Ducklings hatching & I wasn't ready-not secluded from rest of flock

[Lilbitsnpieces]

I also separate when I hear peeping..drake's will kill ducklings..esp. any he sees as threats...if you don't want to completely separate..if you have room..place drake in a crate in your pen..so he "sees" momma...or as I do..place drake in a smaller kennel..make sure it is predator proof..and place in FRONT of momma, again so they see each other..After babies born I use cattle panels covered with hardware cloth..to separate..Please be aware duckling can drown..I use a plastic garbage can lid upside down with a brick in the middle..
Good wishes on being a Ducky Grandparent

 

[Regina Larsen]

I put a partition for now, going to see if any other eggs hatch before I move them, I think, I don't know. The other Mama had 2 hatch last night. I guess I didn't think this through. I almost feel like a teen mom again and don't have a clue what I'm doing and probably could have been more prepared. The child made it and is doing well in life, maybe I wont' mess up the duckies too much.
Thanks for your input and advise.

It sounds like yr doing great.

 

[Duckin Crazy]

We'll,it's been a typical crazy week for my flock. Only three of The Princesses eggs hatched. The next day Brown Duck decided she was done and wanted to go hang out with her guy instead of being a mother and abandoned her nest and her baby. I thought that was kind of strange but why wouldn't I have a dysfunctional duck? I had hoped the other mother would take the poor little thing in but after seeing it get pecked in the head very hard I started to have my doubts,; when the other three babies started picking on it I knew it couldn't stay. So I have a bathroom duck again. Why wouldn't i? Between the two pairs of babies to start me off and Duckles,my drake recovering from his dog attack for almost a month I've had ducks in my bathroom for three of the last 9 months. Plus chickens for about 3 weeks.
I think the three babies are going to go live with my neighbors but I'm pretty sure I 'm too attached to Little Pippi to re-home. The last couple of days she's been on my heels as I work in the garden, I'm really amazed at how much ground a little duck cover.
I do have an issue so if anyone has any thoughts on this I'd appreciate it. I know I'm way far away from even trying to introduce her to the flock. It wouldn't be an issue however I'm leaving Wednesday for a week or so. My husband will be home keep everyone fed and watered but I know he won't want to hang out with this little sweetheart. He is making me a great duck tractor from heavy metal grate like stuff,with posts to anchor the open bottom to the ground. It's all welded and I know nothing will get in from the top.I think it's about 6 ft long she'll have plenty of room for a little water & whatnot.
The plan is to put it inside the duck enclosure so the others can see her and she can see them so she won't be totally alone. He will bring her in at night.
Does this sound like it might work? If not do you think an airline will let me fly with her if I say she's my emotional support duck? That's what I told them when I took her to the office when I had to go in last week for a few hours.(not dising anyone who has a support animal.I believe many of mine are\have been and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to them for getting me through some crazy times).
One last question, if we put the duck tractor in the duck enclosure ... Never mind that was going to be a silly question I was going to ask if you thought Mama that didn't want her or my Drake would try to dig under the bottom bars to get to her but then I realized that would be a big hole for them to get their bodies through and I would really think my husband would figure it out before they could burrow under it.LOL..Ducks don't burrow do they?
Thanks again! I am really amazed at how welcome I feel here.
Hope you all have a safe & sane holiday.

 

[Regina Larsen]

We'll,it's been a typical crazy week for my flock. Only three of The Princesses eggs hatched. The next day Brown Duck decided she was done and wanted to go hang out with her guy instead of being a mother and abandoned her nest and her baby. I thought that was kind of strange but why wouldn't I have a dysfunctional duck? I had hoped the other mother would take the poor little thing in but after seeing it get pecked in the head very hard I started to have my doubts,; when the other three babies started picking on it I knew it couldn't stay. So I have a bathroom duck again. Why wouldn't i? Between the two pairs of babies to start me off and Duckles,my drake recovering from his dog attack for almost a month I've had ducks in my bathroom for three of the last 9 months. Plus chickens for about 3 weeks.
I think the three babies are going to go live with my neighbors but I'm pretty sure I 'm too attached to Little Pippi to re-home. The last couple of days she's been on my heels as I work in the garden, I'm really amazed at how much ground a little duck cover.
I do have an issue so if anyone has any thoughts on this I'd appreciate it. I know I'm way far away from even trying to introduce her to the flock. It wouldn't be an issue however I'm leaving Wednesday for a week or so. My husband will be home keep everyone fed and watered but I know he won't want to hang out with this little sweetheart. He is making me a great duck tractor from heavy metal grate like stuff,with posts to anchor the open bottom to the ground. It's all welded and I know nothing will get in from the top.I think it's about 6 ft long she'll have plenty of room for a little water & whatnot.
The plan is to put it inside the duck enclosure so the others can see her and she can see them so she won't be totally alone. He will bring her in at night.
Does this sound like it might work? If not do you think an airline will let me fly with her if I say she's my emotional support duck? That's what I told them when I took her to the office when I had to go in last week for a few hours.(not dising anyone who has a support animal.I believe many of mine are\have been and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to them for getting me through some crazy times).
One last question, if we put the duck tractor in the duck enclosure ... Never mind that was going to be a silly question I was going to ask if you thought Mama that didn't want her or my Drake would try to dig under the bottom bars to get to her but then I realized that would be a big hole for them to get their bodies through and I would really think my husband would figure it out before they could burrow under it.LOL..Ducks don't burrow do they?
Thanks again! I am really amazed at how welcome I feel here.
Hope you all have a safe & sane holiday.

