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Read about other duck owner's experiences and advice on duck care.
Live Ducks does not endorse all of the care and feeding tips published here.
See Care & Feeding for the proper care of domestic ducks.
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Read Duck Stories from 2002 | 2003 | 2004
Name: Dedra Tiger
Location: Bixby, OK USA
Number: 1, now
Breeds: Crested White (thought they were Pekins - LOL!)
Names: Mo Mo II
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Purchased 2 crested whites at Atwoods in Sand Springs, OK. At first, we thought they were Pekins with puff balls on their heads, but research showed they were crested whites - oops!
Experiences: Since companion, No Mo, flew off with some wild geese, Mo Mo hangs around with our horses! He is one of the herd and was most upset when we put him in the garage for a few nights during a heavy snow fall. After the snow melted, he was right back out there with his equine friends. Mo Mo is especially fond of our Appaloosa stallions, who allow him to eat with them from the ground feeders. He has been known to "sneak" food from the feed buckets, also. When the horses are gathered under the covered walk of the barn, Mo Mo has no problem being with them, walking under them and quacking. He also has no fear of the many barn cats! The big male once decided that a duck dinner would be nice, but got a nasty surprise, as Mo Mo grabbed his ear and wouldn't let go! Mo Mo will warn the cats with a loud hiss and raised wings. If they come too close, he will chase them. Surprisingly, he is not agressive toward the kittens.
Care: Mo Mo is "King of the Pond", but will share with the horses, who actually prefer the water troughs for drinking. The pond has some water plants that he loves, along with the summer time bugs. We leave a pan of poultry scratch out for him, but he prefers the oats, beet pulp, Strategy and alfalfa pellets we feed the horses. He appears to eat hay from the round bales, although I think he is eating the seeds from the bermuda grass in the hay. When offered lettuce, Mo Mo turned up his beak, as if to say, "Ugh, what's this?"
Resources: The Internet, the vet that is certified by the state to care for wild water fowl and the owner of an exotic pet rescue.
Advice: Prepare for a ton of clean up! Ducks are messy, especially in enclosed, confined spaces. We all love our Mo Mo, as he can be very affectionate and loves to be petted, IF it's his idea :)
What my duck would say: Buck, buck, buck, (literal ducky translation) I love my equine buddies and my people are pretty cool, too!
Re: Live Ducks: Love your site and will get the word out to other duck owners and admirers.
Name: Randy Dailey
Location: Pittsburgh Pa.
Breeds: Not Sure????
Names: Willie Waylon
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We got them at a flea market in Ohio.
Experiences: We bought our ducks as 3 week old chicks. Raised them in the house and them when they were older moved them outside. 2 months ago Waylon began to lay eggs. 1 a day for 14 days, the a couple days off and then some more. 22 egs in all. None are fertile, I think.
Care: They live in a small transformed Iguana house in the backyard, but will soon be getting a 10' by 6' fenced in dog run with a house inside for them. They have a baby pool to swim in when I get them out and they get a big bowl of crumbles every day to eat. The days I get them out they run aroun the yard and look for worms and bugs.
Resources: the New duck handbook. Liveducks.com
What my duck would say: Hey we want to come out and play. Where's the food.
Re: Live Ducks: Your website is great. Please dont shut it down.
Name: Lydia, Alice, Adam, Lumpy
Location: Cleveland, Oklahoma
Breeds: malard and pekin
Names: cleveland, cornbread
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): The malard cleveland was the neighbors duck she was never home there was two but one came up missing so we sorta took him in and ended up getting him a girl friend (cornbread) from a farm store. The neighbor was happy we started to care for cleveland. And so were we!!!
Experiences: When we first started to care for cleveland we didnt really know what we were doing we had geese in the past so we went with that. He seemed to like anything we would do for him. Problems we have had is clevelands foot had froze when he was small so sometimes he has a limp and when we first got cornbread cleveland was a little mean to her because she was still so small.But it didnt take long and they are best friends.Other then that they seem to be very healthy.We think they may be getting ready to lay eggs because cornbread is taking her chest hair and making a nest so any help on this topic would be great!!!
Care: The ducks have a barn shed thing to live in with straw if it is cold or for safty and they run the yards in the day. Everyone around just loves them and they have our old cat boo boo as a duck guard.And a sheep dog that watches and lets us know if something new is around. They have a blow up pool with only half the air in it so when they want in they can just mash the sides down easy they love it. They eat duck food, cracked corn, fish flavored cat food, worms and any insect that moves or they can dig up...oh do they love to dig.Now that I know some things other people feed there ducks I am going to try some different things.
Resources: I learned a lot just from talking to others and from this site.
Advice: They make wonderful pets but they are not as dominateing as a dog so you must protect them and not as crafty as a cat so you must provide for them not as humble as a hambster so they need there freedom.If you can do that and love them like crazy you should give it a try :)
What my duck would say: Cornbread would say Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Oh how I love you. Cleveland would say give me all your food and maybe a little for cornbread too.
Re: Live Ducks: I think this site is great and Im not even done searching it yet.
Location: Reading, PA USA
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Was given to me as a b-day present, my friend purchased the duckling from a reptile show, she was bait!!
Experiences: Upon receiving my duck, I kept it in an old dog crate in my bed room, it was Sept. 01 and she was just a little thing. I didn't want to keep it outside till it had it's adult plumage. Boy does duck poop stink!! Within the first week I had her, I had to find a vet specializing in farm animals because she was sneezing and had ooze coming out of her nostrils. I thought giving medicine to a cat was hard, try a duckling!!! I thought for sure she wouldn't make it through the winter. She did and she's still going strong. I noticed black spots on her bill. Referring to my duck guide I read that these are maturity spots. Her feet also looked infected (probably from wire flooring), after a visit to the vet and more meds this still hasn't improved. She seems to be getting along fine.
Regarding giving meds to a duck: the first time I was given a pink liquid which I had to pry open her bill, insert a eye dropper full of liquid, squeeze and that was that. Well the entire time I tried this, my duck carried on like I was trying to kill her, and with the way she kept trying to free herself, I was afraid I was going to indeed end up killing her. The second time she had to get meds, after telling my vet the trouble I experienced with the liquid she gave me pills. WELL, this wasn't any better. the first day I was able to pop them in her mouth with ease. By the second day she knew what I was up to and would spit them out. I then began to grind them up and mix it with lettuce (her fav. treat) this too also only worked for a day. After realizing she had been duped into taking her meds with lettuce, she would take the lettuce from my hand, walk over to her water dish, rinse of the medicine and then eat the lettuce. I called my vet AGAIN about her not taking her meds. My vet told me that ducks had taste buds and I should mix the powered pills with Karo syrup because ducks won't eat anything that they don't like. You mean to tell me that a duck won't take med because of the way it tastes but it WILL eat worms and bugs?????
Peepers loves to be petted, when she sees me coming, she lays down and quacks steadily in low short quacks until I walk over and pet her. She follows me around the yard. When I go in the house, she'll jump up the three steps and stand at the door and taps on it with her bill. She's also very vocal. If I hear her quack, I just have to call her name and she's three times louder. I've been told that a duck's quack doesn't echo, this is NOT TRUE! Or at least my duck's quack echos.
Care: My duck lives in a pen built by my father. Every day I get her out of the pen and she has free run of the garden. In the winter I pile bales of straw around the pen for insulation. She used to swim in a baby pool. They my father built her her own little pond. She eats Purina Duck pellets as a staple. Treats are lettuce, crickets, worms, slugs and other bugs she comes across. In the winter I mix duck pellets, oatmeal, cracked corn, cat kibble and turkey and game feed since she's not able to forage. I also mix electrolyte vitamins with her water every other day.
Resources: A must is "Storey's Guide to Rasing Ducks". This book helped me soooo much. This website is the best website for duck info, also the Pet Duck and Goose Association.
Advice: Spend as much time as you can with it as a duckling in order to bond with it. Don't buy ducklings for anyone a child. Make sure you have a pet that specializes in farm animals.
What my duck would say: Pet me! Pet me! Got any lettuce??
Re: Live Ducks: I absolutely loves this website. When I'm at work and I miss my duck, I just pop on here to watch Trouble and Mischief.
Name: Nicholas Sheridan
Location: Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
Names: Fred, Oscar, Lucy, Tom
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): My ducks live in a barn with my brothers chickens.
Experiences: They like to wander around during the day, flapping their wings. It's hard to get them back into the hen house at night...which scares me because of the coyotes!
Care: They live in the hen house like I said. They swim in a pond we created for them. They like the laying mash we feed the hens.
What my duck would say: One duck likes to roost with the hens. Maybe she is saying she wants to be a hen!
Re: Live Ducks: It's great!
Location: Champaign, Illinois
Names: Braveheart, Mr. T, Lucky and Quackers
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We got our ducks as one day old hatchlings in a fit of temporary insanity.
Experiences: My only concern with my ducks is the winter. I got them a huge dogloo and rigged it with a heat source, but they won't go inside of it!! Help!! [ Try feeding them in it for awhile - make a trail of their favorite food leading into the dogloo ]
Care: My ducks live in a chicken wire pen in the backyard. We sometimes give them free run of the entire yard, which is very exciting when the ducks have to be captured and put back in their pen. They bathe in a baby pool, which will end when the winter begins in earnest, and they eat commercial food supplemented with veggie scraps.
What my duck would say: Hey!! That stupid dog is eating our food again!!
Location: Toronto, Canada
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): From my High school
What my duck would say: My duck is like my best friend, I come home and he wags his butt. He's the cutest animal in the world. If he could talk he would say "I Love You"
Location: Miami, FL USA
Names: Tony and Tina
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Both ducks (adults) showed up at our backyard and they've become our pets. They swim in the canal behind the house and come in in the afternoon, knocking on our backdoor with their beeks demanding their favorite food: Diet dry cat food. They are always together and follow us around in back of the house. They don't seem to fly much at all. Is that normal.
Experiences: When their diet consisted of mangoes mostly, the red part over their beek was pale. Now that they're having a fuller diet, their feathers are shinier and they appear much healthier. Tina is laying eggs, we think. They love our cats and vice versa,
Care: We have a large swimming pool but they never NEVER swim there. Only in the canal. They only drink out of the pool. Food? Diet dry cat food is their favorite.
Advice: Let them roam free and keep plenty of fresh water around for them
What my duck would say: Where have you been all my life? This is a great house! Glad I found you guys"
Name: Whitney Fry
Location: Minnesota USA
Breeds: Mallard; Whitney Mallard
Names: Phoenix, Caesar, Ghandi, The Baron, Tom, and Huck
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I bought them from a game farm in Pequot Lakes
Experiences: This is the second year I have raised this breed of duck, and I love them!! But I was having problems with the neighborhood animals, some stupid kid didn't tie up his collie, and he killed two of my ducks, so I decided to save the rest by taking them to Camp Confidence Animal Sanctuary. I can visit them any time, they have a heated pond, an get fed all the time, and I love them! I am so happy for places like camp confidence, because without those - my ducks would probably all be gone.
Care: I kept them in a pen that was half in my lake, and half on land. The pond they have now is covered in duckweed and they love it.
Resources: This site
Advice: Research research research!!! The worst thing you can do is get ducks and not know what you're doing with them. don't feed them bread, it's horrible for them.
What my duck would say: Thanks so much.
Re: Live Ducks: it's great as it is.
Number: just one
Breeds: no idea
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): One day while i was walking across a small bridge in a park behind me complex, i saw a tiny little duckling stuck in the reeds, i climbed down the cliff thing and scooped the cold little guy up, me and my friend looked everywhere for the ducks mum, but failed, we tried again the next day but failed again :( so i decided to keep him, he now follows me around the house and has gotten used to the fact of me having to go to school, he's sooo affectionate! sometimes a little annoying, in a cute way, like now he keeps nibbling my figers as i try nd type this story...
Experiences: Nope, he's been healthy as...something healthy :)
Care: right now he lives in a warm cardboard box, as he's still just a little baby, he swims in a little container of lukewarm water and eats baby duck crumbles, but when i eat he always manages to literally get IN my food and eat some.
Resources: liveducks is grrreat! the best one i know, pet shops, vets and stockfeed areas may also have good info and zooologists should know loooads!
Advice: treat it wwith love and train it how you want it to be as much as you can, they learn most as a baby
What my duck would say: Im hungy! gimme fooood! mooore food! omg, a dot! me wanna eat! me wanna eat!
Re: Live Ducks: too good to be true, thats for sure! and more photos of mascovies, my friend got one but isnt sure if females get the huge red thing on their heads :(
Location: Eastpointe, MI
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Someone droped him off in my yard as a chick
Experiences: Ed has brought us a lot of laughs, company, and has brought color to our yard. We have had him since he was very small. He is part of our family.
Care: Our Ed stays outside during the day and comes in at night and walks into his large cage on the breezeway. Ed swims in our pond in the back yard. Ed likes his duck pellets, cracked corn, peas and oatmeal and spinach greens.
Advice: Make sure you can spend a few hours a day with your little duck. They enjoy human company, and must be kept from danger such as cats, dogs or worse hawks.
What my duck would say: I wonder how I can get my parents to drive me south for the winter.
Re: Live Ducks: I love your site and have come back to it almost daily for advise.
Location: Phila, PA USA
Names: Mr. Ducky
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Around Easter my boyfriend bought Mr.Ducky as a gift for me at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia.
Experiences: I got Mr. Ducky as a baby. He is now five mo. and has beautiful feathers and a perfectly orange bill. There have not been any health problems. He is extremely lovable. I was wondering if anyone knew when mating season is. I am not really even sure if it's a boy. How can I be certain? Recently my duck has been doing something new. When I approach him he gets down like a cat stalking their prey and allows me to pet and kiss him he then raises his butt as if he wants me to pet him there. What does this mean has anyone experienced this?
Care: Mr. Ducky lives in my yard but when I am not home he stays in a metal Dog cage. He enjoys swimming in his step 2 kiddie pool. I also took him to the Jersey shore all summer and he played in the ocean the whole time on the beach. He eats ground chicken feed.
Advice: Give your duck attention and love like you would to any other animal. Ducks are not stupid.
