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In This Issue...

	Broody Ducks and Naughty Drakes
	Testing an Urban Legend
	All about Pekin Ducks
	Get to Know Your Predators: Northern Goshawk
	Recommended Reading: Quackadack Duck
	Reader Poll #16

All About Pekin Ducks The Pekin Duck is the duck most people think of when they imagine what a domestic duck looks like. For this reason they are often called simply "Domestic Ducks." The most famous Pekin Ducks are Aflac and, of course, Donald Duck. The Pekin Duck is a fast growing duck. Pekin Ducklings are commonly seen around Easter. Because the Pekin Duck is also shown as an ornamental duck several different varieties have been developed for show, among these are the Jumbo Pekin Duck and the Crested Pekin Duck. The Pekin Duck is quite hardy, which is one of the reasons it is so popular. Unlike other ducks, the Pekin has a very even temperament making it a good pet. The average lifespan of a Pekin Duck is 9-12 years. The Pekin Duck embodies what the classic white duck should look like. The average mature Pekin Ducks weighs between 8 and 9 pounds, though larger show varieties have been developed. Their plumage is white and they have orange bills, legs, and feet. Pekin Ducks were imported from China into Europe and North America in the 1800s and were first seen in shows in 1878. Today Pekin Ducks are the most popular farm duck. Information above obtained from CentralPets.com. Get to Know Your Predators: Northern Goshawk An adult goshawk is 21-26 inches long with a wing span of 40-46 inches. Females are usually larger than males. It wings and back are blue-gray and its underparts are white with fine black barring. The goshawk is a forest-dwelling raptor (a flesh eating bird or "bird of prey"). Its sharp talons and curved bill are excellent tools for holding prey and tearing flesh. It has broad, stocky wings and a long tail. The broad wings allow the goshawk to accelerate and decelerate quickly, and along with its long tail allow it great maneuverability among the trees of the forest. As a "bird of prey" the goshawk hunts a variety of medium to large-sized birds and mammals ranging from forest birds, ducks, and gulls to ground squirrels and snowshoe hares. Prey is taken to a perch or log, where the goshawk prepares its food first by plucking feathers or fur and sometimes removing entrails. These perches or logs are called "plucking posts" and are used by researchers to identify goshawk presence, prey being taken and nest locations. Goshawks usually nest in the tops of old growth forest trees and use the same areas for nesting year after year although not necessarily the same nest. The height of the nest plus the canopy cover of the tree give the goshawks protection from the elements as well as from unwelcome neighbors. Information above was obtained from Predator Conservation Alliance. Reader Poll #16 Question: Which Pekin is your favorite? Donald Duck Daisy Duck Aflac Joey's Duck on Friends Howard the Duck Scrooge McDuck Jemima Puddle Duck Huey, Dewey and Louie Voting Has Closed. Please see next issue for results. Results of Reader Poll #15 What are some of your favorite movies that feature ducks, geese, or swans in lead, supporting, or cameo roles?   Fly Away Home 66% Winged Migration 17% Babe 17%   Contact Us Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary 17 Barker Road Lebanon, CT 06249 director@majesticwaterfowl.org Our Newsletter The Majestic Monthly is published 12 times per year. Back issues can be obtained online from our Newsletter Archives.

Broody Ducks and Naughty Drakes

Spring is here! And most of our incoming questions are concerned with broody hens and misbehaving drakes. Here are a few tips to ease you through the season

Hens

If your hen is broody and wanting to sit on eggs that you don’t want her to hatch out, then we have a few recommendations.

1. Remove her daily egg. She may get angry or upset, but, she will soon move onto other activities. This is the tactic we use here at Majestic and the hens here are all very happy. They never get broody or attached to their eggs and they continue with their normal routine. We highly recommend this strategy.
    
2. If you haven’t the heart to take away her eggs and you have drakes on the premises, remove her first egg, use a marker to write the date on the egg, then, addle the egg (shake the egg vigorously) and place it back in the nest beneath her.
   
   After laying her second egg, mark the date on it and shake it vigorously and return it to the nest as well and then re-shake the first egg again. Continue to do this routine until she stops laying additional eggs or until you think her nest is full enough.
   
