The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: northfifeduckling on July 06, 2013, 06:00:04 pm

Title: new ducklings
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 06, 2013, 06:00:04 pm
quite unexpected joy - counting 6 wee heads so far!! - as she was the first duck I ever moved into a safe house successfully but her eggs had been left out in the cold overnight for some weeks before she got comportable - here goes, persistence is key.  :excited: :excited: :&>
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: Brucklay on July 06, 2013, 06:39:28 pm
Well done - I risked leaving my magpie call to sit outside - not like me - she appeared yesterday with two duckling and straight into a safe pen!! Then found her nest with one dud egg so she ran the crow gauntlet very well
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: Daisys Mum on July 06, 2013, 08:54:12 pm
I have had a runner sitting under the duck house so it wasn't even possible to see how many eggs were in it. This morning when I went out there was 1 little duckling and now there are 5 . She has come off the nest now and is sitting beside it. Should I try to round them up to put somewhere on their own or am I better to leave them alone?
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 06, 2013, 09:01:44 pm
I'm always meddling  ::) so I would try to round them all up together to go somewhere safe .  They are probably fine as long a she has them under her wings. My new motherduck is ferocious!  :&>
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: Daisys Mum on July 06, 2013, 09:07:04 pm
Oh sorry NFD forgot to say congratulations  :love: :&>
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 06, 2013, 10:18:47 pm
just counted heads again - 8!  EIGHT! OMG :&> :&> :&> :&> :&> :&> :&> :&>
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: mojocafa on July 06, 2013, 10:34:43 pm
Daisy's mum-I would move to a safe place. I lost 3 very quickly to crows, and then put mother hen and into  enclosure where I lost the other 3 ducklings to something that burrowed under the chicken wire. The only one that survived was brought into the kitchen
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: Brucklay on July 06, 2013, 11:11:58 pm
Mojocafa - sounds to me like rats - ducking is one of their favorite food - learnt the hard way chicken wire pen, putting ducklings and mum to bed and counting but was loosing one each lap they did round their house only to lift the house to disturb a rat picking them off one by one - it got out through an amazingly small space. We now have everything, floor, walls and roof messed with quarter an inch weld mesh - they are safe now - just the odd fox to worry about!!
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: ellied on July 07, 2013, 08:32:29 am
Congrats NFD, hope they make it :)


Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: sabrina on July 07, 2013, 08:52:10 am
How lovely,  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 07, 2013, 08:54:49 am
looking good this morning, all 8 out and about in the run. After my cuppa I'll watch if they have a go at the porridge, fingers crossed. I blocked off the space between floor and house as a small rat could get in that way.
Longer term trouble will be that the eglu space is tiny for 8 growing ducklings and they won't fit in with the adults either, so we will have to find new homes for some...something to think about in a few weeks time though  ;D :&>
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: HesterF on July 08, 2013, 01:52:28 am
Not so many weeks - ducklings grow v.quickly! Congrats!
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: CameronS on July 08, 2013, 09:33:53 am
13 in the number to top Kerstin!! it's in the breeding!!!  :&>  x13
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 08, 2013, 10:04:45 am
it must be, Cameron - mum is one of yours!  :&> :&> :&> :&> :&> :&> :&> :&> ;D
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: CameronS on July 08, 2013, 10:44:57 am
i now have another two sitting! almost got as many sitting as laying now!!  :fc:   :fc:
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 08, 2013, 05:38:45 pm
yes, I also get only half the eggs and keep on finding empty shells on the lawn. The crows are better at finding nests than me....good luck to you and yours  :fc: :&>
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: robbiegrant on July 09, 2013, 11:46:05 pm
quite unexpected joy - counting 6 wee heads so far!! - as she was the first duck I ever moved into a safe house successfully but her eggs had been left out in the cold overnight for some weeks before she got comportable - here goes, persistence is key.  :excited: :excited: :&>

Well done you pretty little duck..... Congatulations :excited:
Title: Re: new ducklings
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 10, 2013, 07:53:29 am
cheers, Robbie. Babies are thriving on my porridge  ;D . How are you and yours? Coiuld you place your boys last season? Any natural breeding going on?  :&>