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Uma

Got my ducks...Advice.

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Well we picked up our ducks yesterday. I would never ever use that supplier again, it was awful. Ducks are 13 weeks old and had never been outside before-kept in a big barn and she wouldn't let us see it. I know I shoud have walked away but I couldn't leave the girls there....

 

Anyway we now have Clover (Khaki Cambell) and Daisy (White mix). They are very scared. Haven't eaten anything at all or drank anything, never mind even looked at their pool :( Daisy also tries to hiss and attack me when I places my hand through the egg port to encourage them out of the eglu this morning. :( I am thinking I may need to get another older duck to show them how things are done? Also I think I'm going to have to keep them in a lot longer than planned.

 

Poor things, it was like a concerntration camp for them.

:(

 

Uma x

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Hi, as a fairly new duck keeper myself I thought I would share my experience. My two beautiful Pekin ducks came from a lovely children's farm where they had been kept outside and had lots of contact with people. Even so they were still very very nervous when they came to me at 8 weeks old. At first they would run in the opposite direction whenever I went anywhere near them. I have had them since the middle of May and they are still a little shy although I think I am gradually winning them over.

 

My basic tactic was to ignore them at first. I went into their enclosure to clean and top up food etc but I didn't try to force my attention on them. I just talked quietly to them all the time. When I put them in the run I always give them treats of veg, salad, mealworms etc by throwing the food into the water in the tubtrug in their run. At first they wouldn't come to eat until I had moved away but now they come towards me when they see me coming with the food. That's real progress and I'm pleased with that. It seems to me that it's not as easy to make friends with ducks as it is with chickens but with patience and understanding I feel that I am getting there.

 

I have found it quite easy to get them into their run. I walk behind them when they are in the garden and steer them left or right by extending my arm in the direction I want them to go. I'm sure it must look hilarious to anyone watching but I've found it works and they are no trouble at all.

 

I feel the ducks are settling in slowly but well, they love to mix with the chickens and make a beeline for the cube run as soon as they go into the chickens part of the garden. Quite often I find the ducks asleep in the back of the cube run while the chooks are out and about.

 

Good luck with your ducks but I think it will take a while for you to gain their trust especially if they have been kept in a barn with little or no human contact. Just take it slowly, let them settle in and get used to their new surroundings and I'm sure in time they will be fabulous pets.

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hi,

just thought i'd say hello to a fellow duck person i hatched ducklings at the nursery where i work and my headteacher has invested in a WIR and (cube purple) as she loves them as do the children :) i've since had chickens at home and would agree with 2nd post(sorry can't remember your name and don't know how to go back without losing my message :? )

chickens do seem easier to win over and seem to be more creatures of habit. Also without the paddling-which i love to see-and as the ducks are messy creatures i'd say chickens are easier. that said i LOVE the ducks (duck)(white duck) we were told ours were runners but it turns out they are in fact campbells well 5 are-3 white, two big brown drakes i think and one call duck who is very lovely although probably the most wary.

i am new to all of this so can't advise you on anything really as still learning all the time myself, except to say everyone on this forum seems very helpful and knowledgable and i find it so interesting reading all the posts(sometimes for much longer than i should!)

enjoy your ducks-i always love to see photos of everyones pets so will look out for some-although i've never posted any as am not very clever at computers!

karen x

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Oh yes, Karen, photos please. We get lots of chicky photos on the forum but few ducky ones. :(

 

Uma, where did you get your ducks from? I'm sure that Daisy and Clover will settle in bit by bit. I've always found that with scaredy pets the best advice is to think of them as wild critters and take small steps at a time, very slowly and whitewestie's recommendation to ignore them to start with is very sound advice. Above all never grab or chase or get impatient with them and you will win them round. One thing though, I too have found that my ducks are certainly a whole lot less greedy than my chickens and so took longer to win round with mealy worms. You'll get there though :)

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Thanks all.

 

I contacted another lady today who keeps ducks free ranging and we are going to see her tomorrow to possibly get one of hers to show ours the ropes as they are still not eating/drinking properly or investigating the pool.

 

I also think little clover may be a drake, so we are going to take both ducks with us so this lady can tell us for sure, as I will have to rehome him if he is a drake unfortunately. Fingers crossed my hunch is wrong but I will keep you updated.

 

I got them from a place near Loch Lomond which has a good website, but the poor things have had a not great start in life, so there is no way I could take them back there and leave them to that fate.

 

Uma x

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Chubby Chook- Unfortunately yes. I have ethical issues with eating and producing fertilised eggs so we only keep girls. Otherwise it wouldn't be a problem. :(

 

Will be heading off to meet this lady shortly so will update.

 

Uma x

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The original place you got your ducks from doesn't sound very nice :( I'm hoping to get some ducks in the near future and will be looking for a reputable breeder so I'm very interested in your update. (I saw your post on P.P and was waiting to see if you got a reply on there :) )

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Well what an eventful day! Took Daisy and Clover with us to visit these new duck people, and wow, couldn't have been more different to the first place! Amazing. Lovely people who confirmed that Clover *is* a girl :D

 

Had a good look at all their ducks, including three day old ducklings! So very cute! Ended up taking two.... as I never felt right taking one and introducing to the two delinquents ( as they are currently commonly known). Best decision ever. As soon as we came back Jasmine ( Magpie cross) and Juniper ( Chocolate Campbell) went straight for the food and then Daisy and Clover did too! First food they have had in over two days, I was so very relieved. They now all seem to be getting on really well and have been drinking and eating all together. Now all tucked up happily in the eglu.

 

The two new girls just shows how bad a start my older two have had-they are younger than they were sold to us, or undernourished, and so very scared. Although Daisy, who had previousely attacked me and hissed at me non stop when I even entered the stable hasn't behavied that way since, I think she is picking up from the newer two that humans don't necessarily have to be feared. The new two are so lovely and sit quietly or chatting to me as I was cleaning up. So lovely.

 

Now *this* is what I imagined duck keeping to be like!

 

Andrea- I can pass on the details for the place in Dalry if you'd like-they are amazing birds in such good condition. The lady could even tell me the temperment of individual birds.

 

Uma x

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Oh poor you regarding your initial 2 ducks.

 

i'm new to duck keeping too having just got 2 Indian Runners (Jemima and Jessie) 4 weeks ago from a childrens farm near Dumfries. They seem to have been really well cared for before I got them but were obviously scared of me after the long journey to the Trossachs, but are slowly getting there and are rather good characters. will pm you regarding the place where you got yours from as I think that was where I was intending to get some from too...

 

I hope that things continue to work out for you and all your ducks. But I guess most importantly enjoy them! :D:D

 

Pics please!!

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The place we got our 2 ducks from was great :) huge free range enclosure possibly half an acre with all breeds including turkeys.

 

They chap gave us the guided tour of all the animals (mainly for our son) then let us choose from around 20 of heat ducks bearing in mind trying to capture them was a nightmare, he also boxed them up nicely gave us a bag of feed (500g) a huge rubble sack of saw dust and also any advice we needed will deffo recomend him to anyone who wants to enter the world of ducks!!

 

He is based near hereford West midlands Called Cottage kings poultry http://www.cottagekings-poultry.co.uk

 

cheers :)

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