http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ Farming Friends Forum Tag: Drake en Tue, 21 May 2013 18:10:42 +0000 http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23405 Wed, 08 May 2013 16:52:10 +0000 duskhunter 23405@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>It does sound as though this has been sorted Ani. As long as he is interested in you large duck and is leaving the smaller ones you don't need to worry. Your big duck may get a bald neck if he is too passionate with her but unelss it is very sore it is not a massive problem we have often joked about making them scarves as protection agains the amorous advances of the boys!<br /> They are funny they do not like being apart but suffer when they are together! </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23404 Tue, 07 May 2013 19:11:36 +0000 ani 23404@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>sorry, havent been on for a while :) we have sorted the problem (mostly.) do ducks tend to 'mate for life' like swans or something as our drake is obsessed with our other bigger duck. he chases after us and he puffs himslf up if we go near her. the 3 smaller ones are separated, one on eggs and i will have the other 2 together soon as one was recovering from a bad eye ( which is now completely healed!) but I fear that if i did separate the drake and female he is with now, it will affect both of them. They are happy waddling about in the garden during the day and they sleep in the same house. I'm hoping we have sorted this out now, and hopefully we will have some new additions in a few weeks! </p> <p>thank you all so much for putting up with me!</p> <p>ani xxx </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23403 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:41:33 +0000 m40mo 23403@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>ani this has all been a shock for you and fully understand your upset, ok you are only 14 im 55 and still gets frustrated trying to keep them all happy and safe, they are clearly your pets but you are still a child you need help from your parents to try and sort this problem, you say you need drastic help we can only tell you what we do they need to sort this for you </p> <p>your drake is the issue, I see no point in getting rid of the girls you have and getting more, im not sure where you home your ducks but for now I suggest he is put on his own to give you time to think what to do, this can't carry on like this one dead duck is enough :(<br /> I've just looked back and seen you had the same problem last year, what did you do then ? </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23401 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:20:49 +0000 duskhunter 23401@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Hi Ani,<br /> If you don't separate your drake from the gils he will just carry on doing damage. The small ducks will be most prone to it and it is not only heartbreaking it is not fair on the girls. It is his natural instinct of course but I had a drake drown two girls in breeding season so I separate them now unless I want to hatch eggs and even then I separate them after a while as the drakes can be just so heavy footed/beaked whatever the girls are entitled to live without injury from him. My girls go and sit the other side of the wire netting to keep the drakes company and then they are let back together around the end of October till about the end of Feb when it all starts again. </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23399 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:46:57 +0000 ani 23399@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>well now i have a small duck with a bloody face as he has got hold of her :( i am afraid that if i dont get any drastic help i will have to re-home him... I have spent the last 3 hours crying as i have had such a bad weekend with my ducks (would just like to say i am only 14, so this is very hard as i am very attached to my pets) and I am devastated. I have now got a duck who is badly injured and very scared. I have attempted to clean her eye but she was so stressed i left her to calm down in a clean cage. She has water and i gave her some grass as she loves it. I am torn between keeping the girls or starting again with some new girlies... please help me as i am so upset words cant describe it... :'( xxxx many thankssss xxxxxx </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23398 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:01 +0000 m40mo 23398@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>oh how I wish we could castrate drakes, I have 2 and once more mayhem has broken out as both boys want to claim each girl we havnt had injuries but eye damage is my biggest fear, last summer I kept both drakes happy together away from the girls but that would be so unfair for a single drake, im not sure it would be fare to pass him on to someone else though, is he a bigger breed drake than your girls ? would he be better with a bigger girl kept as a pair maybe away from your smaller ducks </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23397 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:19:35 +0000 admin 23397@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Hi Ani, So sorry to hear this. I suppose the drake could have been over zealous and it could have been too much for her. I am notsure what to suggest. I suppose you could separate the other injured ducks from him until they are better. Is he like this all year round or just as the breeding season gets under way?<br /> Hope he calms down.<br /> Kind regards<br /> Sara @ farmingfriends </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=5158#post-23396 Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:44:31 +0000 ani 23396@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>hi guys, haven't posted in a while!