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Ducks

GennyM
17 years ago

Are Khaki Campbell ducks usually good about sitting on their eggs? I have a femaleand she has laid about 25 eggs that are not going to hatch. She has been sitting on them every night all night long. Then she walks around all day long!

I just wondered if KC's are usually good about sitting on their eggs, or if they're not? Thanks!

Comments (35)

  • suenh
    17 years ago

    I've had to remove ducks from bad eggs because they had been sitting so long that I was afraid for their health. Destroy the eggs and let her try in spring. Fall eggs are usually less fertile and mother nature is just set up for spring babies.

    If she's young it sometimes takes a few tries before they get it right.

  • fancifowl
    17 years ago

    None of the Campbells are known as good setters. There are exceotions to all rules tho, but don't count on it.

  • Miss_Kitty
    17 years ago

    In my experiance, young female ducks do need to have a couple of batches before they get it right. I've got a different breed of duck (Moscovies) who do fairly well as a whole. I've noticed that my best hens consistantly have more babies per year. I had a hatch 2 weeks ago.

    The young ones are more likely to nest in bad places and never produce a single hatch.

  • fancifowl
    17 years ago

    Ah, Scovies are another matter altogether. get 1 pair and in 2 years there will be 100, gauranteed!
    I had some Anconas which are a rather busy kind of duck and I didnt expect very good setters but boy die they produce some ducklets.
    Do you know that Muscovies and the Mallard derivitives(most other domestic ducks) can interbreed. The young produced are non fertile(for the most part) and are called either Mules or Hinnies, depending on which way the cross is made.

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks! I'll take them soon :)

    Yeah, I knew Muscovies and Mallards could breed and that the babies can't have offspring. I've never had any to do that though, have you?

  • mountainman_bc
    17 years ago

    My KC's have been successful several times now. Good moms.

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    aawwww! I really hate to take her eggs from her. She has been sitting on them so faithfully. But, they aren't going to hatch, so I hate for her to sit on them for no reason at all.

    We have a cockatiel that is laying eggs and I think they'll hatch :)

  • Miss_Kitty
    17 years ago

    My mule hen laid eggs that had no yolks! I was tempted to start selling them on Ebay! I was going to use her as a brooder for the chicken eggs, but she didn't make it through the winter.

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    OH...I'm sorry to hear that about your duck, miss_kitty.

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    Hi everyone! I want to know if my 2 ducks need water in their "night"house? The nights are getting longer,but I don't want them wetting the dry house with water,cause they do like to splash! They are out all day,but go in from dark (5pm)till the am,probably 14 hours. Don't want them out in darkness hours. Can someone please help? Thanks xo

  • fancifowl
    17 years ago

    They'll be ok w/o water for the night, they especially need water when eating and foraging in soil.

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I use to close my ducks up at night in their dollhouse and I never gave them water, because they just messed up the hay and got it smelly.

    As long as you don't put food in there with them tey shouldn't need water until the morning. Ducks mainly need water when they are eating, so they won't get choked.

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    Thanks, What if they have pine shavings in with them? Can they choke on them without water? I don't use hay anymore cause it was SO hard to keep clean..some say chips are ok,some don't,what do you think?

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I think pine shavings is fine. Don't worry about it I really don't think they'll eat it :)

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    Thanks for the help gennym,feel better about it now!

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Your welcome, and let me know if you need some more help !

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    ok,I do need one more answer! Will my 2 ducks be ok through the night in their house without a heater during winter? I have put plastic insulation around it...what do you think? Our winters can go to -20 below freezing some nights...thanks :)

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I think they'll be fine.
    I kept mine in a dollhouse at night without a heater. All they had was hay to cuddle up together in. They were always ok in the mornings :)

    It gets pretty cold here too!

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    A dollhouse...thats so cute! Lucky ducks! How many ducks do you have? I have 2 boys so would that be enough to keep eachother warm?

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Yeah, that would be plenty for them to stay warm together!

    The 2 girls that I had that stayed in the dollhouse together have recently died this year :( They were very special girls and I miss them so much! Their names were Jake and Topaz.

    Now, I have only 6 girl ducks. Only one of them uses the dollhouse, and for some reason the others want to sleep outside! I don't know why; you'd think they would prefer the dollhouse to the ground outside.

    What kinds of ducks do you have?? I have 3 Muscovies, 1 Mallard, 1 Mallard/Pekin mix, and a Khaki Campbell.
    Genny

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    I'm sorry to hear of your 2 girls passing... :( I know how you feel,I lost my 8 year old holland lop 2 weeks ago. just loved him to death.
    My 2 boy ducks are 1 mallard mix(i think) he's all patched,really cute...and a regular white. Bill & Ted! I rescued them this spring, and so glad I did!