What my duck would say: I am a lucky ducky. I love my mommy and Daddy.
Re: Live Ducks: This is the first website that I found that did not mention how to cook a pekin duck. There was a lot of helpful information that I found. But I need to know so much more.
Name: Brittany LeBlanc
Number: Two so far!
Breeds: Both Rouen.
Names: My male is "Buddy" and my female is "M.J.".
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Well, Buddy was given to me by a friend; for a friend for my old duck Miracle (Her story will be placed on "In Memory" soon). Once Miracle disappeared, Buddy was rather lonely and so for my birthday my Mum bought me, M.J. for Buddy and I! =)
Experiences: I have hatched and raised a mallard once (Miracle), and that was a life changing experience. I suffered horribly with her disappearance. Buddy loves to chatter and cuddle, ALOT! He's so great! M.J., I've only had her for a few weeks (Since sept.14th) and she's very skittish. The people who owned her before me treated her unkindly. When I recieved her, M.J. had a bad case of "Bumble-Foot" from being housed on bare wire from a duckling on. Also, her feathers were awful! She was very slim too. Already M.J. has gained some weight, began to molt those old feathers (so some fresh ones can grow in without being disturbed) and she's going to a vet soon for her blistered feet to be looked at. Owning ducks an experience on it's own and is the best thing that's ever happened and will happen to me!
Care: My ducks are free-range ducks. Our yard is about an acre where they have a clean, kiddie pool to swim in (with ramps) and a cute little shelter with loads of fresh hay. I change their drinking water each and everyday (a few times) to prevent disease, etc. and change their food dish each day (I feed non-medicated duck mash, supplemented with lettuce, carrots, fish pellets, and hard-boiled eggs chopped up). Right now I am building a large pen with a shelter for the stronger weather approaching. If we have tornado warnings I'll either bring them into our garage with their second pen or our bathroom. I believe my ducks love being where we are since it's so beautiful; our backyard looks out into a wheat field, followed by corn stalks and pretty trees). =)
Resources: Live Ducks is THE best! I love it! This website is easily accessed, non-nonsensed and fully equipped with your duck's every need! I've printed off quite a fe duckling caresheets for duck vendors. Plus, I am making a website right now... www.geocities.com/backyardducks ^Check it out! (Still under-construction, so give it some time!) [ Nice work, Brittany! ]
Advice: If you're new at keeping a pet duck/s, you must know that molds are very dangerous! Keep everything clean as possible and if you are getting babies, PLEASE provide an adequate heat source. Oh yeah! Love them because ducks are the best pet ever and they love you back!
What my duck would say: Buddy would say: "Love me!" and M.J. would say: "Leave me alone, Lady!"
Re: Live Ducks: I love the way your website is set-up and the information you provide it's viewers. The duck cam is awesome and I'm so happy that so many people take part in it's progress. Keep up the great work! ;)
Breeds: khaki campbell cross
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): My duck cuddles lives in my backyard as a pet and he helps fertilise the garden and also eats alot of bugs and insects, which in turn keeps pests down.
Experiences: My duck had to be taken to the vet because he had climbed up on the wire in his cage and he had torn the surrounding skin of the middle toe which in turn infected his claw, which was very painful for him when he waiked. So when I took him to the vets they took a poo sample and put the swab under the microscope and the result was not good, there was bad bacteria in the poo, wich was giving my duck the constant runs. So we were given all this medicine to give for him it cost a fortune! So dont leave your ducks problem to late because it will just cost more and put your ducks life on the line.
Care: my duck lives in my backyard and it goes in a cage at night for safety, my duck swims in my pool, we use alot of chlorine after use, foods: apple skins potato skins, insects, slugs, snails, boiled chicken egg, rice, green beans, corn, yellow dandilion flowers, strawberries, tomato skin/vegetable scraps, some fruity things, duck pellets!
Advice: Ducks should have a varied diet consisting of lots of vegetables and some fruits plus some grains. never keep ducks in a very small cage all day or in a very small backyard because ducks like to forage and run around!
What my duck would say: i love you mummy!
Re: Live Ducks: even if your duck is not a swimmer type of duck you should still put some water out for it to have a splash in, some fun!
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Breeds: Peking & Not sure of other, Brown Domestic
Names: Sponge Bob & Stevo
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I found my babies at a local flea market and I fell in love with them immediatly.
Experiences: They are very healthy. Thank Goodness!!!
Care: My babies live in my back yard and have a nice shelter to protect them. I am in the process of introducing them to "house living" with me. I wanted to be sure that they are protected from the winter weather.
Resources: www.Liveducks.com is a wonderful source of information.
Advice: Before you become a duck owner make sure you are commited to their happiness & wellbeing and have plenty of love to give and alot of time to invest in a feathered friend.
What my duck would say: I love my mommy & cantolope.
Re: Live Ducks: Thank you so much for being here to provide information to me so that I can better care for my ducks.
Name: di mcilrath
Location: PA USA
Names: Ralphie, Rosiey, Lucy, Cookie, Francis, Angelo, Chevy, PeeWee & Nosiey.
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Ralphie one of my original (3) was from a Farm Store, Rosiey & Lucy I got from a petting zoo guy and the other 6 we hatched ourselves :0)
Experiences: Oh man I don't have enough room to explain all my experiences! :0) you would never believe half of them. Alot has changed since my last entry in September, 2002 I lost Ralphie's girlfriend "Chong" in November and was lucky enough to find Rosiey & Lucy. Cookie and Francis came in February 2003, and Angelo, Chevy & PeeWee came in June 2003. After my experience with Cheech and her broken leg I try to be very alert to things that these guys could trip over! Their legs are fragile. Rosiey and Lucy had bad wing feathers when I got them (lack of water I think) but through some TLC Lucys' are as white as snow, Rosieys' are way way better, I ended up having to seperate Rosiey from Lucy & Ralphie coz they were picking at her wings and they ended up bleeding. I seperated them with a baby gate, after about a month I let them gradually spend time together and now everyone is happy......Only Ralphie still doesn't like Nosiey! but he tolerates all the others even the three new babies! It is funny to watch him chase Francis coz he goes after Lucy & Rosiey. See I could go on and on! but I wont :0) Oh yeah Cookies thing is hoping up our porch steps and roaming on the porch, I think she is just as nebbie as Nosiey! Nosiey living in the house just LOVES to root through the closet and get my shoes out! NO KIDDING! I am always finding a shoe somewhere! He just loves my Bass Sandals he scoots around on the floor I think it is coz they slide easily!
Care: "Summer Home" We made a house out of the biggest Rubbermaid Shed available and davey put screened windows in it, they go in here at night, but are able to go in and out while roaming around (only when I am home!) While I am away from home they have to go to "OZ" a 10'X12' Kennel lined completely with chicken wire. They have a small pool in there along with food, drinking water and of course their specialty dishes of vegitables. Their pool near their summer home is a Step 2 childs pool they just love clean water in it :0) "Winter Home" is our front porch enclosed and the front door left open for heat to "sneak" out for them !
Resources: Live Ducks is my dictionary to caring for all my baby ducks!
Advice: Remember it is a pet and it needs TLC just like a person. When your too tired to feed or give them fresh water and attention think of how you would feel if your Mom or Dad just said I am too tired! to deal with you! Ducks aren't as dumb as people claim my sis claims they have no brain but I can say mine do! and they all have their own personality! I don't regret one minute of ever getting them as my pet! You wont either!
What my duck would say: I would hope they would tell me "they all love me" and that Me and davey take the bestest care of them! and they love their "duck life" as it is with us!
Re: Live Ducks: You've thought of it all Lori & Greg! Excellent web-site!
Location: NEW JERSEY, CENTRAL
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): MY DAUGHTERS AND I WERE OUTSIDE PAINTING, WHEN I SAW MY NEIGHBOR LOOKING UNDERNEATH OUR CAR. I ASKED HIM IF HE LOST SOMETHING, HE SAID YES! SO, MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED TO HELP, WELL I THOUGHT IT WAS A BALL?? HE SAID, NO "A DUCK!" I SAID A DUCK??!! YOU BOUGHT A DUCK?? FOR A PET??? HE SAID NO... I SAID YOU ARE NOT GOING TO E-A-T IT??? HE SAID YES.... MY HUSBAND REPLIED DON'T TELL THE GIRLS THAT, THEY ARE VEGATARIANS!!! WELL, THE DUCK RAN AWAY FROM OUR NEIGHBOR, RIGHT INTO OUR BACK YARD!! THE NEIGHBOR CAUGHT HER AND MY SWEET LITTLE DAUGHTERS WERE PETTING HER AND COOING OVER HER SO HE SAID HERE, THIS DUCK IS YOURS!!! YOU KEEP THIS DUCK!! SO WE SAID THANK YOU!!!! MY GIRLS WERE SO HAPPY!!! WE FILLED THEIR LITTLE POOL UP AND DECIDED TO GET MISS CHARLENE SOME FOOD AND WHEN WE CAME BACK TO FEED HER SHE WAS GONE!!! WE LOOKED EVERYWHERE!! THE NEXT MORNING WE LET OUR DOGGIE OUT TO POTTY AND MY OLDER DAUGHTER FOLLOWED HER TO THE SHED MY HUSBAND JUST BUILT, CHELSEA "THE DOG" STARTED DIGGING AND THERE WAS CHARLENE SO WE MADE A LITTLE HOME AND PUT HER ON OUR PORCH, RIGHT NOW SHE IS RESTING THERE AND TOMORROW MY GIRLS AND I ARE GOING TO GET HER WHATEVER SHE NEEDS TO KEEP HER HAPPY AND HEALTHY!! MY HUSBAND TOLD OUR POOCH SHE HELPED SAVE THE DUCK TOO!!! SO PLEASE WISH US LUCK AND SAY A PRAYER FOR OUR NEW BEAUTIFUL FAMILY MEMBER "CHARLENE"!!!
Resources: THANKS SO MUCH FOR SUCH AN INFORMATIVE WEB SITE!!!!
What my duck would say: THANK HEAVEN I WAS SAVED BY VEGATARIANS!!!
Re: Live Ducks: THANK YOU, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING IN A FEW WEEKS!!
Name: Amy & Kevin Shepherd
Location: Marathon, Ohio, USA
Names: Tufts, Buster, & Keaton
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Tractor store, last spring.
Experiences: This is my fifth update to this site. We have had these ducks about 6 months now. They continue to keep up laughing. What I wanted to share this time in particular is that if you have predators in your area and want to lock them in at night, I found a great house for them which is easy to clean. It's a collapsible doghouse made by Nylabone. I bought it at Meijer's. It's big enough for the three of them to stand up in and walk around, but it's just for sleeping. My husband attached a piece of plexiglas with a hinge for a door over the opening. All day, they have a 50' by 30' fenced area with a small pool in it. We herd them into the doghouse at night and lock them in. We have coyotes around so this is necessary. Then in the morning we let them out and they come out talking like crazy. They all are males so you know what this sounds like. :-) Anyone who has Pekins knows what a poop-a-thon they have, but the good news is that this house can be rinsed out so easily with a hose and presto, we're done! During the day, I put their food bowl in there and it keeps it out of the sun. So this is a big success and I can move the little house around a bit each day so it doesn't get soggy in the same place in the yard from being rinsed out. A big success.
The other story is that they got really aggressive around 5 months. At that time, they were in with some chickens and a goat, but in a huge fenced area. I think they got hormonal/territorial but would bite my ankles every time I tried to walk. I was ready to have them for dinner, but my husband suggested giving them their own fenced area. This has worked wonders and they are much calmer. I think they need girlfriends but I'm not ready for more ducks right now!!
Care: They live in a 30' x 50' fenced area with a pool and their doghouse. They eat adult poultry pellets, to which I add cracked corn for a treat and also some probiotic powder (for healthy bacteria). I change their pool water every day and rinse out their plastic doghouse. About once a week we get both them and our chickens worms from the bait shop. They love this dearly.
Resources: This website has been a big help.
Advice: Know that that yes, they are adorable and will make you laugh, but they poop nonstop and everyone will be happier if they have a big area outside where they can make their messes, play in the mud, sling their food and water all over, and generally be ducks. I do not think they are the best pets for small children because they go through aggressive periods and can bite/pinch very hard. I am still glad to see them every morning, especially now that I have such an easy-rinse doghouse for them to sleep in.
What my duck would say: Good morning, good morning, we're so glad to get outside, did you change the pool water yet??
Breeds: 1 rowen and 2 cayuga's
Names: speckles,starburst,and skittles
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I bought my ducks at a tack and feed shop near me. They only cost $3.50 each.
Experiences: One of my ducks in the past had wings that stuck out. We didn't know how to help her so we just let them be. We later learned to put the wings in the right position and hold them in place with masking tape. After 2-3 weeks you can take the tape off the and the wings would have grown into the right position.
Care: My ducks live in my backyard. They have a big pond to swin in when they want. every month or so I buy a new bag of turkey feed. Beside the feed they eat fish and seaweed already in the pond.
Resources: The best resource I found was this website Live Ducks
Advice: If you are getting ducks make sure to have a large area for them to roam around in and a place for them to swim. The area should have a shady area as well as a sunny area. Always give them fresh water and food daily.
What my duck would say: I'm hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry...
Re: Live Ducks: Your website is great! It would be better if I could see a large area on the duck cam.
Location: Twin Cities, MN USA
Names: Wanda and Lucy (could be Walter and Larry though)
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I put a wanted ad on the Poultry Connection and was contacted by a very nice lady who lives fairly close to me. She had incubated 4 eggs and asked if I would like one or two.
Experiences: Before getting my Pekins, I raised 2 Mallards as part of a "Raise and Release" program. I really enjoyed them. They were very fun to watch and take care of. They flew away the end of July. I missed those ducks so much that I convinced my parents to let me get domestic ducks to keep for good. The Mallards were very healthy and I had very few problems with them. The only thing I had trouble with was keeping up with their messes! The Pekins are very sweet. I keep their box clean and I find that they are easier to care for than the Mallards.
Care: I fed the Mallards duck food, worms, foliage, and an occasional minnow. The Pekins are only a week old so they are still on ground up duck food.
