r/BACKYARDDUCKS

Hey folks, we have 5 female ducks all about 10 weeks old. All different breeds. Our appleyard, has been plucking feathers around her breasts (seems they're all molting) not bald by any means. Then esterday while she was in the pool she was doing like a dry heaving motion. She stopped after a minute or so and is behaving normally otherwise. Then today while out in the yard she fell over and was kind wretching on her back like a cat with a cone that couldn't roll over. I felt her crop and it didn't seem hard. But idk what I'm really looking for. Any help is appreciated. This is our first flock and want to take good care of them! Attached is duck tax from today.

I impulse got these two ducks at TSC back in May when I got some chicks 😅 they were labeled as “premium ducks”

I have absolutely fallen in love with them. I’m just not sure WHAT they are. They are small. Bagel (the mallard type drake) only weighs 1.7pounds at ~ 3 months old. Waffle (beige hen) is a tad bit smaller. To me, she looks like a pastel call or call mix.

I initially thought Bagel was a Rouen, he had the markings when he was a duckling and the double eye stripe. He’s now in his bachelor plumage, but still smaller than what I expected a typical Rouen to be. Waffle is LOUD, which makes me wonder if there is some call duck in her. They also both can fly short distances.

My conundrum is, I’m getting more hens to have a good ratio for Bagel. I am just not sure if I should get call ducks or another bantam breed, or just some light weight ducks. I have been eyeing some magpie or welsh harlequins. I’m just worried about the size difference.

Any ideas what they are and any advice is appreciated!

This duck has been hanging out with a group of mallard ducks but does not fit in. Upstate NY

Friend offered me her male mallard as they thought he killed one of their hens, only to take back the offer because her parents are too attached to the duck. I have three females now and I don’t really know what I’m doing. I have two Muscovy ducks and I’m not sure what the white one is. She is blind and was free along with the other two. I don’t think they came from a good situation as when I looked them over I found a tick on the white duck and they are terrified of people. Is this setup okay and what can I do to improve it? I am a minor so my funds are limited but I want to give these girls a good life.

These ducks are also not on my property because I am not zoned for ducks, the place I board my horse at allowed me to keep them there. I’m also a little frustrated because the whole point was to get their male duck because they had him in a dog kennel to separate him from the rest of their flock while I got the duck crap together

I have a batch of 18 ducklings (they aren't rlly mine but I try to take care of them) I really want what's best for them but I'm still young and I have a lot to learn, I am not an expert on ducks and I just want some advice regarding how to take care of them, sorry if I'm breaking rules or something I'm still new to Reddit, I also wanna know how to tame ducks since my previous attempts only like me when I have food

If there is something I should know then pleaaasesse tell me, I'm a vet student so I have to know everything that I can

With winter getting closer here in Norway, I’ve started preparing for the colder months with our chickens, quail and ducks.
I’ve been reading quite a bit about how different poultry handle cold weather, especially when it comes to moisture, ventilation, frozen water and keeping their housing dry. I ended up putting everything together in an article, along with some of the sources I’ve used.
Thought I’d share it here in case it’s useful for anyone else getting ready for winter too. 🙂

https://denlillehagen.no/nyheter/keeping-chickens-quail-ducks-winter?lang=en

My girl got bumble foot and we were treating it and thought it got better. it didn’t ..she got an infection that moved up to her joint and it’s been drained and washed out and she’s been on 2 rounds of antibiotics. It’s not really much better. They told us to focus on quality of life. She’s such a happy girl and still has a good quality of life. Any suggestions for this ? Or suggestions for a support to put over her leg so we can walk easier ?

I'll just say it, right up front, I'm one of THOSE people. Before you judge, please read my entire post.

There were 10 mixed ducklings at TSC for $1 each and I took them home with me. To be fair, I was debating between ducks and chickens and I'm not sure what happens to $1 ducks if no one takes them, so I took them and will learn as I go.

I have a mini ranch with 3 acres and an orange grove. There's a barn and a coop with a run. There's irrigation. The coop has an enclosed box and security cameras and I plan to add an automatic door to the coop. I feel like everything is secure and I'm in a farming community so I have support. However... I'm new to ducks and I have questions.

I'd like to know what you wish you'd known when you got your first ducks. I've already accepted that it was irresponsible of me to buy unsexed ducklings but given that there's a barn with stalls and several fenced runs, I do feel like I can divide them as needed to keep them all safe from each other, if there are too many drakes and still allow them plenty of room and socialization.

It doesn't get cold here. I'm in a Mediterranean climate in Southern California. I do have some ceramic coop heaters because the nights can get chilly. The coop has an enclosed box so it should be plenty warm.

I was trying to get a first aid kit together for them and I'm not sure what I should have on hand. My main concern is snakes. There are coyotes and hawks as well but snakes are my main concern, I think.

Until they're older, the ducklings are in the garage in a dog pen that was meant for 4 large dogs. The garage is consistently warm and there's plenty of space. The floor of the pen is just the right size for a small wading pool that I've filled with shavings and can easily clean. With the pool lining the pen, they can't get through the bars the pool is 12" high.