</p> <p>any way, i have some very bad news. One of my female ducks was killed this morning, and i was very upset at the fact i was the one to find her whilst attempting to move some chickens. We aren't sure how she died, as there was no bite marks ruling out cat or fox. What i do know is our drake is very heavy handed and caused this duck to go blind in one eye. Do you think he might have killed her? He has also done damage to 2 of my new Call/Campbell females. one of them has some serious damage to her eye. it is red raw and all her feathers around her eye are gone. Her eyelid is pretty much destroyed and she has a small hole that she can see through. Luckily, her eye is fine underneath. She is sitting on some eggs at the moment, so she is in a separate house in the pen. I would like to know if there is ANYTHING i can do to stop this drake as this is really a LAST resort before i have to get rid of him, so please IF YOU HAVE ANY HELP OR TIPS FOR ME, REPLY AS I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO LOOSE HIM TOO. thank you every one... </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-20425 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:21:05 +0000 m40mo 20425@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>glad your drake got better and glad you moved eggs from outdoors into the safety of a shed<br /> I have to say though at this stage I wouldnt be houseing her alone that could stress her and she could stop laying all together, I would leave them all together and if she then goes broody and begins to sit on the eggs then remove the drake maybe but there is no reason at this stage to remove the other girl if at all </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-20424 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:13:50 +0000 Mama 20424@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Wonderful news you boy is now better .Just let her lay you have done the right thing by moveing her .You could perhaps put some eggs under her and see if she is serious ,if she is nothing will stop her and her hatch .Keep all eggs apart from the ones you test her on and when you are convinced swap them over .Good luck .Mama </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-20423 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:43:12 +0000 ani 20423@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>hi guys, been a while since i posted in here! well, the drake now has full use of his bad leg, and we think one of our ducks has gone broody as she had made a nest in the pen, so we were advised to move the eggs to a seperate duck house. we did this and unfortunalty they were cold, but we have kept the duck who is nesting in a seperate home as we think she may be going broody and want to give her as much chance of nesting with out the drake and the other duck trappling her nest, like they usually do. any help guys? we want to give her the best chance of nesting and hatching as possible. thanks guys :)<br /> Ani xxxx </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19351 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:47:58 +0000 ani 19351@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Update: went to let the duckies out and found that one of the girls have built a nest!! we removed the eggs today but we are going to leave them to see if they sit on them, and the drake is still unable to use his leg, but we are getting there :( also, one of my hens past away today, and was just wondering if it possible for chickens to be sick as she was bringing up a green liquid :( she was very old though so we were ready for it to happen.<br /> Ani x </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19350 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:47:57 +0000 ani 19350@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Update: went to let the duckies out and found that one of the girls have built a nest!! we removed the eggs today but we are going to leave them to see if they sit on them, and the drake is still unable to use his leg, but we are getting there :( also, one of my hens past away today, and was just wondering if it possible for chickens to be sick as she was bringing up a green liquid :( she was very old though so we were ready for it to happen.<br /> Ani x </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19196 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:17:50 +0000 ani 19196@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>thats fine, as we dont know what bree they are either! :) we think they are a real mish mash of different types, but we think they are mallards. </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19159 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:36:46 +0000 duckcrazy 19159@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>hi ani just to let you know i have a pair of khaki campbells that arn't supposed to go broody, but i decided to leave the eggs in the box to see how she went and she went broody after about a weeks and started sitting on them but it did take 7 or 8 eggs before she got broody so be patient with them. also mine arn't a year old yet so i don't think age matters, but yes if there are predators around they will stress too much to relax n go broody. but as mo said i wouldn't be trying to get her broody if she is on medication, as may create diformaties.perhaps if you post a pic some of the ladies might be able to tell you what breeds they are. sorry i couldn't be of more help </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19157 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:07:55 +0000 m40mo 19157@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>hi ani ducks quite often eat their own eggs but other birds will eat them if they know they are there and so will rats, as she is on meds that mean you cant eat the eggs I would remove them first thing and throw them away so they dont get a taste for them and not sure but if they arnt fit to eat because the medication is in there they probably shouldnt be allowed to develope into ducklings either just incase </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19156 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:34:06 +0000 ani 19156@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>well that is good, but we have to leave the eggs while ones on medicine, so we left them for them to sit on, and they started to eat them! we took them away, but why did they do this?<br /> Ani x </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19151 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:28:28 +0000 Katydid 19151@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Ani,<br /> I should also have said that my Mallard, Molly was attacked last year by a rat when she was on her nest (the day before her eggs were due to hatch) the rat injured her leg, quite badly. Not only did she survive but she is fine and sitting on a clutch of 11 eggs right now.