Resources: Live Ducks.com; ThePoultryConnection.com
Advice: Ducks are fascinating creatures but require lots of love and care!
What my duck would say: The Mallards would say, "Thanks for letting us go!" The Pekins would say. "This place is big!!"
Re: Live Ducks: LiveDucks is great!
Location: Mississauga, Ontario Canada
Number: 2...would've been 3
Breeds: 2 Pekin, and the other one was a Mallard
Names: Pekins: Hasha and Hashi || mallard: Shuvo Bontho
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): My parents had gone for a morning walk and when they came back, something ran across their chirping frantically. It hid behind something on our porch and my dad went to go see what it was. It turned out to be a small mallard duckling and we think it was trying to hide from a neighbour's cat. My dad brought it inside and we decided to keep it. It died a month or two later because we didn't know the proper way to take care of it. But I still wanted a duck...so after annoying my parents they finally got me two pekins just three days ago.
Experiences: Shuvo Bontho (which means "good luck's friend" in our language...sometimes call it Bontho for short) died because we didn't provide the right type of food so it could get the vitamins it needed. And we put it outside too early. It didn't develop feathers (which was pecular since it was about two months old, but I think that was because the lack of nutrients :S).
Hasha is the boy pekin and Hashi is the girl pekin. Their names joined together means laughter. (hashahashi = laughter [in my language]) We got them on July 31st (their birthdate). It's SO difficult to find hatcheries (nearby) in canada. And the one I found charged too much I think. Plus they only sold pekins, which was another disappointment because I really wanted mallards. But I love them anyway. THEY FOLLOW ME AROUND! That's SO amazing! I love it! They go after my mother too sometimes. But I don't get why because I'm the one that takes care of everything and she doesn't even show them any love. But they prefer me to my brother and father. :P
So far, there hasn't been any difficulties. Except with Hasha. He was a little...his legs were a little awkward. He could hardly keep his balance. I don't know if that is common, but it had me worried. But now he's perfectly fine. I think it's just the way the woman who brought them too us handled them. UGH!!! It made me so mad...she held them by their necks, squeezed them too hard...and SLAMMED THEM DOWN on the floor!!!!! That pissed me off...
After that I made sure to treat them gently and with love. At least I saved 2 pekins from that torture demon. I don't know how they can allow her to work on their farm.
Care: FOOD: We bought duck feed from the same farm where we had bought them. But then I read on this site to be careful about their feed...so I'm going to call them up and ask them if their duck feed is nonmedicated. My mother's planning on giving them only this for the first week or two. Then we'll add vegies and fruits to their diet.
HOME: They sleep in a SMALL box for now. They eat in this plastic tub-like thing (so we could keep their feeding area clean easily). They swim in the bath tub. And I let them loose sometimes to follow me around the parts of the house that don't have carpets (so I could clean their droppings easily)
Advice: oh lord...they're exhausting! if I don't feed them...then i let them loose and give them some exercise...but i have to keep an eye on them so they don't mess up the house with their droppings. i have to be there while they're swimming because apparently ducklings get tired easily and can drown. and then because i'm afraid of them catchin a cold, i towel dry them (just a little because they don't like me doing that).........BASICALLY they're hard work. RESEARCH on them! FIND THE BEST FOODS. keep them OUT of the cold until they get their feathers and try to make their living space comfortable and warm. and love them with all you've got because when they start following you around, you're going to LOVE IT!
What my duck would say: well...hasha always pecks at Hashi so hashi would say, "get...ofF...OF ME! u scoundrel". and hasha...he isn't very clever...he seems like the evil, cynical, jock type. he'd probably go, "grrr" or..."duh"
Re:Live Ducks: well, i haven't yet checked out the whole site but this site offers a LOT more than most other sites. it's a GREAT site.
Number: 2 at present
Breeds: Philippine ducks (itik); close to the mallard
Names: Quacky and Puti (and dear Ducky who passed away)
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): My first duck, Ducky, I bought off a sidewalk vendor the Friday before Easter. My second one, Quacky, I bought from the public market.
Experiences: My ducks are extremely intelligent. My first one, Ducky, was just like a little person. He could instantly recognize his name. Any time anyone called him he would come flying. Even if you were just talking about him and he overheard "Ducky" he would come running and quacking. He would often come into the house and put his head on the sofa beside me, watching me as I work, read or watch TV. Or he would just lie down beside my feet, just like a dog. I loved him dearly but since I couldn't bear to put him in a cage he just wandered around our yard. One day he got out and was ran over by a car.
My new duck, Quacky is also very smart. He also recognizes his name and loves to come up to people to have his chin scratched. Or he would snuggle up to me, tuck his beak inside the crook of my elbow and go to sleep. He is also quite a techie. He loves pecking at cell phones and remote controls. Quacky (and Ducky too when he was alive) could often be found sitting in front of the electric fan and watching TV! No kidding.
My problem with my two ducks is they go wild when it's mating season! They would RAPE feet and slippers! So I have had to buy them female ducks, who cause a problem in our quiet neighborhood because of their loud honking!
Care: My ducks just wander around our yard. I tried installing a small pool for them but they don't like anything that looks artificial. They prefer natural rain pools and stuff. Both of them eat virtually anything. Some people laugh when they ask me what I feed my ducks and I answer "Roast beef and chicken." I also feed them duck pellets which I mix with booster feeds for chickens. They love rooting around in the tall grass and would follow my mother around when she's gardening, on the lookout for worms. Ducky loved junk food like potato chips and stuff but Quacky is quite the health buff, preferring fruits and vegetables.
Resources: I haven't really looked around but I've visited the Pet Duck Association site; that one is quite helpful, as is this site.
Advice: Ducks are weird, funny, smart and adorable creatures. All they need is a little love and attention and they can be as devoted as old dogs. Just always talk to them and pet them and hug them; don't let them just run around by themselves all the time. Every now and then talk to them, call out to them. Soon they will grow up as smart as my ducks!
What my duck would say: I love ducks so much I think I've become adept at duck speak. If my ducks could talk, I'm pretty sure they would say: "How come we look so different, Mommy?" Hehehe...
Re: Live Ducks: This is a great site. Few people know the joys of having ducks as pets and it's great to find that rare breed, the duck lover, gathered together here. I wish though that there was a site dedicated to duck training. I firmly believe, based on my own experience, that ducks CAN be trained, just like dogs. I wish more people can explore this fascinating possibility.
Location: Wailua, Kauai, Hawaii
Breeds: cross between pekin and moscovy
Names: Duke & Emma
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): A friend told me about her ducks and how much fun they are, we wanted a few pets after finally getting settled in our new home, so we decided to get a pair, plus my husband had ducks when he was growing up. So we asked around and my sister's friend had ducklings. We decided to get two, hopefully a male and a female. They were two weeks old when we got them, we figure they are 7 weeks now, boy are they big.
Experiences: We enjoy them alot, they make us laugh. We got a kitten the same day, so they are buddies. The kitten likes the duck food more than her own. She sticks her face in their bowl and eats with them. Duke, who is quite large is having problems with one of his legs and we think he may have injured it getting in and out of the kiddie pool. We put several ramps around the pool to help them get in, but he is very stubborn and choses to struggle getting in, which he does after several attempts. He is limping pretty bad. They do tear up my landscaping alot more than I expected, eating most of the flowers off my plants. Also I don't know what kind of ducks they are, I was told that most of the ducks on Kauai are cross breeds. When we first got them, they were yellow with pinkish beaks and feet, with a few black spots on their heads. Now most of the black has spread to whole crown and around their eyes and the male has a small black spot on his back. I also don't know how often to feed them and can you over feed? They will follow a shovel anywhere, hoping that it will bring them worms. They also love it when I water my gardens, they will follow the hose anywhere.
Care: They have a home made cage and we let them out in the morning to wander our yard for the day. They love lettuce, peas, eggs, rice, oats, chicken scratch and the feed store's duck food. Their favorite thing is diving for peas in the pool. Emma loves to peck at the kitten's head which she seems to like because she closes her eyes and leans into Emma's kneading beak, very cute.
Resources: I only know about resources that you have suggested or people writing in, which is much appreciated.
Advice: Owning and caring for ducks is not like having a dog or cat. Ducks at first are challenging, but once you get the hang of it and becomes part of your daily life, it is well worth the effort. Read, Read, Read and familiarize yourself with these creatures and make sure you are willing to commit yourself to the care of a duck, they are very dependant on us to keep them safe and happy.
What my duck would say: "Stay and watch us play in the water pleezzzz and watch out we WILL splash you. Bust out the hose and let us play in the sprinkler. Where's the shovel? We want worms!"
Re: Live Ducks: Keep up the good work, I enjoy this site alot and tune in once a week for hopefully new info.
Names: Ducky and Quackywacky
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I got my ducks at tractor supply. they are four months old. My ducks have the exact birthday as me.I have one boy and one girl.I got my ducks when they were only two days old. Ireally like owning ducks.
Experiences: My boy duck has a broken leg we took it to the vet but he said it would heal on its own.My girl duck got attacked by the neighbors dog before.
Care: My ducks have pool in their pin.They have a tree in there pin.They also have a little house in their pin.They also have plenty of room to run.
Resources: liveducks and google.
Advice: Sometimes you can't tell if you have a boy or a girl until they are four months old.
What my duck would say: They would probably say come play with us.
Re: Live Ducks: I like this website it tells you anything you need to know.
Name: ELAL 1862
Location: 51°56'34"N 4°32'16"E
Breeds: Stuffed toy
Names: Kenneth, Saskia & Carla
Experiences: The only humane choice for a 7th floor appartment. Plus... they don't mess on your couch ;-)
Care: Wash with warm water and a mild detergent when dirty.
What my duck would say: Woa, I'm stuffed!
Breeds: Pekin, Runner, Rouen, Crosses
Names: Duck, Goose, Barnum, Bailey, Seven, Ocho
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I found my first pair of males, Duck & Goose (pekins) at the bulleten board at our local Co-Op. Didnt know anything about ducks, but I called. This past summer 2 three week old runner ducklings (barnum & bailey) were dropped off at the veterinary clinic where my mother works, as well as Ocho (pekin/rouen?) around 4 weeks later, and Seven (rouen) was given to me by my aunt.
Experiences: I lost a duckling to raccoons in our barn. I always figured with the horses, and fully grown ducks in there, the coons wouldnt be brave enough to get in. Boy was I wrong. I had always been more concerned about keeping ducks in then preditors out. I built a new enclosure with hinge-top on it out of chickenwire, and it works great! Also keep a couple live traps set and baited around your pen, and barn if you even suspect you have a racoon problem. The first week I cought 9 raccoons, and I didnt know we even had any around!!
Care: The little ones stay in a 30x30 outdoor pen during the day with kiddie pool and lean-to shelter. Duck & Goose have another pool, and run of the entire farm. At night they "march" in the barn, and into their pen. I feed "complete duck and goose formula" available at our local co-op.
Resources: A great book for any hobby farm, "Barnyard in your Backyard" Excellent information on chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, cattle, and rabbits.
Advice: You would never expect them to be so much fun, or so loving. Dont wear sandles or go barefoot...Pekins love to nibble at your toes. My 2 full grown males "play fight/mate" each other all day long, and its quite comical watching them chase, and wrestle around. There is never a dull moment!!!
What my duck would say: Im gonna getchyou!!! or at least harrass you till you pet me for a couple hours!
Re: Live Ducks: Keep the good work up...i love this site!!!
Location: New Mexico
Breeds: pekin, rouen, mutt?
Names: Lily, Marsmallow, Quackers, Neo
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): A baitshop/poultry shop
Experiences: Quackers plays dead, they have all lost a nail on their back toe. Marshmallow has turned in feet. don't know why, but he gets around perfectly fine.
Care: They live in a pen with a rabbit Oscar (lily pecks him lots) They swim in a kiddie pool and dive all around and fluff themselves up. They eat chicken scratch. Marshmallow loves cucumber and watermelon very very much. Quackers likes tomatos and bugs (especially squash bugs). Lily and Neo like everything. Neo likes bugs alot.
Resources: Don't know any others.
Advice: They are very messy, and use hay to help bed them and keep their cage clean. They need lots of shade and water. And they like to swim. If you get some ducks the same age then a little later another one the other ducks might peck it and be mean to it but all you have to do is if they all live in the same cage get a smaller cage put the little cage in the big one and wait a couple days.
What my duck would say: Marshmallow: Where's the cucumber?! and FEED ME!!!!
Re: Live Ducks: Don't change anything.
Name: Ariel Bredlau
Breeds: Pekin, Swedish, Pekin-Mallard mix
Names: Pong, Bea, Pete, Becky, Perry
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I got my first 2, that i didn't mention cause they're dead, at a county fair. I got the Pekin for my mixed duck when her mate died. She layed the egg of my other mixed duck that i hatched because her mother died. I bought 2 Swedish from a hatchery, the female layed some eggs,so i hatched those and got another Swedish. I also bougt some Muscoveys one time to rescue them from an auction, then gave them to a friend with a big farm, so they could live.
Experiences: Ducks are now my new favorite animal! My first 2 ducks, when they were babies, got impacted crop from eating they're bedding. they had to have their stomaches pumped to save them. I think the biggest challenge with having a small flock with 2 males and 3 females is the over mating problem. the boys gang up on the girls, so the girls start to lose their feathers from the males claws. so when fair time comes we seperate the males and females so everyone looks good. right now my mix duck has a nest that probably isn't fertile since they are seperated now. it's the first duck we've had that wanted to do it herself, so she's driving us crazy!
Care: My ducks live in a fenced in grape-barber, with a small dog run like space and a minibarn attached, all in our back yard. they swim in baby pools, we have like 6 or so. when they come in to visit, they swim in the tub and sleep there too, just for the night. they eat poultry feed that we buy from a farm store. they love lettuce, they are all picky. they only eat their poultry food, lettuce and worms.
Resources: Stories guide to raising ducks.
Advice: if you live in a neighborhood, get a male, they dont quack loud. Muscoveys dont quack at all. its also nice to have at least 2, if you wont be with it all day.
What my duck would say: im not sure if i wanna know what my Pekin would say, he's a little mean. My little mix with the nest would say, "go away!"
