10 Baby Wood Ducks (1st thought they were Mallards)

[DuckyDonna]

Spectacular! they are so beautiful they don't look real. I want to hold them!

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

So do I. <sigh> I want to take them to see Santa. (Rotsa-ruck on that one! LOL!)

 

[johntfs]

So do I. <sigh> I want to take them to see Santa. (Rotsa-ruck on that one! LOL!)

If you get duck poo on Santa, you will end up on the naughty list. Just sayin'...

 

[ColtHandorf]

Gosh they are so pretty. You did a great job raising them. Are you planning on offering them nestboxes in the Spring?

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Gosh they are so pretty. You did a great job raising them. Are you planning on offering them nestboxes in the Spring?

No. Although, I do have a box of sorts in one of my runs. It's not my intention to raise wood ducks. These guys were rescued, sent off, and then came back. I realize that they have zero survival skills. (No doubt I lost one to a hawk and another one was attacked by a hawk in my yard.) They have no desire to leave. The chickens are now their "family" and they're quite content. Anyhow, I'll remove any eggs if and when I find them. Also, in the setup that I have, I can't separate the ducks from the chickens, and the chickens would kill and probably eat the babies. Not something I want to deal with. <grin>

 

[ColtHandorf]

I knew you'd rescued them as ducklings. To quote Dr. Malcolm in Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way". Mother ducks can be pretty darn protective of their babies. I wouldn't count on the chickens bothering them too much if they decide to raise a brood. I'm not sure they'll even lay without a nesting box/cavity as they aren't domesticated so you may not have anything to worry about. But you never know. They like to keep us on our toes.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

You're right. They may surprise me; they probably will. But, I have limited space. I wish I did have acreage to play with, but I think my DH is happy that I have space-limitations.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Took some video this morning. The kids (ducks and chickens) are enjoying the outside pen (covered with netting). Gave them some lettuce leaves and cooked butternut squash. My Partridge Rocks (original flock) are older hens, a couple of curmudgeons, and the ducks stay clear of them (so do the pullets). Ducks grew up with the pullets and tend to boss them around.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are absolutely beautiful. And seeing the Woodies next to your hens shows just how tiny they are! How awesome to have 1 drake and 3 females too.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

They're very entertaining, even when they're doing nothing. <grin>

They love dripping water. At one point, a little female starts to go over to the drain pipe but changes her mind. I might try to rig up a dripping bucket for them. Nothing that refills, but they can enjoy 5 gal. of fun.