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    AAWWW! I bet they're adorable! I love ducks. They're so funny and I could sit and watch them for hours. I'm sorry about your Holland Lop. I bet he was cute. If you have anymore questions I'll be glad to help you :)

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    Thank you so much gennym...I just got your reply on a different subject about my rabbits...and mentioned that we share an interest in almost every creature!! fun eh? thanks for the help..I know what you mean about watching them for hours! It's amazing,I would like to get more in the spring...can I do that peacefully? Without causing fights among them?

  • Miss_Kitty
    17 years ago

    They will have to establish a pecking order, then they will settle down.

    I bought 5 'scovies this August (?), and they haven't really integrated into the flock yet. The other ducks don't really bother them, but they still tend to stay together. The new ones have a lot more white than the others, one hen is almost completely white.

    And in regards to winter quarters: 'scovies are a tropical duck, they are supposed to be more sensitive to cold than other breeds. So I make sure they have lots of fresh straw on cold nights. But here in Kentucky, it hardly ever gets REALLY cold.

    Still, I have seen them skating around on a frozen pond, and swimming in any holes in the ice they can find. Ducks landing on ice is a hillarious sight! They don't seem to care about getting wet and cold as long as they have enough to eat. They flap around, swim under water, take their time coming back up too, sun on the ice and generally behave the same as in summer.

    Mine share a coop with chickens at night. There are perches strong enough for the scovies to use, nest boxes and straw on the floors. This is a pretty pampered flock these days, since we replaced the rhode island reds with dominques.

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Yeah, we have lots of animals. 6 Ducks,3 dogs, 3 cats, 1 goat, 1 rabbit, and 3 birds! And 2 baby cockatiel eggs about to hatch! What kinds do you have?

    My Muscovies have always been the boss, and anytime I brought some new ducks in they would always follow the new ducks around and peck at them to show them who's boss. If they ever got in a fight I'd step in and break it up, but luckily the girls don't ever seem to fight, they just peck at each other.

    Just anytime you decide to bring in some new ducks keep an eye on them and make sure the ones you already have don't try to start any dangerous fights with the new ducks. And it's really a great idea that when you get new ducks to atleast get 2, because that way when the ducks you already have are pecking at them and showing them who's boss they'll have each other.

    After a few weeks they should all be getting along. What kind of new ones will you get? My favorites are Muscovie, because that's what Jake and Topaz were, but Muscovies are probably the most aggressive, too :)

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    gennym,
    I have 2 dogs,5 cats,aviary of finches with 2 doves(a full nest of finch eggs about to hatch too!) ,3 turtles,3 hens 1 rooster,2 ducks, 5 rabbits..and had a potbelly pig! keeps me busy along with my 1 year old baby boy!
    Not sure what I'll get in the spring,I'll see how well the winter goes I guess...want to make sure everyone's well taken care of,then I'll go from there. I'll probably rescue 2 again..
    bye for now..

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Wow, you have a zoo, too! LOL

    Yeah, there is lots of great kinds of ducks. I'm sure you'll be happy with any kind that you get!

    talk to you later

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    Gennym,
    Haha,guess you can say it's a zoo! :) everyone that comes over say's that!
    My finch eggs hatched today!

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Oh really... I bet they're adorable! How many? Did they all hatch? I bet they're cute! My cockatiel eggs should hatch around Nov. 30. I can't wait!

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    actually she laid 6 eggs,4 hatched. Adorable...well not really,they look like chewed up gum at the moment..but will be cute!
    Are you keeping the babies?

  • GennyM
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Hey,

    She laid 4, but only 2 will hatch. ( Did you know you can get a litte flash light and carry the eggs into a dark room and shine it on them. if they're going to hatch you will be able to see little red veins!)

    I'm going to keep one, and my mom's friend owns her own petshop and she's taking the other one and finding it a home for us.

    Are you keeping any of yours?

  • beeliz
    17 years ago

    I will keep them,they're in a larger aviary,so there's plenty of room.
    Hey,this morning my duck,Ted,started attacking Bill,his best friend! They've never done that before,,,is this normal? I feel bad for Bill cause he was being chased and pulled by him. I hope this doesn't continue! They've always done so well together. :(

  • mrs_smith2408_yahoo_com
    14 years ago

    Hi I just bought a male pekin duck for my female pekin.When will she start to become Broody? & hatch out her own eggs
    ? She is 1 yrs old.Do Pekins make good mommies?

  • fancifowl
    14 years ago

    Pekins arent known as reliable broody ducks, but ya never know!!

  • everythingsducky
    14 years ago

    Help!!! I have a mallard that has laid eggs in my planter by my pool. The eggs are due to hatch any day now. How old are the ducklings when Mom duck takes them in the water and how can I make a pool ramp so the ducklings can get in and out. There is about a 10" drop from the planter to the pool.

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