Re: Live Ducks: i love this site!
Breeds: muscovy, duclair
Names: Mister-Duck, Bertrand/Mac
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): A local pet shop.
Experiences: "Mister-Duck" is actually a female! I didn't realise this until the breeding season...Bertrand really enjoys chasing after and nibbling on our kelpie X dog, who doesn't seem to mind anymore.
Care: Live-in a large 'dog-shed' and pen, the backyard. Swim-in a large plastic dish. Eat-'scratch mix', lettuce,mad about cat and dog food.
Advice: Don't place deep bowls of water within reach of ducklings, keep ducks in a secure pen, especially ducklings. What my duck would say: Let me out of the cage! Where's my food?! Is that lettuce you're holding?
Re: Live Ducks: It's nice to see that so many other people are as dotty about ducks as I am! Keep up the good work.
Name: Thomas Fixico
Names: Fiesty, Splasher
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I've been wanting a couple of ducks for some time. I looked around on the internet on how to raise them. So, Two days ago I went to the swapmeet and got 2 ducklings.
Experiences: When I first got them, they were pretty scared. I put them out on the back porch and followed them. Pretty much acted as I was part of the flock. I bonded with them for several hours like this, then got up and walked away for a second, and they followed me!! They're now a lot less nervous when I pick them up and handle them.
Care: My ducks live in a bucket about 3 feet in diamater. It's lined with towels on the bottom and changed daily. They have food and water in there all the time. I change their water two times a day. They eat duck food and love grasshoppers.
Resources: liveducks.com has everything you need to know about raising a duck.
Advice: follow instructions given by this site and bond with your ducks.
Name: France Leblanc
Location: Montreal (Canada)
Names: DD (Donald Duck)
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We found the duck in a public park. He has a broken wing. We don't know how he got there.
Experiences: A vet got us in touch with a wildlife rescue organization who had the duck examined by the vet. He is in wonderful health except for his broken wing which should mend by itself. It might mend crooked but will mend just the same. We are is designated foster family till July 21 or so. Till the rescue organization finds him a permanent home. I would very much love to keep him - he is such a handsome guy - but we are not allowed to keep a duck in a big city.
Care: I bought him a kiddy pool and he loves to swim in it. The first 2 days that we found him - we didn't know what to feed him so we were feeding him beaten eggs with bread ... He now eats duck food with crushed corn.
Advice: They do do a lot !!
What my duck would say: I love you - and thank you for rescuing me
Re: Live Ducks: Thank you for your website -
Name: Arlene Holzmiller
Location: Cranford, NJ
Breeds: 2 Swedish Blue & 1 Pekin
Names: Eddie, Opal & Sangria
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Well our duck filled lives began 3 years ago @ the Portuguese Feast in Newark. We purchased our first "baby" her name was O.P. She lived with us for @ 1 year & was killed by a hawk in our backyard. A few months later my sister purchased 15 swedish blue hens & gave us one, this one we named Opal. When june came around we found ourselves, once again, @ the Feast & purchased our Eddie, who turned out to be a swedish blue also...but low & behold this one was a drake! They got along WONDERFUL..they truely love each other. Well that was 2002...Well June 2003 rolled around and...yup you guessed it...once again the Feast & one more duckling...Sangria!!
Experiences: The only problem we had is with Eddie, when he was very young we noticed a lump in his rear..I took him to a exotic pet vet & was told he has a hernia & that he may not make it...well happy to say that was over a year ago & Eddie is doing fantastic!!!
Care: Eddie & Opal live in our backyard with their own swimming pool & their protectors Baron (German Shepherd) & Ranger (Lab) Sangria is in our guest room till she gets alittle older.
Resources: liveducks.com..We Love your site!!!!
Advice: They are very good pets...just remember..messy..messy..messy :O)
Location: Christiansburg, Virginia
Names: Poppers & Diver
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Feed store a few months ago
Experiences: Well, this is my second post. I am pleased to say that my ducks made it through puberty and are now living outside with the chickens. They have been breeding for at least a month now and Diver is laying eggs. She lays them inside a small pet carrier I have on the floor. My chickens have a 3 level nesting area! The egg laying started about 3 weeks ago. The eggs are no larger than chicken eggs. Aren't they supposed to be bigger? If one of my chicken hens wants to brood a clutch of Divers eggs, should I be concerned about deformities? I don't know if Poppers & Diver are brother & sister...
Care: They quite happily live in a large enclosed chicken yard with housing. They 'roost' on the floor each night. Didn't take more than 3 days to teach them to go in at night. We did however have to block off the area below the chickens' roosts-you can imagine why! They also have a kiddie pool that has to be changed practically every day! They absolutely LOVE the earthworms that accumulate under the pool! So when I tip the pool over to clean it, they come running!
Advice: Read all you can at the library or other book source and especially the internet has some great sites like this one! They are not hard to raise but do require some time to devote to talking and petting them as well as cleaning up after them. The more time you spend with them, the tamer they will be.
What my duck would say: Poppers: Bring it on! Diver: Any more worms under there???
Re: Live Ducks: Terrific website. Really appreciate being able to share my stories.
Name: Tim and Becky Fickling
Location: Stephenville Texas
Breeds: not sure
Names: Daffy (nickname: doo-doo)
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I bought Daffy at a local swapmeet
Experiences: Daffy is a wonderful pet! We bought him and then bought another little duckling the day after. The were about a week old. We had a bad storm, and although they were in a shelter, the other little duckling died. My husband was crushed and told me to bring Daffy in and put him in the laundry basket with towels. Eventually, I realized that my husband was not going to let me make him an "outside duck" so I ordered him a "duck diaper" which is a harness that holds a diaper. He is a full blown inside duck and has decided that years of instinct means satellite televisiona and air conditioning. He is a little over two months old now. He gets regular baths in luke warm water in the tub and has full run of the house. Fortunately, I don't work so I am home with him most of the time. My husband can't wait to get home and see him in the evenings (I think I've been replaced!) When I do have to go somewhere, he goes to his "bed" which is a laundry basket turned on it's side with a baby comforter and towels in it with a towel over one side, they like to be able to go into something that is dark. He stays there until he hears me come home. He loves to ride on the center console of the truck and look out. Owning a duck, especially an inside duck, is alot of work. You have to be prepared to change a diaper every couple of hours and change out the water dish five or six times a day. Be sure you're ready for the committment before you get one. They are wonderful and fun but need a ton of attention.
Care: Daffy eats a store bought food made for ducks and lives inside with us! He swims in the tub at night!
Resources: Email firstname.lastname@example.org and ask for info on her book...she also sells the harnesses for the diapers.
Advice: It's like having a baby, it's full time so don't do it if you are going to lose interest when the novelty wears off. It's a committment and a long one...possibly twenty years!
What my duck would say: Hand me the remote, please.
Re: Live Ducks: very informative
Name: Shannon Doupe
Breeds: a pekin and a mutt
Names: Howard and gimpy
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Our science class, raised ducks and i adopted two of them. One of them i got and has a awful gimp.
Experiences: Gimpy's leg keeps getting worse because he puts all his weight on one leg, and its slanting downward. My teacher said they took him to a vet and the vet said the couldn't do anything.
What my duck would say: howard- A worm!!! gimpy- howard wait up for me.
Name: Amy & Kevin Shepherd
Location: Williamsburg, Ohio, USA
Number: 3 - all four months old
Names: Buster, Keaton, & Tufts
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): tractor store - now live in PVC pen we built and also roam freely when we are home.
Experiences: Our ducks still bring us much joy - this is my 4th update to this site. Today, though, we have heavy hearts because last night we lost our beloved Dulcinea when one of our dogs got out of her pen and bit her badly. This was the little duck who had a neurological problem when she was a duckling and used to do backflips. My husband stayed all night with her in the barn one time to keep her upright. The other ducks used to peck her mercilessly but we protected her little wings with stocking material until they healed. My son would check on her after he got home from school and help clean her wings. She healed up beautifully, stopped flipping and became a gorgeous, fully-feathered, gentle and sweet duck. The other three are very boisterous and must be in adolescence, because they nip at our toes and drive us crazy - but she never did that, keeping herself apart from the others when they would get feisty. So it is very heartbreaking that she would be the one to be killed. She had two bad puncture wounds and was breathing heavily. I washed them and held her in my lap. Her eyes kept trying to close and I feared the worst. Suddenly, she got a burst of strength and fought to get out of my arms. I set her down and she walked over to the baby pool for a drink of water. She became weak and I picked her back up. She slowly stopped breathing, with her beak on my arm. I thought I would die and my husband and I have cried and cried.
I think that given her initial health problems she would never have made it in the wild. Thanks largely to my husband's dedication to her, she led a very happy life for her four short months on earth. How she loved eating worms from the bait shop, and she loved to stand in the rain. Her beak was smaller than the others' and she always looked like she had a wise little smile on her face. We will miss her terribly. We love the other three but she was something special.
It is a privilege to have known such a dear little animal. I told my husband this morning that I picture lots of worms in duck heaven. He added, "and it's always raining."
Advice: "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all"
Location: washington, USA
Breeds: hybrid and khaki Campbell
Names: em+em and kiwi
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Both my ducks come from a local feed store
Experiences: Em+Em loves to follow me around, and he enjoys splashing in his kiddie pool
Care: my ducks swim in a turtle pool and they live in a wooden box in my mini horses stall (at night) and outside in the day time
Advice: If you get a duck, don't do it on an impulse. research duck care and talk to experienced duck owners
What my duck would say: Em would say: dogs are fun, and Pomeranians are fun to chase (as long as Melissa is there) and Kiwi would say Melissa is the best! please don't buy ducks for young children!
Re: Live Ducks: I love Live Ducks... It is a great web site
Name: Kirsten Hallingstad
Location: Portland, OR, USA
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I go to a local park almost every day to feed the ducks. I saw this one that was very unhealthy looking. She had a very swollen, bruised leg and couldn't walk. She also had a bare neck and back covered with scabs. I saw the drakes attacking her and almost drowning her. I tried to ignore her, but by the third day she was so pathetic looking, just laying there in the grass, not even trying to get away from people. She was filthy and had these huge bald patches. There are people that let their big dogs run loose in the park, and I just knew she was a s good as dead. I didn't want to, but I decided to take her home and nurse her back to health. She let me pick her up and I drove home with her in my lap. I live in the city and have lots of pets, but never a duck! I have done tons of research on ducks, so now I feel I can care for her. My husband thought I was CRAZY at first, but now he loves her!
Experiences: My duck lives in the bathtub. She really can't walk. She had bumblefoot . I did some minor surgery on the foot twice to drain the lump. (I was a vet tech for 11 years, so I am sort of qualified!) Her leg is much better, but still swollen slightly and she won't put weight on it. (yet) I am sure she was someone's pet that they abandoned since she is very tame and loves human attention. She was malnourished and had been picked on by the other ducks, so she was in poor health generally as well as having the injured foot. Since I rescued her, her feathers have all grown back in and her leg is much better. I am just going to give her time to heal and treat her well in the meantime. Oh yeah, she also had head and neck lice (ick!) So I sprayed her with some cage bird insecticide. My biggest challenge is keeping her tub clean. She poops a lot and boy does it stink! Also when she swims, she tries to fly out the tub and gets everything all wet. She did manage to fly (?) out (of the tub) a few times and make a huge watery mess. I also have 4 cats and a very small dog in the house as well and she does not like them! They are all very curious about her and have all earned some pecks to the nose. The dog sometimes barks at her for no reason, which drives me crazy. I put her in a towel-lined Rubbermaid box in the evening and bring her in the living room to watch TV and just hang out with us. She seems to like it. On father's day she started laying eggs!
Care: As I mentioned above, she lives in the bathtub on towels for now. I clean the tub and fill it twice daily for swimming and bathing. I feed her poultry laying pellets, cracked corn, dog kibbles (her favorite!) and wild bird seed. She refuses to eat greens! I have taken her out in the yard a few times, but she seems stressed out there. A bald eagle flew overhead and she really freaked out. I plan on getting a kiddie pool and building a pen for her after she can walk.
Resources: I purchased "Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks: Breeds, Care, Health" by Dave Holderread and also I have checked out every single duck and poultry site I can get my browser on! This is a good site: http://www.poultryconnection.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=3
Advice: Be prepared to clean clean clean! And please get a book about ducks and read it. And whatever you do, DON'T LET IT GO IN A PARK WHEN IT GETS BIG!!!!
What my duck would say: "I want more dog food!" and "I hate all of you cats!"
Re:Live Ducks: This is a WONDERFUL website for the "pet" duck owner. You have lots of great links, I just wish there were more out there! And I just love the duck cam!!!!
Location: Cheshire, England
Breeds: Female Mallard
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): She was found shivering in a bike shed at a local factory. My father collected her in his cap and brought her home. She was about 1 year old at the time.
Experiences: I had three ducks in total. 2 died at about 8 years old and the one I have left is now so old she has lost her eyesight due from a flu which she got at Xmas 2002. The Vet found it difficult to treat my "exotic pet" and could only give her a injection against infection.
Care: She lives in the kitchen in her own bed at night and is out all day unless the house is empty when she comes back in again. She knows her way round although some days she simply cannot be bothered. She eats melted chicken and rice dog food and loves worms, slugs and mashed vegetables.
Advice: Be sure you know what you are letting yourself in for. Ducks are very tough and given plenty of water, safety and a good diet they can last a long time. My mallard is approx 17 years old. My Father bought to her our house when I was a child. I am now 26 years old and the Duck still lives at home !!! Though I have had this bird for so long, she still does not like being handled. She simply does not like being stroked (unlike my other 2 that were mard as muck) although she has mellowed these last few months probably because she doesn't have the energy some days to argue with me. Everybody in this neighbourhood cannot believe that my Mallard is still alive. She's like a local celebrity although she does not like the attention. We have never been able to take a family holiday because we have always had somebody in the house to keep an eye on the bird. Due to her eyesight failing we are now even more protective that she is coping. Just be warned, 17 years and she's still going strong (some days). Long time although I wouldn't change it for anything.
What my duck would say: Leave me alone and get me some grub.
Re: Live Ducks: Excellent.