They have a feeder and I have a 3" high pan for playing and I'll need a separate waterer. For now, I just change the water a lot. I'm not sure what to give them for treats and enrichment. I have a tiny baby pool that they can splash in and a second dog pen that I can put outside so they can forage and play in dirt if that's okay for them.

I did read through the posts and try to educate myself post purchase and I think they'll be okay here. I don't think I made a regrettable decision and I'm confident I can raise some happy ducks. I just know that there's a lot that I don't know and these are the questions I have right off the bat.

Also, I know there's 1 Runner Duck. I have no clue what the rest of them might be but there look to be at least two other breeds, just looking at their features. Some have bluish bills and their eyes have different shapes.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I'd appreciate not being judged for my TSC impulse buy. I'm an impulsive person and have an excellent track record with pets. Sometimes you just have to dive into things and learn as you go. Any additional tips and tricks and advice is very much appreciated. TIA

I just wanted to show off my drakes I incubated .theyr about 7 months old here almost their peek! The most buetiful ducks il ever see!

I have a flock of 6 (7 weeks old) in WNY, I’m looking for advice and inspo. My girls are finally ready for a permanent home! I’d like it to be perfect! Some things I’m looking for. 1. A coop, hen house, or shed that’ll work, either Amazon approved or elsewhere. 2. Weather proofing? 3. Inside accessories that made clean up, feeding and drinking. 4. what tweaks can I make to have clean up easier?

Looking for camera recommendations to document the journey of the mama duck who nested in our backyard. She laid 10 eggs in our trough planter on the back deck and seems to be settled in for the incubation period. I would like to record the journey and ideally have my nieces and nephews be able to check in to the live feed because they are very interested in updates. It seems like many cameras I’ve seen advertised can only see the feed while being nearby?

Dont remember what day , but have had them about a month. I find it confusing that the duckling’s feathers are different colors, despite both being sold as “rouens”.. They came unsexed In my mind I’m reaching that the right duck might be a boy. But they are both only a month or so old. The feathers are darker, the bill is almost a different color.. but rouens supposedly you can’t really sex until month 2 or 3. Is it a different breed maybe? So confusing

I’m looking for help with identifying the breed of these ducks and will also welcome any guesses on their age.

These ladies wandered onto our property on Saturday, and within 48 hours we became fully committed duck owners! We’re officially obsessed. Up until now we have only kept chickens, so I’m here to learn everything I can. I’m new to Reddit so please be patient and let me know if I’m doing something wrong! Thanks! :)

Had two ducks one is gone this one made it the beak is all chewed up. She’s not crying in pain and is walking normal definitely distressed. Couple of marks on the body about a size of a hole in a salt and pepper shaker.

Seeing the beck is this a put down scenario?

Very worried duck mom looking for possible botulism treatment and how to care.

We’ve had a blistering heat wave since the beginning of August and it got pretty bad last week. I have a 4 year old domestic drake who suddenly became very unusually quiet last week on Wednesday. He was not wanting to eat (he loves food and even rejected his treats) and would only take sips of water. Otherwise he looked fine. I suspected maybe he had an impacted crop and tried the water syringes and massage to no avail. He was pooping clear with bits of light green so he was not eating. I separated him from the rest of the flock.

By Friday, I noticed that he was visibly limping and became concerned for botulism. He preferred to always stand on one leg, not sit. He usually likes to sit in the garden for shade and roams in the grassy area. He’s usually a very active duck and always on his feet but he was sitting down every chance he got when there was no one around. I began doing activated charcoal flushes twice a day since then. I purchased poultry electrolytes for his water. By the evening, he was extremely lathargic and sleepy, and would fall over when trying to stand up to drink water. This was the worst I’ve ever seen him on Friday and Saturday. Despite being very weak, he still had that fight or flight instinct in him and would still attempt to run away if he thought he was being chased or in danger. He would still run even if he was falling down. He would only preen if he was in the shallow pool water, never in his cage. He continued like this on Saturday.

Yesterday evening (Sunday), he began to have a slight appetite but still primarily would drink water and eat treats (dried mealworms). He was standing up again and limping slightly but still preferred to sit down if he wasn’t stimulated by his surroundings (other people, noises, etc). If he was stimulated or saw new people, he would happily run and greet them, quack, and was even able to go in and out of the shallow pool on his own.

Today (Monday), he is able to eat food sometimes (it takes a loooong time, a few hours) but still leaves it mostly uneaten. His poop is now his regular colour, and still liquidy. The poop situation has improved, as it’s not 100% clear anymore but he still prefers to sit down and sticks his leg out. He is more responsive with his quacking and talks back. There are moments he prefers to stand and he does so now with both feet on the ground instead of just one. He still has a limp but walks around more in general. This is the biggest improvement.

Is there anything I should do in addition to my charcoal flushes? I’ve reduced them to once a day now but I can’t tell if he’s significantly improving enough to do this.