The Duck Thread

[Welshchick]

4 Call ducks and 2 miniature Appleyards(1 crested)

 

[Miss Lydia]

4 Call ducks and 2 miniature Appleyards(1 crested)

Adorable ducklings...and in case your first time duckling mom

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

 

[Julie Birb]

4 Call ducks and 2 miniature Appleyards(1 crested)

Cute little fuzzhatchlings.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Can someone helo me figure out these possible mixes lol. Muscovy snuck off and hatched 8. 4 of the brown and 4 of the black. My friend free ranges all her ducks. She has 2 muscovys, 2 pekins. A crested runner? Fawn and white runner. To many Swedish, blue and black lol. Brown, grey and black ancona. 2 or 3 cayuga. 2 rouens. I think thats all the breeds. The number could be off lol. To many to count. Either way the muscovy went off and hatched these eggs away from the flock. I know no one can say for sure but id love some educated guesses. The little black one looks to be hissing sometimes but it also peeps so I'm curious if it could be part muscovy. Thanks.

Sorry about the poor quality pics..

 

[itsasmallfarm]

anyone else's ducklings have a tantrum we you take there water away?

i have two Swedish ducklings and they freak out when every i take the water away to clean and re-fill the water. is this normal i mean they run around at top speed screaming there heads off, and once the water returns everything can return back to normal.

they also freak out when ever i try to touch them or handle them any tips for this?

 

[sannabelle]

anyone else's ducklings have a tantrum we you take there water away?

i have two Swedish ducklings and they freak out when every i take the water away to clean and re-fill the water. is this normal i mean they run around at top speed screaming there heads off, and once the water returns everything can return back to normal.

they also freak out when ever i try to touch them or handle them any tips for this?    

My Pekins do that when I remove their water- I just assume they really like it and are like "what the heck are you doing!"

I hold mine for at least an hour every day- let them walk around the living room while I'm in there. My kids and I both just handle them a lot and they don't mind at all. If I'm sitting on the floor they will crawl into my lap. Just lots of petting and sitting with them and they'll get used to you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

anyone else's ducklings have a tantrum we you take there water away?

i have two Swedish ducklings and they freak out when every i take the water away to clean and re-fill the water. is this normal i mean they run around at top speed screaming there heads off, and once the water returns everything can return back to normal.

they also freak out when ever i try to touch them or handle them any tips for this?

They love their water sounds like. lol

Sit on the floor or ground if dry. have lots of meal worms and start by tossing a few in their direction then just keep this up daily till they are eating right out of your hand. It may take a week more or less but it will happen. They do get frightened when we come over top of them just like a predator would do, and always let them know your coming if they can't see you first. Not many ducks like to be picked up but if I can get them to come up to me and eat out of my hand I feel I have become their friend

 

[MandyJ]

Hey, WARNING: I'm a newbie when it comes to ducks, and i got a few questions, i figure this is a good place to ask them. First, let me explain our situation.

My little sister who is almost 10, recently set her heart on ducks. I know how it feels to want a pet very badly. I had to wait 3 years to convince my dad to let me get pygmy goats. 2yrs to get a guinea pig. I thought the more i knew about ducks the easier i could help persuade my dad to let her get some ducks, preferably before she turns 13... (this would not be her firs experience with taking care of a life. She has gerbils who are healthy and happy) ..............So here are my questions:

I read if you don't have a pond, (which we Do Not) you can burry a kitty pool to make it ground level, and the ducks love it. Is this cruel to the animal to only have a small swimming area?
2nd, I don't hear anything about worrying about the ducks flying away. Would you have to "clip" their wings or something? I don't know much about clipping a duck's wings, except what i remember about that movie that i saw when i was like 9 where the girl takes care of the ducks and learns to fly a plane, then takes them south, or something like that.
3rd, She is 9 so she doesn't exactly make income, What are the expenses of owning two ducks? ... Also, i want to make it clear the ducks wouldn't starve if my sister ran out of money. She does save money, and if she did run out, I'd help her out. I never spend money on anything other than my pets, ( or the occasional book) so she'd be backed up.
Ooo.... and, Do you have to buy like frozen fish? or does all that protein come in their pellets?
Whats a good pet breed? Anyway, if you can answer any of these questions or have any other info i should know, let me know! Thanks!

-also, forgot to mention, she'd be getting them when their chicks, so if you have any useful info i should know about temperatures/Chick pellets/pricing/housing, Anything, Let me know :3

1. Ducks do wonderful with just a kiddie pool. You have to change the water frequently (every other day or so) but they are fine with it. They MUST have some type of water that they can bury their head in. They clean out their nares (nose holes) this way.
2. It depends on the type of ducks. Pekins are usually too fat and heavy to fly. Some of the others do fly. Check it out as to which ones fly. Clipping wings isn't hard, you can do it if you need to.
3. The main expense is the place to keep them. They have to be protected from predators, and EVERYTHING will eat a duck. After that, it's mainly the food. When they are babies there will be quite a few extra expensed, i.e., niacin, wood shavings for brooder, stuff like that.
4. No you don't HAVE to buy them anything except their feed. You can give them treats, like peas and live fish, but only every once in a while.

Look on here in the forums about "new duckling things". Ducklings CAN and ARE very messy little creatures! But the payback is well worth it. But read, read, read as to what you are getting yourself into. It's a commitment, be sure you and your sister are up to it.

Enjoy!

 

[Eliya4Gpigs]

Thank you very much! Good to know.

 

[sannabelle]

My little Pekins have gotten so shnuggggly