Name: GREG AND VANESSA
Location: BROOKLYN ,NEW YORK
Names: PLUCKIE AND DAISY
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I BOUGHT THEM IN A LOCAL PET STORE AROUND EASTER TIME THEY SELL THEM AS PETS
Experiences: MY EXPIERIENCES WAS VERY AMUSING MY GIRLFRIEND HAS 2 PITBULLS AND THEY WERE AROUND MY DUCKS SINCE THEY WERE LITTLE AND THE DOGS LOVED THEM NOW THE DUCKS PLAY WITH THE DOGS AND CHASE THEM AROUND THE HOUSE. MY CAT IS SCARED OF THEM TOO!!THEY ARE SO CUTE !!!!
Care: MY DUCKS LIVE IN MY HOUSE I BUILT A PEN FOR THEM OUT OF CHICKEN WIRE AND I BUY DUCK FOOD FOR THEM THAT IS MADE BY THE COMPANY PURINA IT IS IN PELLET FORM AND THEY ALSO LOVE FRUIT COCKTAIL AND RICE CAKES BUT WITHOUT !!SALT!! AND THEY ALSO EAT VEGETABLES ALL KINDS OF FOOD AND LIVE FISH THEY LOVE TO CHASE THEM IN MY BATHTUB!!
Resources: I THINK THE BEST PLACE TO FIND ANY INFORMATION IS !!LIVEDUCKS!! THEY ARE THE BEST I WOULD ASK A QUESTION AND WITHIN AN HOUR I HAD AN ANSWER..
Advice: I WOULD LIKE TO LET ANYONE KNOW THAT WHEN THE DUCKS ARE YOUNG THEY ARE THE CUTEST THINGS BUT THEY GET BIG QUIK AND CAN BE VERY DIRTY AND BECOME NASTY SO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER ALL THE POSSIBILITIES JUST LIKE ANY PET THEY NEED LOTS OF ATTENTION AND IF YOU CANT GIVE THEM THIS THAN JUST GO VISIT THEM IN A POND!!
What my duck would say: GREG AND VANESSA ARE THE BEST AND THANK GOD FOR LIVEDUCKS!!!!!!! ALSO NEW YORK IS THE BEST !!!!
Re: Live Ducks: WELL THERE IS NOTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE THIS SITE BUT EVERYONE SHOULD JUST GIVE A LITTLE MORE HELP TO THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP THE SITE GOING SEND THEM ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE DUCK BUDDIES IN THE WORLD QUACK QUACK
Name: stephen and Emily
Names: Peep and Sqeak
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): In the back of our house in a cage by a bayou.We are about to let them go.
Experiences: We visit them 2 times a day.They are very healthy.
Care: In a cage,they swim in a big dish and we keep their water clean.They eat cracked corn.
Resources: South Louisiana Seed is where we bought our ducks.
Advice: It is hard work to keep on giving them clean water and food. But you'll love them so much that you won't even mind it.
What my duck would say: We love our owners they are the best.xoxoxoxoxoxo!
Re: Live Ducks: Yall have a great website.We enjoyed typing some information about our ducks.Thank You!
Location: Memphis, Tennessee, US
Number: 3(but lots of geese!)
Breeds: 2 pekins, 1 mallard
Names: Daffy, Colorful Duck, and No Name
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Well, I got Daffy(she is female white pekin , and she is a little older than a year) from a local feed store, she was really cute and yellow when I got her, and she followed(imprinted)me everywhere! I got Colorful Duck(he is a male mallard that is older than 2 years) from that same feed store one year before I got Daffy. No Name was a friend's, and he is a really old White Pekin. I go out everyday and feed my ducks (and geese) cracked corn, they are extremly healthy.
Experiences: All of my ducks seem to be healthy. No Name has a limp, but he has had it for a long time. Everytime I sit down, Daffy runs up and jumps in my lap, she sits there until I am forced to get her off my lap!
Care: My ducks live freely on my lake, if any serious injuries pop up I bring them in my duck pen. They get to swim on a huge 42 acre lake! And, they eat cracked corn everyday.
Resources: I would reccomend the book"The New Duck Handbook" to anyone wanting to know about the care of ducks.
Advice: GET ONE! They can make loving, loyal companions if lots of planning is made! Be sure to do alot of research, and you will love your webbed-footed friend!
What my duck would say: Daffy would say"May I sit in your lap" :)
Re: Live Ducks: The Website is terriffic!
Number: about 11
Breeds: muscovy ducks
Names: too many names
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): in my yard and a hutch.
Care: In my yard and hutch and at the pond they swim in a baby pool they eat cracked corn.
Advice: Dont hold too much.
What my duck would say: he loves me!!!!
Breeds: White Mallards
Names: Joel, Billy, Benji and Paul (Good Charlotte)
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I got my duckies from a really cool farm in canterbury, its a nice place!
Experiences: Once, Billy fell in this ditch and we had to, like, get out a duck rescue team to help him because it was really deep and narrow!
Care: My ducks live in a large pen in a barn (i live on a farm), they swim in my aunties swimmingpool (when she lets them!) and they eat golden lushies, (a new brand over here)
Advice: you need to be ready, ducks are just like kids!
What my duck would say: I think that billy would say he is never going near a ditch again!!!
Re: Live Ducks: This site rocks and it doesn't need to be improved at all... I love the fun and games section!!!
Location: Yuba City CA US
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): My husband was out fishing and on his way home, just leaving the river, he found a tiny baby duck by itself. He brought it home to the kids and I, with intentions to take it to the lake to be with the other ducks later that evening. I'm now considering keeping the duck, after reading all the postings on this site about what neat pets they are.
Experiences: I haven't noticed any health problems yet. I think too early to tell.
Care: The duck was staying in the kids' little swimming pool in the back yard, until I read they are not supposed to be in the water yet. This one is about the size of a coffee cup. I'm still not sure what to feed him.
What my duck would say: Please feed me! I'm a little scared!
Re: Live Ducks: This site seems to be very helpful.
Location: Marina, California
Breeds: peking/blue swedish mix
Names: Quackers, Shrek, Peanut and Flip
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I'm a preschool teacher and our duckies were a gift from a parent. We incubated 11 eggs and counted down each day until their arrival. Another duckie died while hatching so the kids also had the experience of death. They are now 2 1/2 weeks old.
Experiences: Flip was born two days after the rest and of course on a day I had sceduled to be out of town. It had taken him/her so long to get out of the shell he constantly somersaulted. No one expected him to live. One of the parents took him home to hand feed him. Now Flip is with the others. He is quite a bit smaller than the others but is progressing fine with swimming and eating food and all other duckiness. I wish I could keep them but I don't think I have the room for them here :( I'll miss them terribly when they are gone.
Care: The ducklings were first housed at school in a cool rolling duck pen. It has grown to be to small for them in my opinion and they are only in it at school when we are not outside with them. Outside at school they are in a puppy pen with a kiddie pool, which they LOVE! The puppy pen also allows the kids to look at the ducks but not hurt them as they want to grab them all the time. I take them home with me every night and they live in my dining room in a pen my bf built. It has a plastic tub with a ramp so they can swim whenever they like. They love to eat lettuce which we feed them as a treat. I also feed them dandilion leaves, oatmeal, and unmedicated chick feed.
Resources: Ack I can't find it now but it was a 4-H site that showed how to candle the eggs and had great info. I also really liked: http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~becker/HatchingProgram/HANDBOOK.htm It has tons of great information.
Advice: If you can't handle the water thrown everywhere or the poop don't do it.
What my duck would say: Bring on the lettuce!
Re: Live Ducks: Great site!! Glad I found it.
Name: Aden Lee
Location: Pequat Lakes, Minnesota
Breeds: 4 are Mallard, 2 are white Mallard
Names: The Baron, Ghandi, Caesar, Tom, Huck, Squirk
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I bought my ducks from WILD ACRES GAME FARM in Nisswa, Minnesota.
Experiences: Ever since I was little, every summer we would get ducks. I went to get the regular bunch of 3, and When The man pulled out the incubator shelf, six ducklings were just coming out of their shelf, so I had to take them!! This morning they followed me around my garden and helped me plant some peas.
Care: I built them a 8ft. x 12 ft. cage, and they love it! At nights, they sleep in my house, in a cage built just for them! They will swim on my lake when they get older.
Advice: Ducks love it when you read to them, and sing to them, or anything just to let them know you're there
What my duck would say: Read us 'The grapes of Wrath' again, MOM!!!
Re: Live Ducks: I think that this site is very good already, no changes!
Name: Aaron Wolfe
Location: Augusta, Kansas USA
Breeds: fawn runners AKA. indian runners
Names: JR, and TYRA after TYRA BANKS
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): i got my ducks from a house and farm store. they sell domesic ducks there every spring
Experiences: well i've had my ducks for about 15 days now. and they are the cooliest pets i ever had. they stay outside during the day in a big pin i built, and at noght when it gets chily i bring them inside and put them in a huge dog crate that they love to run around in. and there favoite thing to is take baths and get in the shower with me. :) if theres anyone who want's to share any info with me about fawn runner ducks or any other ducks e-mail me at email@example.com
Care: outside in a pen that i built and come in at night and they eat bird seed and scratch.and they swim in a pool and the bath tub.
Advice: you have to have time a paticnece, treat them like a humane baby they need lots of love.
What my duck would say: they would say let us take more showers with you in the morning :)
Re: Live Ducks: i love this web site it's a big help thanks
Location: Baxter, Minnesota USA
Number: 11 (just got 4 ducklings!)
Breeds: Mallard, white mallard
Names: 7 of them are the 7 dwarfs, 4 babies I need names!
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I bought all my ducks when they were just a few hours old, from a very respectable game farm in Nisswa, Minnesota
Experiences: I've had my seven ducks for over a year now, and I got babies this morning two hours ago, and I need help naming them!!! I went to the vet and had them sexed, 2 regular mallards are girls, 1 is a boy, and the white mallard I got is a boy. As some of you know, The 7 that are a year old are the 7 dwarves, (Doc, Dopey, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, and Grumpy
Care: I Live on a lake, and the older ones swim freely in there, and the ones I just bought will only swim in a 7 foot x 9 foot until they grow feathers. At nights, I keep them in a shed made just for duckies in our backyard. They eat NONMEDICATED duck feed I got from the game farm
Resources: http://www.liveducks.com YAY!! only place I know run by people who love ducks as much as me!
Advice: Think about it! Not a decision to be made lightly! they are your children, and require alot of care, and love.
What my duck would say: Hmmmm, how does this taste? What about this? OR THIS?! Re Live Ducks: I love this site, it's really good, I don't think I would change a thing! just keep updating!
Location: New Jersey, USA
Names: Bill and Nineteen (see below about the name )
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): My husband gave them to me as a surprise for my 19th wedding anniversary.
Experiences: I got them when they were 2 days old. Soooo cute! No problems except for diarrhea. It went away on its own after a day or so.
Care: My ducks lived in a cardboard box with a heat lamp attached for the first two weeks. They got big fast so then we put them in an old dog crate with straw for about three more weeks. When they got feathers and were about six weeks old we took them out in our fenced in yard. They loved it. Ran all over exploring everything. Our two boxer dogs Butch and Bessie bonded with them too. They all play in the yard together. It's so fun to watch them play chase. We feed them duck pellets and peas as a snack. They like to eat our dandelions and clover also.
Resources: Your site is great. It was very helpful. I also was given an instruction/care sheet from the man they were purchased from.
Advice: They make great pets. I could watch them for hours. Be prepared for a mess of water, food and poop everywhere though
What my duck would say: We want more peas please! That's their favorite snack. Every morning I give them a bowl. They go nuts when they see me coming with that bowl.
Re: Live Ducks: I enjoy it very much.
Name: Lyndsey Withers
Location: Bellingham, WA USA
Breeds: two are unknown, khaki campbell, indian runner
Names: Basil, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Basil and Sage I got at the county fair, and the other two I bought from one of the local feed stores.
Experiences: well, basil and sage got this stuff crusted around their eyes, so my mom and I asked some other people we knew about it and they told us what to do about it. otherwise, they're all very healthy and loving.
Care: 2 of my ducks live in a large pen on the side of our shed with plenty of water and food, and the other 2 live in a meduim sized pen that I built.
Resources: this website, right here is the best I've found.
Advice: don't think that just because your ducks are fullgrown and not so cute anymore doesn't mean that they don't love you and dont' want attention anymore, they need the attention always, and they need to know you loe them or they won't come near you.
What my duck would say: *peep* not another bath!!*peep*
Re: Live Ducks: This is a great website, not much else you could do to make it better.
Name: Amy C
Location: Champaign, IL USA
Number: 15 for now--hoping to keep 5
Names: Mr. T. and Braveheart are the only ones definitely
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Our ducks arrived via US mail Tuesday morning. We had everything ready for them. We are working on finding homes for the surplus ducks. It would be easier if people didn't say they wanted to eat them.
Experiences: I have five kids that are really thrilled to have them and everyone is pitching in to clean their cage, refill their water (constantly!)and give them LOTS of attention. They are so cute that all the kids' friends want them, but no one's parents will allow it. Our old terrier type dog is very worried when they peep--she is a great momma and the ducklings sense it. They are not the least bit afraid of her. Our spastic little Japanese Chin is too hyper--we will keep him away until the ducklings are bigger than he is, which shouldn't be too long. They have more than doubled in size in just a few days.
Care: Right now they are trying to jump out of their washtub that is temporary home--and we are keeping them in the dining room, not the porch as originally planned. It is just too chilly out there, even with the heat lamp. They eat poultry feed from the farm store for now, though we are going to start supplementing with yummy veggies and stuff soon.
Advice: Go for it!! You won't regret it. Just make sure to research BEFORE you get them--they are a very labor-intensive pet.
What my duck would say: Your rings are so shiny!! Can we eat them? Don't take just me when you take me out to play--take my friend too!! I get lonely by myself!!
Name: Geoff Carter
Location: Warrington, Cheshire England
Number: Two adults and seven ducklings
Names: Crispy and Aromatic
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): They just landed from the sky. And now live with me. I love them.
Experiences: I just don't know how to feed them. At the moment they are eating the Koi food. Plus I have had a ginger tomcat hangin round, he has stayed away since I put orange peel down.
