Comments for Pet Ducks Blog

Comment on Pet Duck Housing by Duck Question

Duck Question — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:12:30 +0000

I acquired a mature Cayuga duck in beginning of September 09′ after a friend gave it to us for our newly put in pond. I wasn’t to sure on duck care and winter was coming, my friend told me they could be left out in the winter, unsure I purchased a water heated dog bowl and duck food from the local farming market. Although we haven’t had him clipped he can’t fly but just flaps his wings as he runs . Our neighborhood is safe from cats and raccoons and such and he has been safe so far (about 7 months) roaming in our 1/4 acre back yard not traveling too far from his corner, except following our small dog around. So he doesn’t have a cage and a while later our pond broke but it is winter and would be frozen and are putting off fixing till summer, so we have been letting him swim in the tub periodically to clean himself and swim. He has survived the winter months but here in northern Utah we have had cold snowy nights but not as much as our normal harsh winters, we have had big dogs in the past, so I put a big dog kennel out with hay and a towel but he wont go in I have tried putting food to coax him in, and even put him in there but he just won’t go or stay in, and instead I have looked out on snowing nights to see him under tall bushes sitting there in the snow at first I was worried and would go out and wrap a towel around him but he would move and sit somewhere else, I have also tried just putting hay in a corner just like a nest but the next day it is snowy and wet and he still moves around and wont go in any houses we have even tried a table on its side with a tarp over the top to make a more open shelter. Since we acquired him when he was grown we didn’t get the chance to get him used to any housing also my friend raised him with chickens and he’s now all alone but again he’s been here for 7 months and still healthy. He was raised around chickens and is slowly not running away from humans and becoming more social although he doesn’t quack loud, just small random quacks that increase when he chases or follows the dog or when we pet him or pick him up.
I am wondering if there are any tips or other options for housing before the next winter? And if I should get another duck because he’s all by himself, even though he has a dog he plays with but the dog sleeps inside?
I feed him duck food pellets and the occasional worms and cracked corn because I know your not supposed to feed him bread, raisins or corn and was wondering about any other treats he would like?
And are there any grooming things I need to know or do, like trimming his nails or washing him, can I use a dog shampoo or will that break down his natural oil in his feathers or is their a duck shampoo?

Comment on Pet Duck Housing by Audrey

Audrey — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:15:08 +0000

They can survive in the winters here. I have a garage for shelter for them where I also provide heat lamps for them to bask under if they are too cold. I use a heated water bucket as well. You could use a shed, dog house, garage, large kennel for shelter as long as there is enough room for the heat lamp to have enough area around it. My shelter is !5 feet long and 5 feet wide. I have a crested, three muscovy, two calls, and one black east indies. They have done fine for several years now.

Comment on Feeding your pet ducks by Karen

Karen — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:11:26 +0000

We hatched a pair of mallards last spring. Wonderful pets! Something happen to our male, not sure if it was a hawk, fox or dog. We want to replace him . we were looking forward to having a brood in the spring. Does anyone know if my female would accept another male, and vice versa. She is very lonely since he left.

Comment on Pet Duck Housing by kenzie

kenzie — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:42:14 +0000

I would love a duck to live in my backyard and garden but I’m worried about what to do with them in cold Iowa winters. Can they survive outside or…?

Comment on Pet Duck Housing by alice

alice — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:16:06 +0000

I have always wanted to get a perkin duck. now i have the chance has but i’m not sure weather to get a chicken or duck. chickens would probley be more practical, but i also want a duck. what should i do?!

Comment on Pet Duck Housing by katie

katie — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:43:28 +0000

I already have 10 chickens and am planning on getting a few more chickens this spring along with some ducks, i have 10 acers but no pond-although i do have a river roughly 50 yards wide right behind my house it’s quite calm and there are no rapids within a 5 mile radius but is this still ok? Also is it ok to mix chickens ducks together and can chicks and ducklings be rasied in the same brooder together? thx.

Comment on Two things you need for pet ducks by dianna

dianna — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:03:22 +0000

i meant Cute effect.

Comment on Two things you need for pet ducks by dianna

dianna — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:02:32 +0000

I have a neighbor that has had 4 ducks in the past 8 months. They keep getting eaten by bobcats, but she continues to get more ducks. She thinks by keeping them in a cage, she is protecting them. They are noisy and stinky and not appreciated one bit. Now I have to worry about my cat and dogs being attacked by bobcats because she can’t get it through her head – these are not residential pets. These are farm animals. They have brought the bobcats and raccoons into the neighborhood. The rotten eggs bring skunks and rats. They are not trainable and their droppings, which never get cleaned up, create diseases. Do any of you think of others when getting a pet duck or just yourselves and an instant gratification from the cure effect?

Comment on Pet Ducks by Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:02:07 +0000

Hi there… I just got 2 baby ducks for Christmas. They are 4 weeks old.. So far I have been to the vet twice and 700.00 later.. I have one healthy duck and one duck that cannot walk… Initially first my pekin duck got sick , at 1week old, I took her to the vet , they gave her antibiotics and she was fine.. My other duckling was the leader, runnin around full of energy, I even had to put her in different housing while teh other one got well.. Anyway.. at 3 weeks old they were both doing great… I came home after 3 hours since the last time I saw them and the super charged one cannot walk at all now… I have gone to the vet, paid 200.00 got vitamin b shot and calcium supplement and antibiotic… its been 3 days, still no change, have you ever heard of this happening in your 14 years…
Felling so helpless.

Comment on Pet Duck Housing by residential windmill

residential windmill — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:07:04 +0000

Build A windmill…

Unfortunately but inevitably, starting with the industrial revolution, windmills were replaced by the use of steam and internal combustion engines, and people even started to forget how to build a windmill. That was the start of all the changes our pla…