Da' Cute and Cuddly Call Duck thread!

[Julie Birb]

Yup! Hehe sorry, that's just my term for it. Standing on one leg = kickstand, sleeping with feet and head tucked in = loaf, when they lie with one foot splayed behind them = lollipop, and both feet = bear rug.

HAHA. I love your ducktionary, Amykins. So cute. I'd squeal over the bear rug. The kick standing thing looks so uncomfortable. I don't get why birbs do that. I see the Canadian geese doing it a lot. My finches don't do it.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Rats! Counting white calls this morning and come up one short! My slip winged drake from Holderread's is missing, no body parts or piles of feathers anywhere, so can only surmise it was an owl. Going to have to put some netting over the top of the pen it looks like. Don't have time to do it today, have to haul a horse from central CA to NorCal. Hope I don't lose one tonight. I hate owls! This is the first one i've ever lost from inside the pen. Always figured only an owl or hawk could get in, looks like one finally did. He may have been slip winged, but he was my favorite!

Does this mean you're keeping Call ducks in an outdoor pen that's not secured on every side and the top? That's very concerning to me if I'm understanding this correctly. Most common owls in the US are easily able to take a Call duck since owls can lift several times their own weight, unlike most raptors. If you have Calls in a pen with sides but no top, they're basically, umm, sitting ducks when it comes to nocturnal predators.

 

[Amiga]

Sad to read duckmeister has lost a drake … is there any possibility, slipped wing or not, he could have gotten out on his own? I don't know if you've dealt with predators much, but from what I understand, they return till they're excluded, or until they've taken every bird they can take.

 

[duckmeister]

Does this mean you're keeping Call ducks in an outdoor pen that's not secured on every side and the top? That's very concerning to me if I'm understanding this correctly. Most common owls in the US are easily able to take a Call duck since owls can lift several times their own weight, unlike most raptors. If you have Calls in a pen with sides but no top, they're basically, umm, sitting ducks when it comes to nocturnal predators.

Yes they are sitting ducks, my guard dog patrols around the pens at night and barks a lot, I know he won't allow any critter to get through the fence, never once has anything got in, was thinking his barking would probably scare owls away too, but apparently he was taking a nap when the owl landed

 

[duckmeister]

Thank you Julie Bird, hopefully he will, there's a chance he could have squueezed through a hole and got under the chicken coop, had time to think about it while driving. Still on the road, will check under the chicken coop when i get home in a couple of hours.

 

[Amykins]

HAHA. I love your ducktionary, Amykins. So cute. I'd squeal over the bear rug. The kick standing thing looks so uncomfortable. I don't get why birbs do that. I see the Canadian geese doing it a lot. My finches don't do it.

"Ducktionary" <3

As for why they kickstand, heck if I know. I think they do it to keep their foot warm, but if that's the case then why not just lie down and tuck in both feets?

 

[Tevyes Dad]

there's no rhyme or reason to it! This morning she just wouldn't stop, she was bolted straight up and making alarm quacks. But there's nothing remotely scary anywhere near her. No airplanes going overhead, no bugs on the wall, nothing. I think she just likes the sound of her own ear-piercing voice.

Not as crazy as it sounds. Many of you call duck owners are inside so there might be certain places where the acoustics are "interesting" to a call duck. One day I had a large tub balanced on two chairs (don't remember why) and Snow (my former not-even-close-to-a-call-duck Pekin) walked underneath it and happened to let out a little mutter... It echoed... She stopped then lowered her head and quacked softly... no echo... raised her head and quacked softly... echo. She then proceeded to quack loudly with her head under the tub for about 5 minutes and seemed to be delighted about the echo. She then got bored and wandered off somewhere else.

 

[Amykins]

Awww, precious Snow girl <3 I'm so sorry that you lost her, Tony. She wasn't even my duck and I still feel her loss! Do you think you'll ever get another jumbo Peke, or would it be too painful? I know if you did, it'd have come mighty big shoes to fill, both literally and figuratively.

 

[Julie Birb]

"Ducktionary" <3

As for why they kickstand, heck if I know. I think they do it to keep their foot warm, but if that's the case then why not just lie down and tuck in both feets?

Teehee, you are so right. Why not? It just seems like they'd be off balance and all. Kinda takes some core strength to do that. I'd rather lay down and do the loaf than kickstand all night.

 

[Julie Birb]

Thank you Julie Bird, hopefully he will, there's a chance he could have squueezed through a hole and got under the chicken coop, had time to think about it while driving. Still on the road, will check under the chicken coop when i get home in a couple of hours.

Awe, you are welcome. I hope it is good news. Let us know. I want him to be found. Ug. Scary for you.