Care: They live at the side of the pond and generally stay in the waterfall. Its 4ft round and 8 inches deep and fast flowing.
What my duck would say: Please shoot the cat. He's bothering us. And them Koi keep nibbling our tiny feet
Re Live Ducks: Everything is good for me, well done.
Names: Nicky, Scabbers, Justin
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I got my ducks from a farm in NY- the eggs were shipped to my house. I hatched the ducks in my 3rd grade classroom
Experiences: We started with 4 ducks. Unfortunately, my baby, Peepers passed away in December. He had been sick since birth. One of my ducks, Scabbers was very sick for a while. Believe it or not, after spending $500 at the vet to find out that "She probably won't make it", my brother performed acupuncture on her. Now she is a huge, beautiful healthy duck. She laid over a dozen eggs and she sits on them in a little dog house. Justin, the father, watches over her every move. Right now Nicky, my oldest, has a very swollen leg. She seems like she can't put any pressure on it. I am so worried about her. If anyone has any advice, please let me know!!!
Care: I found a wonderful family with an 88 acre farm and 2 huge ponds to care for them. They eat feed, and whatever is in the pond and dirt!
Resources: I really haven't found many. This sight seems to be very good.
Advice: Lots of love and fresh water!!
What my duck would say: "We love water!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Location: Buffalo, NY USA
Names: Sneezy, Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): First I told my children,I would research on ducks. If it was easy, we could get two. We went to the library. Everything seemed fine. We went to the Tractor store, but the guy said "N.Y.state law requires us to get min. of 6 ducks". Until today, 2 weeks and two days later, I still don't know if that's true! Like everyone writes, I just fell in love with them all. I still don't know who's the boys and who's the girls, but we're learning everyday!
Experiences: They're soooo...cute but nothing really gets you ready for them until you bring them home. The biggest problem we're having is...Gosh, can they POOP! You better be ready and responsible for taking care of these little guys! Our only concern is, if when ready, am I taking the heating lamp off to soon,and is it time to let them outside? [ When fully feathered ]
Care: Right now the little guys are in my foyer. I made them a great cage myself. I let them out twice a day to swim and run around. They love that. While they do their splashing and I mean splashing, I'm changing the woodshavings and giving them their fresh chick starter/grower.
Resources: Live Ducks was the best site I found. I read and went on all sites, but they only gave little help on one, then I'd have to go to another one.
Advice: Go to the library ask alot of questions, be prepared to give 110% of your time and most off all your love. One more important thing. If you are buying the ducks for your children they will need your help. It's not easy but when they follow you for the first time and look at you to talk to them, it was worth it all!
What my duck would say: Please change my cage! Please feed me! Please, can I go swimming? I LOVE YOU!
Re: Live Ducks: I feel more confident on giving them a wonderful life. With you guys here to help.
Location: San Antonio, TX USA
Breeds: white call ducks
Names: no names
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): we just mail-ordered our ducks. i got a call and the doorbell rang and i got a quiet box of ducks.
Experiences: we just got them. they just barely turned white, so are still babies. they are scared of people.
Care: we just put them in the tub because we are still making their home. we gave them a little pool in there, and some hen-food from the feed store.
Resources: not yet...
Advice: they poop alot. we had some when i was little, in a backyard pen-and the neighbor dogs got them...i just found a pile of feathers.
What my duck would say: get away from us. we are not dinner.
Re: Live Ducks: thanks.
Name: Amy C
Location: Champaign, IL
Number: none (yet!)
Names: hotly contested debate right now
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We will be receiving our ducks this weekend. We ordered them from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa because it was closest to our home state.
Experiences: None yet--will let you know in a couple of weeks!
Care: They are going to be in a large lined washtub in our mudporch until they get big enough to stay warm outside. We have a large fenced-in yard where they will have free range. My son is excited about building them an enclosure where they can get in out of severe weather.
Re: Live Ducks: This is the best resource I have found!! Great advice from real people with real ducks.
Name: Jim and Jennifer Wigal and Family
Breeds: Rouen, cayuga, blue swedish, pekin,buff
Names: They range from George to little bill.
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We ordered our first set of ducks from a hatchery in Webster City Iowa, Murray Mcmurray.
Experiences: We ordered our first bunch (15) like normal, and eagerly waited. The day came to get them, and on that day there were no ducks, 3 days stress filled days went by and we finally got a call at 9:00p.m. from the post office saying that they were in and that they must have been lost in the mail. My husband sped to retrieve them, not wanting them to be away from home any longer then they had been explaining to them that if they could just hold on they would be in duck paradise, and when we opened the box we only found 2 out of the 15 looking up at us, 2 baby rouens a drake, and a hen, and they survived after a long night of loving care. They pulled through, and are now 3 weeks old, and as healthy as an ox. We then reordered the 'replacement' ducks, and received them with no problems, and they are 1 week old, and are doing fine. Our family has really grown attached to these little precious ducks, and can see a long and healthy life for them. They are quite content and quite happy with their surroundings. And soon we hope to gain a couple more from my son's class which is incubating some duck, and chicken eggs in class. What an experience, but well worth it.
Care: As for now, my little ducks live in a big 72 gallon fish tank that is cleaned twice a day, although they are ready to be moved to a larger place, it did well for the short time they needed it. They bed on straw, and eat regular duck feed, and have treats like corn, and peas, that is thier favorite, and enjoy short swims in a wading pool just for them. Their exercise consists of following me or one of family members around the yard, gathering all the bugs, and worms they can eat, daily.
Resources: Yes,but mostly live ducks.com, and then what else is out there, like the links off of live ducks.com
Advice: Go slow, and read as much as you can on live ducks.com and thier links, it will save you heartache and headache in the long run and remember you chose these ducks they didn't choose you, so treat them well and do good by them, they will make you happy.
What my duck would say: What's in your pocket?
Re: Live Ducks: Doing great, love your site, use it truly as my duck bible. Thank you for this opportunity.
Location: Washington, United States
Breeds: ? I dont remember the breed, but they're all white [ Pekin ]
Names: Huwie, Duwie, Lewie, & Donald
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We bought out ducks all together (same family) at a feed store. My dad told me he was going to get me a muscovy for Easter, but they didnt have any babies. They are about three weeks old.
Care: Well they got so big that they would get out of the cage that we have set up in the grage for the moment (tubaware container we use for now) but this weekend we are building them another cage. I was wanting to know what age you can let them have a cage outside? [ Wait until they are fully feathered ] We have a pond but the don't like it yet, they love swimming in little bowls.
Resources: I just need to know a bit more about them
Advice: make sure you're prepared with a big cage :)
What my duck would say: "more FOOD"
Name: Cassandra Moyer
Location: Sandy, UT USA
Breeds: female pekin and a female buff
Names: the pekin is KiKi and the buff is Mango
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I found the at a local feed store called IFA just by chance and I thought they were the cutest things i have ever seen. So I got one pekin and named her KiKi.Then a year later I got her the buff named Mango as a companion.
Experiences: My only main health concern is when my ducks beaks and feet began to get so dry, so i fixed the prob by rubbing a lil bees wax on the problem areas since it is all natural and i even use it on my dogs paws. I can now say ducks are my favorite animals because they have so much personality which makes it easier to get past the messiness. Mine love to go for walks with me on specially made harnesses. Their poop is also useful in the garden.
Care: My ducks stay in a movable pen around some bushes at night then I let them run around in the day.In the winter at night they sleep in the garage. Their pen has a mini dog igloo perfect for warmth hence the name. As well a mini pool. They also have a large kiddie pool outside their pen. In the pools I put the ocasional gold fish although they don't last long at all. I put the gold fish in murky water for more fun when the ducks are trying to find them. Along with thier normal duck feed i give them spinach, worms, and crickets. Absolutly no bread because of the yeast being harmful and no dog or cat food do to the high amount of protein.
Resources: Other than this one IFA.
Advice: Remember what your getting into and they're not always a cute bundle of joy and take alot of care. Be patient and willing to pick up a crap load of poop (excuse the expression).
What my duck would say: ~Come play with me! ~I wont tell any one that im your favorite. ~Its ok to talk to me, I cant tell any one your crazy they will have to witness it. ~I know im cute so im going to try to milk you for all your worth ~I love you too.
Name: Emilie and David Keim
Location: Philly, PA USA
Breeds: dunno. a yellow one that will be white one day.
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We bought (or saved) it from a poultry shop at the Italian Market in South Philly.
Experiences: We've had ducks in the past, and each time we get a new one, we feel more and more prepared. It is always very enjoyable to hold and watch a duckling that is only a few days old, and when they get older (they grow quickly) they poop more and smell kind of bad. But I wouldn't say they are easier when they are younger, because at each age they come with responsiblities, aside from eating and sleeping. When they are tiny you must be gentle with them, they will definetely be killed if you step on them (past experience). But when they are older their poops are bigger and wander off so you sometimes walk away and leave them lost. Overall ducks are great pets, if you feel prepared, and its always nice when they follow you around.
Care: Fez follows us around the house and sleeps in a box in the kitchen. He really doesn't like to be kept in his box though. He would rather sleep around us. He swims in a pool in our backyard. He loves it out there! We feed him crushed corn still, he's a few weeks old. He enjoys bugs as well. Fez is very frightened of our cat and will peep loudly for us to save him when our cat comes too close.
Advice: Read about the duck in an online resource or book so that you can be prepared. It depends where you live, but usually you keep the duckling with you at all times and make sure you are watching him/her so that you DON"T STEP ON THE DUCK!!!!
What my duck would say: Scared and worried peep: "Save me! Mommy, where are you?!". Hungry peep: "FOOD, FOOD, YUM, DELICIOUS, MORE, GIMME GIMME, MMM, FOOD!". Content peep: " There you are mommy, I was looking for you. I am happy, all is well." Sleepy peep: "i'm not sleepy, what are you talkin' about? No, I'm awake, I really-" (eyes shut)
Re: Live Ducks: It's a great website! We never knew so many people enjoyed ducks as much as we do!!!
Name: Janet & Spencer
Location: Vancouver, WA
Names: Lucky Waddles
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We just acquired Lucky Waddles today. Spencer has been begging for a duck for sometime. I am a city mommy and wasn't real sure about this! Today while driving home from a job interview on a four lane highway I saw this little duck trying to cross the street (this is a street that I would not even attempt to cross). I quickly turned my van around to go back and see if he made it and sure enough he did! He had already crossed the parking lot of a small strip mall and was waddling along the sidewalk. He sat down right in front of a florist so I went in to ask them if baby ducks bite!! The florist came out picked him up and put him in a box for me. I walked around looking for his mommy but could not find her so I brought him home much to Spencer's delight! I took him to the pet store for advice and they thought he/she was maybe 2 days old. They gave me meal worms to feed him but they are way too big. We even tried cutting them up. I just crumbled some bread and soaked it in water and he ate a little bit of that. I am so afraid that he will not survive. In just the couple of hours that we have had him we have fallen head over heels in love.
Experiences: We haven't had him long enough to note any problems.
Care: Lucky will sleep in a box in the house for quite some time.
Advice: I have none but need plenty!
What my duck would say: Where's my mama?
Re: Live Ducks: Great informative site!
Names: Dulcinea, Tufts, Buster, Keaton
Experiences: This is my third update to this site, so glad I can write about these guys somewhere. We adore these four ducks and they have added so much to our lives. They are all doing great - they are all big white ducks now and their feathers are so beautiful. I do believe they are all boys - what in the world was the chance of that happening?! We may get some girls for them this summer. :-)
Care: We built them a moveable PVC pen which we can put anywhere in the yard we want. We let them out to roam every afternoon and evening. They love, love, love their kiddie pool, especially Keaton, who is the Mark Spitz of the group (1972 Olympic swimmer, for you younger folks). They still love to preen my hair. We are building a wooden shed with skylights and a cement floor that will be divided in two for them and the chickens we have. This will be attached to a large fenced area. The ducks like life wet and the chickens like life dry, so it has to be big enough to accommodate both desires. :-) They roam freely with the chickens and everyone gets along ok, although sometimes the ducks chase the chickens and drink their water. My favorite time with them is in the morning - they are all so chatty, and when I sit down they all come over and preen my hair. They have done this since they were tiny. They eat 16% protein pellets and yard grasses. They still love worms more than anything and we are keeping the bait shop in business. They keep us laughing and we forget our troubles watching them.
Advice: They are very smart and sensitive, and they love when you spend time with them. They are very very messy so build them something that gives them lots of room and you can clean up every day easily. Talk to them and they will talk back. Be gentle with them because they have very sweet natures.
What my duck would say: Oh good, it's time to go out and play! Is there fresh water in the pool? WORMS!!
Name: Lee Walker
Location: Alexandria, Louisiana USA
Names: Sly, Ty and Duckler
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Well, right now, they're 3 days old with a bowl of water in my house in a cage but when they get older I'll put them outside with a tub or something.
Experiences: No health problems... yet! I'm only worried that muscovies don't have good oil glands like other breeds and can sink and drown cause of not enough oil.
Care: right now they live in a big cage inside (there only 3 days old and they swim in a bowl and they eat chops, (chicken feed).
Advice: they're a lot of fun! and they're EASY to take care of, just don't neglect them!
What my duck would say: peep!peep!
Re: Live Ducks: I love this website it is the best website is FANTASTIC, TERRIFIC!
Location: Kansas City, Missouri,U.S.A.
Breeds: Mallard, Khaki
Names: Tori Amos and Anie DiFranco
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I got my ducks as babies at our local hardware store. I got one and my friend who was with me got one too.
Experiences: Well...I've only had them for two days but one problem is that they keep jumping out of their cage! They're just ducklings so I was not anticipating this! How can I fix this?
Care: My ducklings live in a cage in my room for now. They cannot swim yet. I feed them a duckling food that I got from a pet store.
Resources: This is my only resource really.
Advice: Get a tall cage for your ducklings.
What my duck would say: Tori: If I could just leap over that side, I could climb up the chair,go across the piano,jump down and dash to the door. Ani:I don't think so! Theres a dog, two cats, and that thing with no feathers out there!
