Well I let my 4 week old ducklings out in the yard today. Temp is finally warm enough for them to get out and have some fresh air and greens. My buff sebastopol gander immediately stole them from me. He shook his feathers at me, hissed got his neck between me and them and that was all she wrote. They now belong to him. I left them in the yard with him to babysit. When I returned a few hours later they were nowhere to be found. The gander had herded them into a corner of the yard where the patio furniture is being stored for winter. He put them back in the corner of his little barricade and he guarded the entrance. He was determined no one was going to take them from him. Could not leave them out overnight, so I put on coveralls in case I got attacked and went in from behind the barricade and garthered the ducklings. Couldn't stand to break the ganders heart so instead of going back to the brooder I put them in his night house. Well his goose is sitting on a nest there and she screamed at him but good. I can just imagine the conversation was something like Don't you think I have enough to do sitting on this nest. I don't have time to raise someone elses children and him saying back, Please please can't i keep them they are so cute. I will take care of them I promise you won't have to do a thing. And she responded sure, sure i have heard that before. Well anyway after a long shouting match they have all settled doen for the night. Gone from mine to his in the blink of an eye. I know I have read on hear that it could happen and now I know. I am the provider of food water and shelter, but not the parent.
