2019 Spring Ducklings are here!

[MIDuckLady]

Have they ever messed with your ducks?

Not with my ducks - but they hit a neighbors chicks.

 

[MIDuckLady]

Additional Duckling Update: I somehow managed to weigh the ducklings while moving them from the brooder into the outside-house so here is a picture of the current spread-sheet:

All White Layer ducklings are over 1000 grams - and have long sharp toenails!!!
The Buff Orpington with the violet ring is the lightest duckling and Magpie "blue" again on the second spot. Not entirely sure, but i suspect the BO "violet" to be the drake i had ordered. The four other BOs yelled "bloody murder" when i picked them up yesterday and put up one hell of a fight before going into the scale-bowl, this one was quiet, just peeped a bit and showed no sign of a »quack«. I'm not sure if i ever be able to weight them again…

So, I gotta ask you - are / were you an IT analyst? Just wondering given the level of detail in your status reports.
Reminds me of myself a bit..

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I love these videos WannaBe!!! It’s really making want my ducklings to hurry up and get here!!!

What's the hold up? - If i have ducklings again, i will again order them early, have them in the house for some weeks until their feathers come out. They are so much more friendly and trusting.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

So, I gotta ask you - are / were you an IT analyst? Just wondering given the level of detail in your status reports.
Reminds me of myself a bit..

I am working as a consultant for a large soft- and hardware company and i have to write detailed reports, document measurements and i'm doing that for 20 years now. My wife calls me a »control freak«…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Duckling update: The ducklings were watching me working on the fortification of Duck-Knox this afternoon. They were afraid of »Mr. Circular Saw« as well as »Mr. Stapler« and »Mr. Power-Drill« but they still love »Mrs. Meal-Worm-Container«…
They are somewhat scared of the grown up ducks, except of Limpy. He sits down at their house and chats with them, maybe he remembers when he was little and sitting in that house himself. I don't know what to make out of Katharina's behavior:

I still don't know if she despises the ducklings or if she is upset about them locked in. Fact is the 'lings don't like to have her around. The first two minutes of the video shows Nona Duck, my project manager, inspecting today's work progress on Duck Knox. - Then Katharina makes a noisy entrance…

 

[CrystaBub]

What's the hold up? - If i have ducklings again, i will again order them early, have them in the house for some weeks until their feathers come out. They are so much more friendly and trusting.

I did that last year - they were in the house for 2 months... But they started getting cranky for more exercise room and it didn't warm up enough for them to go. I even bought duck diapers and let them run around the house chasing the cats LOL. This year they're arriving in April - so figure 4-6 weeks in the house with visits outside during the day - but I doubt we'll be consistently over 50 at night here until late May/early June - which will be a perfect time to get them permanently outside.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My gosh those babies are almost the size of your adults. Oh your Runners will intimidate they will try and bully and then they will all become one flock. lol And there is possibility since there are so many ducklings they will become boss and chase your Runners around. I other words it's going to be very interesting. When do they get let out of jail?

 

[CrystaBub]

Wow they really are almost as big as the adults - they grow so fast!

 

[Kkrista123]

They're so cute and they get so big so fast! Find any treatment for the severe meal worm addiction? I cold turkeyed Gil for a little while because they were the only treats that got her so excited she'd nip!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I did that last year - they were in the house for 2 months... But they started getting cranky for more exercise room and it didn't warm up enough for them to go. I even bought duck diapers and let them run around the house chasing the cats LOL. This year they're arriving in April - so figure 4-6 weeks in the house with visits outside during the day - but I doubt we'll be consistently over 50 at night here until late May/early June - which will be a perfect time to get them permanently outside.

Our ducklings had their first 2°C (35F) night outside and they are doing fine. Ok, they have a heat-pad and an infrared lamp but this morning they were waiting outside of their cave for me to bring their water. Your weather should be much warmer than ours here, you're on the sea-side of the Appalachians. I'm a bit worried about next week, the forecast says -10°C (14F) for Wednesday night - i may wrap some movers blankets around the duckling house.