Re: Live Ducks: I love this website! It really gives you the feel of what ducks are like! You get to hear from the experts!
Names: Britain and Merrill
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): i'm a construction management major so i frequent the tractor store up here a lot for tools. early this spring i noticed that they were starting to carry ducklings and baby chicks so i would make frequent (3 or 4 times a week- i'm also a biology major so i love animals) visits just to play with them. after a couple weeks of this i eventually gave in and bought 2 of them!
Experiences: no health problems yet... thankfully.
Care: i built them a huge cage but they only spend a few hours a day there... their main dwelling is MY house. they swim in the tub, take showers with me, sleep on my bed, play in the yard- yeah... they're spoiled.
Resources: i've never really found much of anything until i ran into this site.
Advice: hope you don't mind cleaning up poo! if you don't, it's worth it the first time you realize that they think you're mommy and follow you everywhere.
What my duck would say: "no nip? what does that mean?"
Re: Live Ducks: AWESOME site. i've been searching EVERYWHERE for a site about pet ducks when i stumbled on this... glad i did!
Location: Dallas, TX USA
Breeds: Dunno...he's yellow...
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): My cousin has a friend who bought a baby duck right before Easter. Said friend then had to go out of town and could not take Newman with her. (Evidently her mom wouldn't have taken too kindly to a duck in the house.) Friend suggests that my cousin let the duck go outside of her apartment. In the city. I know. So, long story short, I now have a duck.
Care: Newman lives in a huge cardboard box in the guest bathroom right now. When he gets older, he will have a shelter and a pool in the backyard. He loves to play in the bathtub. His favorite thing to do is watching cartoons with my daughters. They found an old doll carrier and lined it with a bath towel. When Newman sees that carrier, he waddles over to it and settles in for an afternoon of Rugrats and SpongeBob. He also likes to sit on my shoulder or on the back of the couch while I'm sewing. I have three cats that we keep away fron Newman, but I don't think they realize he isn't a toy. My girls have so many squeakiing, chirping, cheeping obnoxious toys, that they can't tell the difference. They don't seem to care about him at all. That's not to say I trust them with him, however!
Resources: This is an awesome website! I have learned so much here. I didn't have a chance to research ducks before Newman came into my life. I'm glad I found liveducks.com!
What my duck would say: Um, what do you mean, "don't poop"?
Location: Orange County, CA USA
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I have wanted a duck for a really long time and finally my husband took me to get one. I drove eight hours to Metzer Farms to get my baby Hopper. Yes my baby pekins name is Hopper because the first thing he did was Hop out of his box into my lap. Then he hopped onto my chest and then hopped into the hood of my jacket. So Hopper it was and home we went. Eight hours home.
Experiences: Hopper has been a great duck so far. He is five days old now and I love him to death. He loves going swimming in the little baby pool in the backyard. Hopper likes to play with my son Cody and can't stop playing with my toes! I think it's the nail polish. The only thing that has been hard is his diapers don't fit yet and he does go potty a lot. So hopefully his diapers will fit
Care: Hopper lives at the time in a plastic storage bin. He is going to go to the pet store in a few days to buy his permanent home which will be a dog kennel. Hopper dosen't like being in his plastic bin because he can't get out and follow me but until his diapers fit he has to wait until mommy let's him out. Hopper likes to swim in a kiddie pool that I bought him but he also likes to play in a small tupperware that I let him play in, in the kitchen. Hopper eats non-medicated chicken starter and lettuce. He loves loves loves lettuce.
Resources: Duck and Goose Society | Yahoo Groups
Advice: Read, read, read!
What my duck would say: "Mommy, wheres the lettuce!!!???"
Re: Live Ducks: I LOVE THIS WEBSITE!!!!!
Location: Pensacola Florida USA
Names: still naming
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Local Feed store
Experiences: Duck CPR! Our first experience with ducks was when our boy was 4years old. We brought home some ducklings from the feed store and thought it would be cute to get some pictures of him with the ducks in the kiddie pool in the back yard. (Don't try this!)As you may know, the chicks did not tolerate this very well and began to fall over limp in the grass. My son came in the house upset about his now motionless ducksand we went to investigate. Finding the ducklings near death I relied on my experience as an Emergency room nurse and attempted CPR. I pryed open thier little beaks and lightly inflated their little chests and squeezed their ribcages in some approximation of CPR and actually saved most of them! 4 of them grew up and lived on our pond for a couple years until the drought took the pond. The pond is back and we a new gaggle and we won't make the same mistake again.
Care: the new batch have a roomy dog cage with a roof and some cardboard siding. The are eating starter feed supplied by the feed store.They live in the shade in our back yard in a temperate climate. (Avg temp@ 72 F)They won't be in the pond until I see Tail Feathers!!
Advice: be careful around water!
What my duck would say: "Put me down and let me be little boy!"
Location: Orlando, Florida USA
Breeds: Blue sweedish, pekin, mallard, khaki cambell
Names: Smith, Fluffs, Elvira, Lancome, Brownie
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): at a feed store, i had gone to buy dog food. then i heard cute chirping in the back, and i ended up buying 5 ducklings. they are almost grown up now, but i had them since they were cute lil fluff balls.
Experiences: I saw them when they first went bottoms up to eat some wild celery underwater.
Resources: This one!
What my duck would say: "Dont give them the crumbs, give them to me" and "I love you daddy"
Re: Live Ducks: live ducks rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Name: indigo sussmilch
Location: Qld, Australia
Breeds: farm yard ducks (white) you know the ones on farms
Names: don't have real names (they change all the time)
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Ducks are soooo good! Me and my mum were driving home from a rowing comp and she was telling me about a sign that said ducklings for sale. i realy wanted one or more so my mum told me to ring dad and he said that we could buy 5. my mum didnt believe me that i had rung him and rang him herself. came to the conclusion that we could have 4. we drove to where the sign pionted(a small farm) and bought them. they were only $5 each! we now keep them in our old chook house and they just roam around the yard and sometimes don't go to bed in the house but outside on the pavement. they love it, i think. the new 3 year old girl down the back and her mum love them and are always looking out the kitchen window at them. Ducks are sooooooo cute and sooo much fun!
Experiences: my duck have just started laying about 5 weeks ago and now are starting to sit on their eggs. duck eggs that haven't been sat on are really nice to eat and are really big!
Care: they live in our old chook house eat grains, veggies and some fruit (the male eats everything) they really like grapes! they swim in a double shell, those little kids pool things. i think ones spose to have sand in it and the other water or something.
Resources: this is a really good one because find out things about other duck owners and their ducks.
Advice: just have fun with them and don't try and force feed them they pretty much know which food and plants they don't like or can't eat.
What my duck would say: "Yay" or "Oh my god"
Re: Live Ducks: this web is really good. its helped me heaps
Name: Chelsea G.
Location: Plymouth, IN
Breeds: Straight Run Ducks
Names: Crackers, Pedi
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): One day, We decieded we would like a duck, so my friend and I went to the farm store and bought two baby ducks because we had heard about them. So we got two. Well we also got a heat light for them.
Experiences: They seem healthy to me.
Care: They dont swim yet! But they live a box in a the basement.
Resources: No, It has been hard for to me find information about ducks. This has been one of the best websites yet!
Advice: They need alot of attention and CLEAN the box or cage about 3 times a day!
What my duck would say: I LOVE YOU!
Re: Live Ducks: Its good!
Name: Jeremy & Alex
Location: Wichita Falls, TX, USA
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We thought it would be cool to have a pet duck so we went to Atwoods and bought one.
Experiences: So far so good. It's been about two weeks and he seems to be doing just fine. His feathers are starting to come in and he thinks I'm his mother. He is constantly following me around. I also have two dogs, a lab and a mix breed but they seem to get along with him just fine. They don't bother him at all, they are just curious. Actually, I think they are more scared of him than he is of them.
Care: Emilio lives in a cardboard box right now since he's still really small. I haven't figured out what to do with him next.
Re: Live Ducks: Great website. Keep it up.
Name: Jessica Clark
Location: Olean, NY USA
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I ordered them online through Metzer farms. They came in the mail!
Experiences: Everything with the ducks has been good so far. My husband said we couldn't get a dog or cat, so I got ducks! the neighbors love them, they all bring food over for them. so far they have laid 3 eggs this week(3-03) But they are just laying them all over the yard, even they they made what appears to be a nest in their house. Maybe for the sun????
Care: We have a double lot yard, and they roam free, they have a very large "dog" house to sleep in. The top flips up on the house for easy clean up. they eat craked corn and bread, and my flowers:(. they have a kiddie pool to swim in! In the winter I keep a small rubber tub with fresh HO for them.
Location: Williamsburg, Ohio USA
Names: Tufts, Buster, Keaton, & Dulcinea
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): tractor store, 3.5 weeks ago
Experiences: The ducks are doing great, which is why I feel compelled to add an update to this website. :-) I have never seen anything grow so fast as our three drakes. They were tiny yellow balls and now they are big ducks exploding with feathers, in just three weeks. They are extremely rowdy and curious and still all pile into my lap, which takes some doing, considering their size. The smallest one is doing so much better. She had some sort of nervous system disorder and used to do Olympic backflips all the time, often landing on her back. We brought her in the house with us and held her a lot, and my husband even spent one night in the barn with her to keep her from flopping over. She has put on weight and has stopped flopping, is eating well and getting feathers! We plan to get a couple more females because she is the only girl with these three roughhouse drakes and I think they will drive her crazy once their thoughts turn to duck love.
Care: The bathtub became a poop-a-thon so we made our moveable PVC pen and have it in the garage because it is still kind of cold here in Ohio. They are much happier and have room to roam. We take them outside for walks every day, which they love, and they can splash in our springtime puddles of water. They love, love, love worms and get jealous of each other if one gets more than the others. We bring big cups of water into the pen in the evenings for them to dunk their heads and clean their beaks. They love this. As soon as the smallest one gets more feathers, we are going to start them in a kiddie pool. Next month we will move the pen outside and add a coop. They have moved up to poultry pellets (20%) and enjoy this very much. I also give them chopped hardboiled eggs as a treat and they go nuts for this.
Advice: Keep playing with them and loving them, because they are so much fun and happy to see you and very loving. Give them plenty of room and clean straw every day so the poop doesn't take over everyone's life.
What my duck would say: Can we please go for our walk outside now? Where are our worms?!
Re: Live Ducks: great site, love the duck-cam
Breeds: mallard, white mallard
Names: doc, dopey, sleepy, sneezy, grumpy, happy, bashful
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I bought them from a game farm
Experiences: I LOVE MY DUCKS! I got them when they were only a few hours old, so they follow me around because they know I'm their mom. I love them so much! People ask me if Im a cat person or a dog person, and I say Neither! I'm a duck person, along with everyone at LiveDucks! I have six regular colored Mallards, and one white one, named Doc (they're my seven dwarfs)
Care: I have a little house in my backyard built just for them (7 ft. by 13 ft.) and a 6ft x 7ft cage (4ft tall) that I let them in the yard with. They swim in the lake that is on our property. They eat NONMEDICATED duck feed that I got from the game farm.
Resources: THIS SITE IS BEST!
Advice: keep an eye on them at all times, and the younger you get them the better. TREAT THEM AS YOUR BABIES, BECCAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE!
What my duck would say: Hey ma! wait up!
Re: Live Ducks: I LOVE THIS SITE, I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING!
Name: Robert Sunley
Number: 6 (soon to be loads)
Names: Jemmima, Ann, Charlie
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Jemmima got shot in the wing and landed in our pond. She eventually got used to us and became tame. She had ducklings with another wild duck. Most of them got shot but 2 survived and 3 more arrived over the year
Experiences: 1 of the ducklings got stuck on the other side of the fence and it took me and dad 2 hours to find it and catch it. Also Jemmima kept getting out of the pond and leving the ducklings behind.
Care: They live in the pond behind the chicken shed. They eat bread, organic layers pellets and organic corn
Resources: this website!!
Advice: Wing them so that they dont get shot if you live in a rural area
What my duck would say: food, give me more food!!
Re: Live Ducks: Very good generally
Name: Dedra Tiger
Location: Bixby, OK, USA
Names: Mo Mo II and No Mo
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We bought them from Atwoods in Sapulpa, OK
Experiences: I had my first ducks, in 1969, when I was first married. They lived in our apartment until our landlord became suspicious due to tenant complaints of "quacking" coming from our apartment. Bonnie and Clyde went to live at my mother-in-law's house, where they ran the streets with the neighborhood dogs! In 2002, my daughter bought a Pekin as a hatchling. Mo Mo I, was the king of the pond and scared off the horses, when they came to drink. He even chased the cats around the yard! We lost Mo Mo I to a lightening strike during an Oklahoma thunderstorm. 3 weeks ago, we bought Mo Mo II and No Mo, who are the "spokes-ducks" for our new business venture!
Care: Currently, we feed them chicken scratch and tons of water. They swim in the bathtub while we clean the large tote they live in, out in the garage. (Yes, we have a heat lamp for them!) We are preparing to get something larger, as they are growing fast.
Advice: Please know that poultry are not the cleanest animals and can make a horrible mess, if kept in the house! Ducks are wonderful creatures with great personalities. They are a joy to have around. They are also very territorial and make good guard animals :)!
What my duck would say: Please let us out to terrorize the cats that cry at the garage door! What do you mean, "We are out of scratch, again!"
Re: Live Ducks: What a wonderful site! It was great to find a place dedicated to our ducky friends. Will send pix of our duckies, very soon!
Location: Statesville, NC, USA
Breeds: Pekin (I think)
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Doodle was a gift from a student of mine.
Experiences: Doodle has such a great personality and bonded to me so quickly. He chirps a lot as if talking to me and only gets loud if he can't see me. Doodle will follow me around the house. He is so sweet; he likes to lay next to me as I type on the computer. He will stretch out when comfortable, kicking his feet behind him and laying stretched out, much like a dog. He nibbles a lot, too.
Care: Doodle eats a baby bird starter food from the feed store along with alfalfa cubes that have been softened in water. I never offer food without water since he could choke. He sleeps in a small animal cage at night with a heat lamp for warmth. He knows when it is bedtime because I place a towel over the front and top of his 'house'. He learned the routine very quickly. During the day Doodle goes to work with me in a small carrier - he travels well in the car as long as he can see me. My children and I spend lots of the day holding him and talking to him - he is very social.
