My flock is all drakes. The muscovy don;t fight -- well one is psychotic in the spring and attacks me from behind: but he doesn't fight the other boys!!
But my pekins are a different story. They fight constantly year round. Last week one stuck his head through a temporary dog pen into the...
Glad you and your ducks are having a break from the winter cold. Is the white mudcovy the duck you talked about a couple of years ago? My white muscovy drake hates water so nice to see your girl in the water bathing!!
Yes, ducks might help with slugs. I have snails in my garden and I gathered them and put them in the ducks feeding bowl -- they were ignored. Fussy fellas!!! I had to throw the snails out on the drive for songbirds to eat!! Once upon a time a few years ago, my muscovy [I don't know which...
Black freckles even coalesced freckles are normal. I will get a photo of two pekin ducks (clutch sisters) tomorrow and post. One has heavily black pigmented bill the other doesn't. Both are normal healthy pekins. The only distinguishing feature between the two gals is their bills
Six drakes to 27 female ducks is ok but those 6 drakes are a life and death hazard to your hens. All the drakes need billeting separately from your hens. The resolution to your drake problem is to build a separate coup and run for the ducks. I think that might meet with your children's approval...
Let me first say that my muscovy do not dig: they are likely too fat and lazy. They do love to burrow through piles of autumn leaves looking for grubs, and so I leave them piles of raked leave to entertain them.
I do not know about eating daffodils. My daffodils were in the front garden and...
Great questions. I am a duck keeper from the UK now keeping ducks in the USA.
Firstly, ducks can take any weather the UK can throw at them -- they survive in the transcontinental, extreme, wrather conditions of the northern US states and Canada.
Unlike chickens, ducks do not scratch the soil...
I have
Been watching to see if anyone had any ideas as I didn't know what is going on with the "fuzzy" areas. I agree a zoomed out photo might be useful.
In general, black spots are a harmless variation on some ducks bills. My ducks get into all sorts of scrapes with their bills: my drakes...
Officially, you should not eat the eggs or meat if a bird is treated with enrofloxin for 6 months. This is to eliminate the possibility of humans developing resistance to enroflixin by ingesting minute quantities. Enroflixin is one of an important group of antibiotics for treating severe...
Oh poor boy. He wants ducky company
Where are you based? I'm wondering if you might adopt a rescued drake to keep him company. I have two pekin drakes -- one is a 2025 boy but the other is a 2022 boy. An older drake might work out well for them both
I do not know what might be going on with you mallard. This is the second report of a duck "yawning" I have read about today the other was a duckling that was otherwise normal. Your mallard seems to be otherwise eating and behaving normally, too.
I suggest you keep a close eye on her and wait...
Very nice photos, Ty
I have not experienced a persistently yawning duckling. As you have checked everything, including the ear meatuses, (I am impressed by those photos!) and as the duckling is otherwise behaving and developing normally, I think this is a wait and see situation.
Keep a close...
So sad for you and Daffy. My Daffy died only a few weeks ago and he was only 4.5 years old. Sounds like your Daffy may have had a stroke. My boy had gone to bed normally in my duck house and was sitting there dead in the morning. He may have had a heart attack. We can't know for certain without...
Muscovy drakes dont hiss -- there is no sssss sound. Its a huffing sort of sound often rhythmically as the exhale. Its loud when the are excited.
Without you telling me that they are not huffing, going only by the photos, I would have expected them to be drakes. My flock is all drake rescues...
So sad for your loss.
I had a crested pekin who was special needs as he survived a raccoon attack when he was a little Easter fluffy. He was abandoned at the vet and came to me via a friend who took him in and raised him for 3 months. He lost the upper part of his bill in the attack but lived...
I loved that great lump of duckiness, @Miss Lydia! He is the only one that was a member of the family rather than well appreciated livestock in the backyard. Daffy was the only one who wanted a cuddle. All my other ducks have been raised properly at a distance with ducky company, and prefer not...