Babies have arrived! Pics! And now with video!

[Julie Birb]

I don't know what that's called. Somebody else answer that? When I first saw those 2 little stripes, I thought of a goatee lol.

Heehee. Opie's got a poof and a goatee. She is so cute. I can tell she's a character.

 

[Kaessa]

ya, and what's cool about Opie is that prominence at the end of her bill is so cool with its colored stripes. What is that thing called? I see it on all ducks.

It's called the "bean".

 

[Kaessa]

Do you have any ventilation for your duck house?

Yep, on the sides and back of the roof. It's at a slight angle, and that leaves about a 2-inch gap in the back for damp air to get out. I still need to line it with hardware cloth, but ventilation is looking good. It's hard to see from the pictures, it looks like a sealed box!

 

[JessiLynn]

It looks so great! I bet it feels nice to have that finished up. How did you do the first night? Did YOU survive!? I know it was hard for me the first couple of nights. It was kinda sad to walk downstairs and not have them greet me with a "We ran out of food - get more for us NOW!" cheeping.

 

[Kaessa]

It looks so great! I bet it feels nice to have that finished up. How did you do the first night? Did YOU survive!? I know it was hard for me the first couple of nights. It was kinda sad to walk downstairs and not have them greet me with a "We ran out of food - get more for us NOW!" cheeping.

It was actually a relief not to have to chase them down to put them back into the brooder last night! I did ok, but it was good to get up this morning and let them out and see everyone was ok.

 

[Julie Birb]

It's called the "bean".

O, I love that. Why is it there? Someone told me it helps with breaking out of the shell. I think Opie's is cool.

 

[JessiLynn]

I bet that was a relief! They are sure pretty! I have to say your blue swedish is really turning into a pretty bird. I am such a sucker for that color. Someday I want a couple of Lavendar Orphington chickens. They have the gray feet and a lilac gray coloring to their feathers. Such pretty chickens. Anyhow, my husband isnt on board yet he says I told him duck eggs were better than chicken eggs, so WHY would we NEED chickens he asks. Well, just because sweetie pie. He'll come around I'm sure. Once the house is done. It is big enough that it could totally be split up for chickens too. I'm a planner- yes I am.

 

[Kaessa]

I can't touch them, but they'll come right up next to me.

Watch the reaction to my phone's alarm going off at about 30 seconds in. Everyone is all "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT."

 

[Kaessa]

O, I love that. Why is it there? Someone told me it helps with breaking out of the shell. I think Opie's is cool.

I just found out it's also called the "nail", and they use it like we use our fingernails to pick things up.

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-biology/the-scoop-on-duck-bills

Quote:

 

[Julie Birb]

I just found out it's also called the "nail", and they use it like we use our fingernails to pick things up.

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-biology/the-scoop-on-duck-bills

that is so cool Kaessa. I never knew that. Plus I had no idea the tips of their bills were innervated with sensory nerves. Thanks for the link and copying the little info paragraph.