Resources: www.thegoosesmother.com, www.geocities.com/petduckassociation, www.poultryconnection.com/quackers. Each of those websites has great links!!
Advice: Before you get any new pet, make sure that you have researched that particular animal. That way you know what you are getting into! And when you do get your new pet spend time getting to know your animal. Each animal has their own personality and you both benefit when you get to know each other.
Re: Live Ducks: This website is great, especially the page on caring for a duck!
Location: Williamsburg, Ohio, USA
Names: Buster, Dulcinea, and two not sure yet
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): We had been talking about getting ducks because we moved last fall to a small farm and other than dogs, these are our first farm animals. We went to the tractor store for other purchases and found that they had baby ducks and chicks! We decided to get 4 ducks so they can keep each other company when we are at work. We let them choose us - three of them came up to investigate us and the last one we chose from the group. We took them home and fell in love immediately.
Experiences: It has been love at first sight. My husband and I are completely smitten. They are about 3 weeks old now and getting lots of soft little feathers, and stiff tail feathers. Three of them - the ones who chose us - are doing fantastic, big eaters, hearty drinkers, very curious, very affectionate. The fourth one is much smaller and not thriving, also a little wobbly. We love them all and are doing our best to help the little one, although we fear she has some sort of health concern. She is half the size of the others, although she eats and drinks and plays - everything with her is on a smaller and weaker scale. They are all very affectionate, love to sit in my lap and tweak my long hair, tweak our wedding rings, nibble on our fingers, stare at us endlessly. They will all suddenly run as a group - and them stop. They keep us laughing. They love to pull toilet paper off the roll so we have put it up high. NOTE: very important to give them water to dunk their heads in. One of them got food crumbles caught in his nostrils and was having trouble breathing - the water cleared it immediately.
Care: Right now they are in our big bathtub with straw, to stay warm. At first we used a brooder lamp but now they are plenty warm in there (about 80 degrees F) if we keep the door closed, just from the home heat (the rest of the house is much cooler - just worked out nice this way). Twice a day we let them out to run around the big bathroom, which I have put plastic runners on to protect the carpet. They love to come out and investigate! Just yesterday we brought a small pan of warm water into the room and they got very excited, jumped in, dunked their heads, and sat in the water. They LOVED this and then I made sure they got dry with a towel and turned on the brooder lamp for awhile to make sure they didn't get chilled. They loved this! Right now they are eating starter feed (20% protein) and I have given them some grated carrots, which they enjoyed. They drink a LOT of water and poop, poop, poop! We put fresh towels morning and night and change the straw every other day. We are building a moveable pen out of PVC pipe and hard mesh wire, about 10 by 15 feet. We will cover the top with wire also because there are coyotes nearby. We are waiting until they are full grown and it warms up (we are in Ohio, so this will probably be in May) before they go outside to live, although once they get to 5 weeks and maybe 60 degrees we may take them out for short periods. It will be exciting because they are so interested in everything! Also they will have a hard-sided baby pool and a ramp. The pen will be tall enough that we can go in via a door, and play with them.
Advice: These guys have far exceeded our expectations because they are so curious and affectionate. People should know that they are messy and poopy and get water everywhere, but they are so dear and funny and well worth the work! They need to stay warm when they are little and don't have any feathers. They truly need to dunk their heads at least once a day, but don't leave them alone with water they can get into when they are little. I agree with all the other writers that they do very well with at least one other duck for friendship. They all cuddle, preen and sleep together. We love them and are happy to have them around.
What my duck would say: Hi Mom, hi Dad! Can we come out of the tub and run around? Will you hold us when we are tired? Please let us play in the pan of water!
Location: Bryan, Texas USA
Names: none yet
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): bought them at feed store. We have raised chickens, but this is our first experience with pet ducks. A coworker had one as a pet and she convinced me to give it a go.
Experiences: They are still young. I am trying to learn how to care for them properly and introduce them to my children at the same time. Everyone seems happy, though. They constantly "nip" at our fingers and clothes. I'm not too sure what this means, but it doesn't seem to be aggressive. They love lettuce, but I am worrried about overfeeding them. Can this happen? I am also wondering if and when to clip their wings, since mallards are flyers.
Care: Right now they are in our spa tub (no water, of course). They have a box with pine shavings, but I just read today that that can present a choking hazard, so we will be switching to straw. The box has a hole in the front so they can come and go. I haven't let them go swimming yet, since I'm not too sure if they will be warm enough. We are building an enclose outdoors with a chicken hutch type design and a medium sized running area (about 20 square feet). Is this big enough? I guess we'll find out! I don't want them to mix with the chickens, because I am worried about them being pecked, and because we plan on raising them as family pets. I will keep everyone posted on our progress!
Resources: There are many good websites for basic duck care, get on a search engine and type in "duckling care". You will be amazed at the variety of things (mostly helpful) that pop up!
Advice: I am still looking for my own advice, so none yet!
What my duck would say: Why are we in a bath tub?
Re: Live Ducks: This is a great resource for people looking for duck info.
Location: Oakley, CA, USA
Breeds: Khaki Campbell
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I purchased Duck at a ranch feed store out in the country. He's two-years-old.
Experiences: Our neighbor had a duck that ate all her snails and laid eggs that her family ate. Since we live on a large, fenced lot, we decided to get a duckling to eat the ton of snails we have and so we could have some fresh eggs. We also have three Australian Shepards (one of them is deaf), so it was a challenge to introduce our new baby to them. Duck lived in the house for a couple of weeks and got the same treatment I'm reading in your other writers experiences. When we introduced him to our dogs, it was love at first sight. He bonded with them totally and now considers himself a dog--we discovered he was a boy (no eggs) and since he's a "dog" he refuses to eat the snails! He eats dog food (I have four bags of various fowl food, but he won't touch it; however, the dogs like it!)-I give him puppy food, since that is a little more nutricious, but he needs to put more weight on and I don't know how to do that. They all eat out of the same bowl (our dogs don't mind sharing) and the dogs insist on eating what he eats, including dried bread, chips, corn, etc. They all come around and "beg." Duck also mistakes our dogs as "mates" and rides their backs constantly. Our dogs don't seem to mind having a rider and when our one dog (Duck's favorite) takes a swim, you can count on Duck taking a ride. When our dogs bark, Duck quacks and runs right after them. I have a lot of film of them playing, barking, chasing each other. Duck would much rather be around them than us. When the dogs haven't been outside in a while, he uses the doggy door and comes on in to find them (we have Italian slate tile floors and he's easy to clean up after). Needless to say, he's totally useless as a duck, but a precious family member and constant source of entertainment! We love the sound of his feet slapping on the pavement when he walks or runs!
Care: Duck-Duck lives outside and snuggles in our bushes. I would like to get him a girlfriend soon, because he just seems so frustrated and loses weight and gets lethargic in the Spring and right before Fall. Our vet thinks he should learn to be more like a "duck," so she advises that we should get him a girlfriend so she can teach him to eat bugs and forage. I'm afraid he may become too wild and won't socialize with our dogs which love him. Our big dog, Jack, has killed many opposums that have wandered into our backyard in protection of him.
Advice: They love to be held. Just get an old towel and lay it across your chest and shoulder and they will snuggle for hours! Like any new animal, they take a commitment to keep their area clean and to give them lots of attention. We put a mirror in our duck's box and a stuffed baby duck.
What my duck would say: What! You couldn't be more clever with my name?
Re: Live Ducks: I was excited to find this website. I worry about Duck not eating properly and I don't know how to put more weight on him without making our dogs fat, too! Any suggestions?
Location: Christiansburg, Virginia, USA
Names: none yet
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I puchased 2 ducklings from a tractor supply store just a couple of days ago. First time owning ducks.
Experiences: They are very sweet and seem very intelligent. We are, of course, unsure of their sex, so that is why we haven't named them yet. One is a little larger than the other and is more agressive and outgoing. This one has a paler beak.
Care: The ducklings are living in the house in a 50 gal tub for the next few weeks until they will join their chicken cousins in a large yard. Their 'home' is outfitted with a feather duster tied in one corner and a small multicolored ball to push around if they like. They are getting a daily 'swim' in the bathtub with a blow dry afterward. They are hilarous in the water (it's only a couple of inches of warm water). They are also funny when they suddenly run, full-tilt, for about a foot, then stop. They do lie down more than they walk though which concerns me. I am taking them 'walking' in the house twice a day to try to build up their leg muscles. Maybe they don't have much stamina because of being in the 'tub' at the feed store for the first week or so of their lives. They seem happier every day. They also poop alot. I mean A LOT! Never have seen anything like it! They are eating a grower ration that is 20% which I am also concerned about. When should I take them off of this? I'm also giving them chopped lettuce, carrots & grapes twice a day in small amounts. The LOVE that! They eat and drink well and seem generaly very healthy.
Resources: Just looking through search engines. This site is especially nice.
Advice: None yet since I am a first timer :)
What my duck would say: More lettuce and grapes please!
Re: Live Ducks: Wonderful, wonderful site. The best I've found :)
Names: klenex, suger, spice
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): i got my ducks from a guy who breeds them for his dinner. i got the little things not even a day after hatching
Experiences: the day suger laid her eggs was the happiest day of my life she had eight babies. we gave them all away to good homes. soon after spice was taken by a cat. strangly klenex moped about for a week.
Care: klenex and suger live in my birds old avary at night and are free during the day
Resources: i did not reasearch at all exept after i got them then i read a book called ducks for begginers
Advice: just don't go and pick out the smallest of the brood and always remember to LOVE your duck
What my duck would say: feed me
Re: Live Ducks: this is the best site. without this site i would not be able to raise the ducks
Location: Sipesville, PA, USA
Names: Theodore and Bentley
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): I bought my ducks when they were two day old ducklings from a local couple who hatches, raises and sells ducks and all types of domestic birds.
Experiences: Finally a place that I can brag about my ducks!!! My co-workers and family I think are sick of hearing about them (ha ha) I have two 8 month old drakes that are the absolute joy of my life. I have found that you have to earn their trust and once you do, you have the most lovable pets you could ever ask for! So far my two "boys" have been very healthy and active for me. We have very cold winters where we live so I kept them in warm straw bedding with a brooder light for cold nights and they seem to be thriving. Surprisingly ducks love snow!!! mine love to run through the snow and play!
Care: My ducks have a wooden house that has foam insulation and fiber board inside, it used to be my children's playhouse when they were small, now that my children are grown, it makes a wonderful home for my ducks. They have straw bedding and wooden crates for their beds. I have a metal washtub that they swim in. We started them out in a dishpan, worked up to the wash tub, but now they fight over the washtub so in the spring I am going to buy them a kiddie pool. I feed them cracked corn, Ducks love watermelon and lettuce!!! But do not over feed them this.
Advice: If you are planning on owning ducks always have more than one, they bond, and love the security of having each other. Ducks are messy!!!! if you are not willing to put up with a messy pet, then a duck is not for you. They love to slop their food in their water and they are nasty on flower beds and gardens!!! But they are so loving and so funny! I never knew how much I could love something like I do my ducks!
What my duck would say: "Weep Weep, We love our Mom!!!!"
Re: Live Ducks: I love your website!!! I have been searching for a site like this for a long time.
Breeds: 5 Muscovy, 1 Pekin
Names: Daffy, Bof, Buddy, Pippin, Bumfluff, Feanor
How You Acquired Your Duck(s): Well, we went to a big property to get a new guinea pig, when the owners asked if we wanted to look at their ducklings. So, off we went, to a room where there were literally hundreds of ducklings running around! So we ran around too, and my two sisters and I chose three adorable little ducklings, a yellow one with a black spot on it's head, one with splotches of yellow and black everywhere, and a little on with a black body and a yellow head. Then we bought some duck crumbles and took them home. That was how we got Daffy, Bof and Buddy. Here is the story of how we got Pippin, Bumfluff anf Feanor. We had some friends that were down from Dubbo, and they were visiting relatives. They went to an agricultural high school, to wiew the farm, and ended up bringing home an old, black and white male muscovy drake home. We looked after him while they were visiting, as we already had three muscovy ducks, all which turned out to be females. So, as nature took it's course, we ended up with a very bored drake, as three very broody ducks were constantly on their nests, only appearing about once a week for some food. So, after a while, most of the eggs started hatching! We ended up with 36 ducklings, and we had to find good homes for them all, so that they would not end up on the dinner table. In the end we did it, giving 10 ducklings to the owner of the drake and keeping 2 ourselves, Pippin and Bumfluff. Then some friends came over carrying a crate, containing a Pekin duck with a sore leg and wing; he couldn't walk properly. So we kept her in the crate, as all the other ducks picked on her. Eventually, we let her out with the other ducks. Now, as Pippin is a boy, the three mummy ducks are broody, and laying eggs under the house, and Pippin, Bumfluff and Feanor are all pals.
Experiences: When we had the big drake, he lost a toenail, and he was bleeding all over the grass, so we got some cornflour and put it on his foot to stop the bleeding. Other than that, we haven't really had any problems!
Care: When we got our first 3 ducks, they lived inside when they were really little. Then we made a constuction, which we put them in at night. Otherwise they roamed around the backyard. Now that the have all outgrown the constuction, they sleep under the house and roam around all day. We have a kiddies swimming pool which the ducks swim in and drink out of. Occasionally they get into the pool, but we don't like them doing that, they poo as soon as they get into the water! Duck crumbles are always on the menu for our ducks, but they get the leftover bread in the morning, as well as vegetable scraps (their favourite is lettuce) and as many bugs as they can find!
Advice: Ducks are really nice pets, especially if they are tame and let you pick them up and come when they are called. If you are planning to get a duck, then never buy just one, always make sure they have a friend.
What my duck would say: "Don't give the bread to them, give it to me, I'm the biggest!" and "What do we want? Food. When do we want it? Now!"
Re: Live Ducks: This is a really good website, thankyou for giving up your free time to make this website, it's GREAT! It's really fun to read about other peoples experiences with their ducks, Thank you for making this website, it's the best!
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