   Although addling the egg should prevent an embryo from developing (even in a fertilized egg), we highly suggest following up this tactic with a visual inspect. Candle the eggs (hold them up to a flash light in an otherwise dark room) and be sure you don’t see any red veins forming on the inner side of she shell, or any small dark and moving areas forming inside of the egg. If you see this, immediately remove the egg from the nest and place it in your freezer for 24 hours and then discard it.

3. Laying hens should have a free choice source of oyster shells available at your local grain store. Some stores carry a calcium chip in lieu of oyster shells; this is fine too.
    
4. Laying hens should also be fed a ration of non-medicated laying feed mixed in with their regular food. A 25%-50% mix is recommended as needed. Try to keep non-layers and drakes from eating laying formulas.

Drakes

Drakes tend to begin misbehaving in February, when their hormones are on the rise. Drakes are less apt to fight with one another when hens are not present, although spats will still break out. Separations may become necessary, and don’t be afraid to put up a fence between your drakes when necessary. Feather plucking or raw areas behind the neck are good signs that separations are in order. Drakes may need to be separated from hens if they get too rambunctious.

Fighting tends to decrease with the onset of summer heat, although it can continue all the way through until September, when hormone levels begin to decrease again. As drakes age, fighting tends to decrease between them.

Egg Binding

If you see your hen’s tail pumping up and down for a long period of time, open bill panting, or if you see her walking or standing in an odd penguin-like stance, she may be having trouble laying her egg.

If your hen is having difficulties passing her egg put her in a lukewarm and private bath and call your vet immediately. Your vet will administer a shot to help her contractions along and they will also lubricate your duck’s oviduct to help her get the egg out.

If this happens, you want to re-examine your feeding rations. If the egg is rough, misshapen or soft, you need to increase the ration of laying formula. If the egg is normal, you may need to decrease your ration of laying formula.

Many families have found that hard boiling and chopping up their ducks healthy eggs and feeding it back to them has cleared up their hen’s calcium deficiencies. If your hen is having troubles laying, try this strategy.

Some hens are more genetically prone to this than others and you may need vet intervention for a long term solution. Hormone shots are often utilized, but be sure you understand all of the risks and side effects. This should be reserved for the most extreme cases and after all other options have been tried.

The Myth: A Duck's Quack Does Not Echo

Many duck-lovers missed the episode of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters in which Jamie and Adam borrowed two Pekin ducks to see if there is any truth to the myth that a duck’s quack doesn’t echo.

Their first hurdle was to get their duck to quack. When working with only one duck they were frustrated that the duck was so silent. Upon introducing a second duck, they went right to quacking. Apparently, they just needed someone to talk to.

Working outside, the team was not able to pick up an echo with their equipment. They began to think the myth was true. They decided to move the test to an anechoic chamber in a warehouse. This time they were indeed able to detect a duck quack’s echo, disproving the myth.

A duck’s quack does echo, but because the quack and the echo are so close in sound, the echo just sounds like a continuation of the quack and is practically indistinguishable. They declared the myth officially BUSTED! A duck’s quack DOES echo!

The Mythbusters may have busted the echo myth, but sadly, they did not realize that a more detrimental duck myth was at hand. Adam and Jamie “rewarded” the two Pekins who performed in the quacking tests by setting them “free” on a river. The release perpetuated the myth that domestic ducks belong and are happy in the wild.

Recommended Reading*

Quackadack Duck
By Allen Morgan

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Description:

Troll doesn't care for being nice. All he wants is to be left alone to count his precious pennies. But while out walking, Troll meets a newly-hatched duck who thinks Troll is his mother and follows him home. "Quack quack quack. Quackadack quack," says the baby duck. Taking pity, Troll eventually agrees to give him a home.

One evening Troll slips out to steal some more pennies and Quackadack Duck follows behind. The young duck is quickly snatched and locked up by an opportunistic store owner. Troll tries to free his friend from the cage, but the only way is to buy him back. Not keen to part with his pennies, Troll returns home alone.

After a troubled night Troll resolves to spend his money and liberate his friend. But the cage is empty -- Quackadack is gone! In a state of despair, his heartstrings tugged, Troll donates his pennies to a little girl wishing to free another duck from the store. On returning to his hole, who should Troll meet but Quackadack Duck! His friend learned the art of escape by watching Troll.

In this comical and heart-rending tale Allen Morgan creates characters that children identify with and scenes they find hilarious.