we were gifted a male and female duck last year... we loved them, they coexisted with the hens and rooster, free ranging around the land. I became a duck egg fanatic, with our egg per day i got the whole neighborhood convinced of the benefits of duck eggs. then she sat on her eggs and we had a bunch of baby ducks- cute cute cute... until daddy duck started gang banging the whole family and it was so violent and horrible all the cuteness there ever was dissappeared. after many failed attempts to seperate the family- we gave the whole bunch away. but now, after the horrors have faded a bit in my brain, i'm missing those duck eggs. does anyone know if duck eggs need to be fertile to have all the benefits? do all male ducks get so brutally violent, and how do you avoid an incestuous duck family,. or is it acceptable in the duck culture? maybe there's a duck tribe....
any input appreciated
M
any input appreciated
M
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Re: duck question
Thu, March 6, 2008 - 10:18 PMJust get a girl duck or two and forego the boys.....I had a pair of ducks...then out of symapthy took in two males that needed a home...well I too had the duck gangbang going on and then when the rooster was trying to make sweet love to one of the hens the damn male ducks would jump her! I got rid of the extra males.....then the mate got killed....I was sad but things are much better without horny male ducks. The eggs will come and no they dont need to be fertilized to be yummy!
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Kill All Boys at Puberty
Fri, March 7, 2008 - 7:56 AMThere is a lot of folklore about the nutritive value of fertilized eggs, but according to standard nutritional science it is irrevelevant. A few extra cells don't contribute any substantive nutrients, the chemists say, although there may be some mystical, magical, macrobiotic or ayurvedic benefit. A fresh egg is basically in a state of suspended animation until it rises above a certain temperature (such as by a hen sitting on a brood or clutch of them, or being placed in an incubator). When the temperature rises, cell division commences so long as the temperature stays within certain parameters.
While I appreciate the imaginative benefits of fertile eggs, western science just isn't there, and I've been told that "blood spots" are not indicative of fertile eggs either.
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Re: duck question
Fri, March 7, 2008 - 10:16 AMToo many boys and not enough girls. My understanding is to have at least 3 hens to every drake. That is what I have now, but I have to wait until this spring to see if ir works.
I used to have a drake that would go after all of my hens. They are brutal to chickens. He didn't know better. He was raised with chickens. Last fall we had a bear get into the coop and Duck Luck was no more. -
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Re: duck question
Mon, March 10, 2008 - 1:54 PMIn nature, mallards (from whom domestic ducks are bred - hence the curly tails) normally engage in behavior from monogamy through to gang rape.
"Incest" is a term that has no meaning for many types of animals. Siblings and parents/offspring of many animals will breed. -
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Re: duck question
Fri, March 21, 2008 - 10:57 PMThanks for the great info and insight everyone... i'm especially relieved i don't have to worry about duck incest!
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Re: duck question
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 8:19 AMHey Ms. Melissa,
I have started with ducklings for the first time. We have 10 (5 Cayuga and 5 buff Orpington ducks) I know exactly what your talking about with the gang bang thing. It is really disturbing. I have had the incest issue with my finches and my quails are awful when they are horny, brutal. I just hope we have mostly girls...it was a straight run. Otherwise I will have a very full freezer indeed!
I was kind of concerned about the ducklings water consumption. They are so frantic when i water,and it seems I am always watering them, them that I was worried. I think I have resigned myself that the cute little fuzz balls are just maniacs. They cant be dehydrated.
How old do they have to be to be allowed to have a pool of water to swim in? -
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Re: duck question
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 5:52 PMAt this point I would let them swim supervised. Make sure there is some sort of ramp that they can use to get out of the water. Start with a shallow pool. Also make sure that they have a warm place to go afterwards. You are their momma now. -
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Re: duck question
Sat, March 29, 2008 - 1:35 PMI know my little water maniac will be pleased to hear that! -
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Re: duck question
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 8:24 AMI would agree with the last post- just make sure they can get back out of the water. we had a big plastic puppy pool and some shallow plastic tubs. we put pieces of wood and bricks in them so they had stepping stones... but they had their mama duck and weh had them in the water before we know what was going on and we were just reacting to the situation. they are quite fun as little fluff balls. and yes, they seem to love water so much! ("like ducks to water "as the saying goes) it seems they like to play in it as much as drinking it.
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Re: duck question
Mon, March 31, 2008 - 8:30 PMwe've got two ducklings on order - I'm looking forward to the splashy fun. -
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Re: duck question
Fri, April 4, 2008 - 2:29 PMthe ducklings are splashy fun, but be prepared they are very messy and stinky!
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