Da' Cute and Cuddly Call Duck thread!

[JLynnsDuckies]

Good advice. We socialize all our ducks from day one (actually before day one), and we also brood them in the house. We still have ones that try to come into the house, meaning our house, when it's time to go to bed at night. That comes and goes and has lasted for weeks. The ones we mostly recently put into the outdoor brooder gave us trouble just two nights ago, and they'd been in the outdoor brooder for almost a month at that point. Everyone else went to their designated pens, but those walked up to the sliding door where they used to come in and out and just looked up at me like, "Aren't we going in here? Open door?"

My heart just melted. I would have let them in if it weren't for the fact that we'd already taken the indoor brooder down for the year.

Awe! That is so precious!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I've thought about that too. I asked the women if they are used to people and she said they are and have been handled alot. I'm not sure if they are imprinted though. I realize the bond won't be the same as if they were young. I was hoping to possibly imprint on some babies next spring as we will be getting a male and female. We are going to see how they interact with us while we are there as well. So hopefully all goes well!

And JLynn, don't forget Calls can fly. You'll need to take that into consideration before you get them home.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Awe! That is so precious!

Yes, it was very precious, and kind of heart-wrenching. I'd be glad to sell you some of ours if you lived nearby since you sound like you're going to be a great mom, but it's far too early to ship right now.

 

[JLynnsDuckies]

That's a great idea! Even if you don't form a bond with these guys there's always their babies.

Yep! It's the backup plan! Plus from what I've seen looking through the local (or somewhat local) ads on craigslist these birds have the roundness and tiny bills that I love. A lot of the adult calls that I've looked at didnt. So hopefully they would pass that down to their offspring.

 

[JLynnsDuckies]

Omg I can't even handle that. Someday when I move into a home with a yard I plan to have a whole flock, and I know I'm gonna cry my eyes out when I have to move the babies from the brooder to the backyard! I know they'll get the hang of outdoor life, but the little looks of betrayal when they first realize they aren't coming back inside is enough to break even the most hardened of hearts. Aaaaand that's why I now have not one, but TWO house ducks, LOL!

I agree! Houseducks are in our future I'm almost certain!

 

[JLynnsDuckies]

And JLynn, don't forget Calls can fly. You'll need to take that into consideration before you get them home.

Lol! I've seen little Bean do it!!! I guess we will have to either learn to clip or find a vet who can show us the way... Hazel and Henry have a enclosure with a top on it that can easily be divided for the calls. Don't worry I would never put them in together. My pekins are kinda naughty.

 

[JLynnsDuckies]

Yes, it was very precious, and kind of heart-wrenching. I'd be glad to sell you some of ours if you lived nearby since you sound like you're going to be a great mom, but it's far too early to ship right now.

Awe, well thank you! I thought calls had a hard time being shipped? Or at least the ducklings do.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Omg I can't even handle that. Someday when I move into a home with a yard I plan to have a whole flock, and I know I'm gonna cry my eyes out when I have to move the babies from the brooder to the backyard! I know they'll get the hang of outdoor life, but the little looks of betrayal when they first realize they aren't coming back inside is enough to break even the most hardened of hearts. Aaaaand that's why I now have not one, but TWO house ducks, LOL!

It's never easy for me. The group before the last group was really hard. I somewhere along the way got into the habit of calling them my angels. I think it wasn't so much that group themselves but me who made them into my angels. I worked with them all the time, more than most, and I could open their brooding pen and they would either climb onto my lap or gather around me to listen to me sing and tell stories. They were pretty much as obedient as ducks can be, and our little Sklyar came out of that group. She loves being outdoors though because she flies and flies and flies.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Lol! I've seen little Bean do it!!! I guess we will have to either learn to clip or find a vet who can show us the way... Hazel and Henry have a enclosure with a top on it that can easily be divided for the calls. Don't worry I would never put them in together. My pekins are kinda naughty.

They aren't hard to clip, but we don't clip any of ours. Watching them fly is almost always the best part of my day.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Awe, well thank you! I thought calls had a hard time being shipped? Or at least the ducklings do.

The older ones can be shipped, just not ducklings. It's just not the right time of year. The weather needs to be cool when ducks are shipped because of the heat that can build up in the shipping boxes through both the outdoor heat and the heat the ducks themselves produce.