounen, who seems to be the vip, and might get some Indian runners next. Also do the different breeds get along?

For a correct drake to hen ratio you need to have at least 3 hens for every drake. Or you'll probably get the problems I currently have due to to many drakes. Girls get beat up and these red spots on their necks and heads, and even worse "foamy eye" where the girl's eye gets covered in white foamy bubbles due to injury. So you'd probably have to either get a lot of girls or get rid of some of the boys. Yes different varities do breed together. My Ancona boy trys to breed with Anconas, Campbells, and a Magpie, and My magpie boy tries to breed with a Magpie, Ancona, and Campbell. So definitely YES. Yes other breeds get along, My Campbells, Anconas, Magpies, and Runner are all in the same pen.

 

[CyndiD]

So a few questions.

First we ended up with all drakes.. They all have a very distinct curl to their tail feathers. My boyfriend and I were wondering how risky it would be for us to get females. We have four males and they get a long great but we would like some eggs or more ducklings. Any ideas? Will they be okay or will the males start fighting a lot?

Also do the different varieties breed together? We have three peking and a rounen, who seems to be the vip, and might get some Indian runners next. Also do the different breeds get along?

I started out w/2 f/w ducks & thought they needed a mate... i bought 12 (sexed) ducklings from metzer farms, they matured & i hatched some & the ducks hatched some ducklings & after selling some & culling some i curently have 21 ducks & 13 drakes; pekin, runners, buffs & a pair of sewdish. The ducks & drakes are seperated 24/7 unless i put them together for mating or companionship for the day. The ducks sleep in t/duck house my dh built for them &/t drakes sleep in a horse trailer my dh reconfigured for them.
YES, the drakes fight, they have their pecking order, oldest to youngest, they have their clicks/groups which stick together. The drakes mate ea other at times when showing dominance or frustration. I break them up & seperate their groups at times; they dont fight every day, maybe 1x a week or so. The ducks get along just fine unless they are sitting on eggs, being broody, which they are right now. When the ducks fight they push ea other w/their chest & grab ea other w/their bills, a push-a-war, sorta. I break them up & tell them to be nice to ea other... tee hee. The ducks only fought a few times & have since stopped, maybe they heard me? tee hee
Hope this helps you or anyone. Thanks for listening.

 

[CyndiD]

Hi, @CyndiD


Since I worry sometimes - I hope she cannot drink the Epsom salt bath?  It's a laxative, she needs to either be held or maybe a compress around the leg instead (and oh, I comprehend how for some ducks this is not a good idea . . . Vier will hurt herself flailing around if I am not very careful how I hold her).

Okay.

Swollen, hot, if you can get to a good duck vet that would be best, ideally . At the same time, vets are not always a possibility.

So - it could be an infection, it could be something like arthritis.  So an anti-inflammatory is needed.  There are natural anti-inflammatories, both topical and oral.  Turmeric is something I have started to suggest after clearing it with my vet.  I do not know if there has been much research on this, so I cannot suggest a science-based dosage amount.  I was told it would be difficult to give too much (but stil....).  And please forgive me for shouting, but if someone in the future reads this post quickly, I don't want them to miss this:  TURMERIC STAINS - YELLOW TO BROWN DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE WEARING.  IT STAINS SKIN, TOO.  But it is known to be anti-inflammatory.

Topically, there are some homeopathic and herbal ointments.  I like comfrey, that I make at home, and T-Relief that I can buy at the drugstore (call ahead, sometimes you have to look in the health food store).

If it's an infection, then something to deal with that is needed.  I would be tempted to try clear iodine topically.  My reasoning (remember I am not a vet, nor a vet tech, just a duck lover) is that based on how I have seen it work on bumblefoot, I think it sinks into the skin a little bit.  Another "at the same time" thought is that it might be better to treat with something that gets into the bloodstream to prevent the spread of infection and really get into where the joint is.

Oregano is used by a number of poultry farms to "reduce the need for antibiotics," and I have read it has antimicrobial properties.

Feed stores sell antibiotics, as I think you know . . . and I often rely on @casportpony
and some of her posts.  @Orca5094
has also been helpful, as has @Lacrystol
.  And many others, actually - so if any of you with more antibiotic experience could make some suggestions here that would be kind.

Hi Amiga, thanks for all ur homeopathic remedies. I do have some dried comfry left & i do have turmeric powder & oregano, do i make a tea for soaking or a paste for compress?
I read ur thread/post from 2013,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/831608/pekin-duck-cant-walk
& i am wondering which bottle would be best for my pekin?
In t/meantime i will make a compress of epson salt instead of putting it in a bath for her to drink. Thanks
I have you & others suggest clear iodine, can u tell me why clear? Thanks again