Box O' Ducklings

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Chel,
Very cute ducklings. Small world too, we got our order from Holderread's yesterday too! We got 10 Exhibition Gray Runners and 12 Silver Appleyards. They are the cutest things!
Christie
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Good News!~ The 4 test ducks (hopefully not sacrificial) that were put in with the goose yesterday, are fat and fine this morning. As opposed to flat and frozen from being stepped on or abandoned by the goose. LOL. She hissed at me, but let me lift her wing to check on the ducklings and they were all alive and well. I had checked on them last night at about 2:30 am and removed the plastic bit that was blocking them into the nest box so that the goose would be able to get out to eat and drink this morning. That had me a little worried that the duckies would get "lost" outside the nest box, but they didnt, yea!!!

Today I will try to introduce the other 8 ducklings to the goose and then I will remove the last of her infertile eggs on Sunday. I want to leave the eggs there for a least another day to ensure she stays on the nest until she and the babies are bonded. Im a little scared about giving her my special runner ducklings. I would really hate to lose any of them. But, I want her to raise them because she is the only waterfowl that Ive had that goes into the pen at night on her own and Im hoping she will teach the ducks to do that, too.

Boy, I forgot how wet baby ducks get everything. The little buggers in the house can find a way to slosh water everywhere no matter how high I put their waterers, LOL. Good thing they are so cute! Now I remember why I used to use wire bottom cages to brood them...... a cardboard box only lasts an hour before it is totally soggy, and a plastic tote turns into a pool in no time!


chel
 
Hey Christie, lets see some pictures of your Holderread ducklings!!


Yesterday I put the rest of the ducklings in with the goose and they were okay overnight. I noticed today that they werent spending as much time under her as I thought that they should, probably because I replaced the light over them with a red one that is warmer. So, I turned it off tonight and Ill go check soon to be sure that they are all tucked in under her wings.

Oh yeah, earlier today, the goose stood up, looked between her legs at the one egg that I left her with, looked at me, looked at the ducklings, then the egg, then back at the ducklings. I swear..... she was counting!

She also left the nest and wandered around her pen for a while, so I think she is just about done with setting and Im keeping my fingers crossed that she plays Mommy to the duckies.

chel
 
Blondie, with a few exceptions, domestic ducks can't fly for more than a few feet and not more than a few flaps. THat has been bred out of them. They are just too big.
Now, domestic mallards fly. I have one that flies to where she wants to go, but has never flown off. Young muscovies fly, too. Again, mostly just to fly around. Once they get to be adults the females fly some and the males can hardly get off the ground, though they do flap alot.
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I AM SOOOO JEALOUS!!! I haven't gotten my order from Holderread's yet.
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I ordered 2 chocolate runners, 2 black cayugas, 2 anconas, and a dozen black and blue muscovy eggs. I also ordered a pair of little Australian Spotted for a lady down the road from me.

I have Welsh Harlequins from them, as well as a pair of fawn and white runners. I cannot WAIT to get mine. But... on the upside, I do get to drive down there and pick them up from the farm. It's about 2 hours from me - but getting to talk to Dave and Millie is totally worth it. They are such nice folks, and its so fun to see the geese and ducks out in the yard and on the pond - especially those giant African geese!!! So... maybe the wait is worth it a bit...
 
Thanks loopy!

Fowlfriends...... I am sooooooo jealous that you live close enough to drive to Holderreads!!!! I'd be there all the time.... and I'd now be hip deep in ducks and geese, LOL.

Unfortunately, we lost the little chocolate runner duckling... literally. When I came back from my fathers memorial (I was gone 2 nights), it was missing. We looked everywhere, hoping to at least find its little body to see what happened, but it was no where to be found. I thought that I had the pen buttoned up tight with corrugated panels and 1/4 inch wire mesh, but it must have squeezed out somewhere and then its peeping would have attracted a predator. Sucks.

All the rest are doing well and getting bigger everyday.
The first picture is of them at 4 days old, in the second pic they are 11 days old.
Mama goose is looking pretty thin and ragged after sitting on the nest for a month. She lost a lot of weight and a lot of her long feathers.

chel
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