Duckling melodrama

[Takhisis]

I'm having a bit of a "what have I done?" moment. I introduced the girls to peas yesterday, which they LOVED. I also finally figured out how to get them to cuddle a bit. Then today around noon (after normal early-morning routine of bath/swim, clean brooder, replace food, water & grit, new bedding towel) they suddenly start hysterically clamoring from the bathroom. Not even the usual "we got the zoomies!" noises, I honestly thought one of them had managed to tip the waterer over and trap herself somehow. I dash in, in a complete panic, and they all run over to the door of the bathtub we're using as a brooder going "...peas? "

Me: "Oh FFS... no, not until tonight. Chill. You have vast amounts of duckie crumble."

<10 minutes pass>

Ducklings: "ZOMG FIRE RAPE MURDER EARTHQUAKE IRS AUDIT HELP HELP HELP"

Me: <runs in>

Ducklings: "...peas? "

Me: "Was there a story about a duck who cried wolf?"

I know I have to just ignore them so they learn it's not a rewarded behavior. But as a first-time duck mom I'm paranoid I'll miss the audio difference between an I-want-peas tantrum and a real immediate crisis. (if there is one) Little duckling drama queens.

 

[tofuii]

I know exactly how you feel! My outside ducks throw tantrums that sound like something got into their enclosure until I run out and they all look at me like "YOU GOT MEALWORMS MAMMA???" and my little indoor waddler begs for watermelon CONSTANTLY when she sees me open the fridge.

They're smart littles and know how you respond and WILL abuse that

 

[LT71689]

I have two indoors with me and I made the mistake of letting them see me prepare a treat plate. They think anyone in the kitchen at all is about to get them some treats but when we pull a dish out of the cabinet or open up the fridge all hell breaks loose and they do NOT like hearing that our own dinner is not for them. Take a plate up the stairs where they cant follow and you'd think someone had just murdered them, I often have to spend the first ten minutes of my dinner time sitting next to their pen shushing them before I sneak away while they're heads are in their water jug

 

[Takhisis]

I have two indoors with me and I made the mistake of letting them see me prepare a treat plate. They think anyone in the kitchen at all is about to get them some treats but when we pull a dish out of the cabinet or open up the fridge all hell breaks loose and they do NOT like hearing that our own dinner is not for them.

LOL... I already have a cat who we joke is "The Archbishop of the High Church of Ham". My husband made the mistake of giving him a bit of ham while making a sandwich one day, and now he has invented an entire RITUAL anytime anyone is at the kitchen counter, convinced it will make ham rain from the sky once again "as the prophecy foretold". I guess I should have expected this from the ducks as well...

 

[Beaglegal]

I'm having a bit of a "what have I done?" moment. I introduced the girls to peas yesterday, which they LOVED. I also finally figured out how to get them to cuddle a bit. Then today around noon (after normal early-morning routine of bath/swim, clean brooder, replace food, water & grit, new bedding towel) they suddenly start hysterically clamoring from the bathroom. Not even the usual "we got the zoomies!" noises, I honestly thought one of them had managed to tip the waterer over and trap herself somehow. I dash in, in a complete panic, and they all run over to the door of the bathtub we're using as a brooder going "...peas? "

Me: "Oh FFS... no, not until tonight. Chill. You have vast amounts of duckie crumble."

<10 minutes pass>

Ducklings: "ZOMG FIRE RAPE MURDER EARTHQUAKE IRS AUDIT HELP HELP HELP"

Me: <runs in>

Ducklings: "...peas? "

Me: "Was there a story about a duck who cried wolf?"

I know I have to just ignore them so they learn it's not a rewarded behavior. But as a first-time duck mom I'm paranoid I'll miss the audio difference between an I-want-peas tantrum and a real immediate crisis. (if there is one) Little duckling drama queens.

I made the mistake of giving a deer some apples out of my tree when she was going after my duck food, you know, to distract her. Now she will be lying in my back yard, see me come out, and she will rush over to the duck food. When I yell, she walks over to the tree and looks up. I’m not gonna lie I get her apples every time because it’s so funny