<br /> KT </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19150 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:55:12 +0000 Katydid 19150@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Ani, totally agree with Mama,</p> <p>Mama, We have 5 cats 2 of which are very good ratters. However, they haven't solved all our problems with rats.</p> <p>We weren't sure that rats were the cause of our duck deaths until last year. </p> <p>Phil had built our aviary which was rat, stoat etc proof. Well, so we thought. </p> <p>We used 13ml square mesh. It was designed so that nothing could dig under it and nothing could get through it. </p> <p>One morning last year (Phil was away) I went to let them all out to find that one of my appleyard females was dead. Her neck had been chewed through the mettle mesh. It's difficult to explain but the droppings on the outside of the aviary were definately rat droppings. There was blood on the mesh where the duck had been killed. The ducks often slept against the mesh and the rat had killed it through the mesh and eaten the neck. Sorry to be so graphic, but it is important to understand that many predators are very cunning and all they need is a very small hole to cause maximum damage.</p> <p>KT</p> <p>ps I am learning so much here and I am very grateful. </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19148 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:31:50 +0000 Mama 19148@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>They are to young yet but time will tell laterin the year Ani. So hope your boy will be ok .Katy never heard of rats taking full grown ducks and good to learn somthing new every day.we thankfully don't have a prob with rats as have a load of cats. Good luck Ani and be patient .Mama </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074&page=2#post-19141 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:42:41 +0000 ani 19141@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>well, I am letting the boy out for a bit every day while he is resting. Do you thik my females are too young to go broody or is just not the right time in spring yet? </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19140 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:36:30 +0000 Katydid 19140@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Excellent news Ani. Pleased it's all working out.</p> <p>We had a problem with rats killing our call ducks and runners 3 years ago. That's when we devised an aviary that rats can't live under or dig into or climb into. They are devious little b*****s. If there is any possible way they can get in - they will.</p> <p>Thank you for updating us.<br /> KT </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19139 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:02:22 +0000 ani 19139@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>well, the pain killers were given by a vet, and we think it may be rats, as my neighbours have seen lots around their ducks, so as they said, he should pull through. He is resting at the moment, and the girls are fine. we are building a bigger house for them, and they are all going to be ok.<br /> Thank you guys :)<br /> Ani x </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19130 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:21:18 +0000 Katydid 19130@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Ani, what painkillers did you give him? Were they prescribed by a vet specifically for ducks?</p> <p>If he has broken his toes he has done it ON something and you need to find it and fix it. </p> <p>It would be best to take him to a vet to sort this out.</p> <p>As for the girls, it is unlikely for them to go broody after a couple of eggs each. They need to lay 12 or so each and, of course, have to have been with the drake for them to be fertile. As mama says.: it will all come right, when the time is right. </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19126 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:31:43 +0000 Mama 19126@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Ani, As Sarah says a vet would help and don't give up yet broken toes are not serious at all and can be sorted .Good news on the girls but a bit early I think for a broody ,be patient it will happen when the time is right .I know as have been in your shoes many years ago .Just so wanted a broody and once one came so did all my other hens .Yes you say NO I didn't as wanted eggs and didn't get many lol after they or some turned broody<br /> Good luck Mama </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19125 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:18:51 +0000 campbell ridge 19125@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>it sounds like he has caught his foot in something and has broken his toes trying to pull it out. have a close look at any gaps or holes in the coop or around. Now it's his turn for the vet to splint the toes? </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19124 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:38:42 +0000 ani 19124@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Update: We think the drake has a broken his toes, as his foot is cold and he cant put any weight on it. We have given him some painkillers and he is resting. Other news about the females, they have laid 2 eggs and we are hoping they are going to sit on them :) keep you posted :)<br /> Ani x </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19078 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:15:36 +0000 ani 19078@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>well, if our drake doesn't get better, then we might get another one, but I think he will be fine after we patch him up :) </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19076 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:10:52 +0000 campbell ridge 19076@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>Hi Ani. I also live in west sussex near horsham. Can you tell me why you are thinking of getting another drake? This is not a good idea unless you have no drakes at all. </p> http://farmingfriends.com/forums/topic.php?id=3074#post-19075 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:07:31 +0000 ani 19075@http://farmingfriends.com/forums/ <p>we live in West Sussex. I have checked and nothing obvious, so I am going to clean them out and put nice new bedding in, I will put a bandage on his leg after I have put some anti-septic spray on and hope for the best :) </p>