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?
Farming Friends Forum » Ducks
Duckling help
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Posted 1 year ago #
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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
Goose GirlPosted 1 year ago # -
Ani, totally agree with Mama,
Mama, We have 5 cats 2 of which are very good ratters. However, they haven't solved all our problems with rats.
We weren't sure that rats were the cause of our duck deaths until last year.
Phil had built our aviary which was rat, stoat etc proof. Well, so we thought.
We used 13ml square mesh. It was designed so that nothing could dig under it and nothing could get through it.
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.
KT
ps I am learning so much here and I am very grateful.
No holidays, too many birds.Posted 1 year ago # -
Ani,
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.
KTNo holidays, too many birds.Posted 1 year ago # -
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?
Ani xPosted 1 year ago # -
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
mo xPosted 1 year ago # -
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
Posted 1 year ago # -
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.
Posted 1 year ago # -
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.
Ani xPosted 1 year ago # -
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.
Ani xPosted 1 year ago # -
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 :)
Ani xxxxPosted 11 months ago # -
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
Goose GirlPosted 11 months ago # -
glad your drake got better and glad you moved eggs from outdoors into the safety of a shed
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 allmo xPosted 11 months ago #
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