I think your idea of tractor time is sound.
SO CUTE

 

[Miss Lydia]

X2 and what a precious picture.

I agree all my critters are my support animals. I love them to bits and can't imagine not having them in my life.
as for the tractor you just want to make sure the little one can't get through the fencing, how easily they can get stuck in different ways.

 

[Duckin Crazy]

X2 and what a precious picture.

I agree all my critters are my support animals. I love them to bits and can't imagine not having them in my life.
as for the tractor you just want to make sure the little one can't get through the fencing, how easily they can get stuck in different ways.

We'll,it's been a typical crazy week for my flock. Only three of The Princesses eggs hatched. The next day Brown Duck decided she was done and wanted to go hang out with her guy instead of being a mother and abandoned her nest and her baby. I thought that was kind of strange but why wouldn't I have a dysfunctional duck? I had hoped the other mother would take the poor little thing in but after seeing it get pecked in the head very hard I started to have my doubts,; when the other three babies started picking on it I knew it couldn't stay. So I have a bathroom duck again. Why wouldn't i? Between the two pairs of babies to start me off and Duckles,my drake recovering from his dog attack for almost a month I've had ducks in my bathroom for three of the last 9 months. Plus chickens for about 3 weeks.
I think the three babies are going to go live with my neighbors but I'm pretty sure I 'm too attached to Little Pippi to re-home. The last couple of days she's been on my heels as I work in the garden, I'm really amazed at how much ground a little duck cover.
I do have an issue so if anyone has any thoughts on this I'd appreciate it. I know I'm way far away from even trying to introduce her to the flock. It wouldn't be an issue however I'm leaving Wednesday for a week or so. My husband will be home keep everyone fed and watered but I know he won't want to hang out with this little sweetheart. He is making me a great duck tractor from heavy metal grate like stuff,with posts to anchor the open bottom to the ground. It's all welded and I know nothing will get in from the top.I think it's about 6 ft long she'll have plenty of room for a little water & whatnot.
The plan is to put it inside the duck enclosure so the others can see her and she can see them so she won't be totally alone. He will bring her in at night.
Does this sound like it might work? If not do you think an airline will let me fly with her if I say she's my emotional support duck? That's what I told them when I took her to the office when I had to go in last week for a few hours.(not dising anyone who has a support animal.I believe many of mine are\have been and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to them for getting me through some crazy times).
One last question, if we put the duck tractor in the duck enclosure ... Never mind that was going to be a silly question I was going to ask if you thought Mama that didn't want her or my Drake would try to dig under the bottom bars to get to her but then I realized that would be a big hole for them to get their bodies through and I would really think my husband would figure it out before they could burrow under it.LOL..Ducks don't burrow do they?
Thanks again! I am really amazed at how welcome I feel here.
Hope you all have a safe & sane holiday.

Amazing thing happened while I was gone! The Duckers are growing on the husband! So much so I think today he is finally going to help me install my 32 gallon trash can filter I could probably do it, I just don't want to go wonkey with the the hole saw and have leaks forever. I am so over cleaning 2 filters every single day.He also thinks we need to add to the enclosure and give them an additional run that will be about 30 x 4 (he won't have that path between the ducks and my garden to mow anymore) AND there are talks of expanding the mansion. (It's far from it)..He and I had many discussions over what I wanted vs what he thought they needed/he wanted to build in the beginning.
My little abandon bathroom duck even did well while I was gone. It was so sweet when I got home, he had her out front in the tractor and she heard my voice as I was coming in the gate and started chirping like crazy. My avatar is the hug she gave me when I picked her up. -Excuse the hair, that was after the last leg of my daughter and my journey. I had ducks to get home to! We did about 1900 miles in a little under 30 hours. Glad I didn't take my Pipi duck!
He even bonded with Little Brown Duck Her babies started hatching the night before I got home and it sounds like he was pretty diligent about checking on her.
Funny thing about that duck. She has always been quiet and timid. When she was on her nest she got aggressive. She would even strike at me when I'd hold some water down for her, she's drink it after she got her jab in though. Now with the babies she's insane.She'll "hiss" at you just for looking at them! I think she loves being a mama. Up until now I had never seen her tail fanned out completely. Not just when she's upset. She walks around like that now. I don't know if that's normal, or even what that means. LOL Just dawned on me, I'm sure somewhere on this site you have talked about ducks and what their tail feathers mean. I'm headed out soon before it gets hot but when I take a break later I'm going to come look. I bet you don't let me down!
Here's a pic of Little Brown Duck's babies. I can't get a picture of her & babies, she hides them.
Have a great morning!

 

[Duckin Crazy]

X2 and what a precious picture.

I agree all my critters are my support animals. I love them to bits and can't imagine not having them in my life.
as for the tractor you just want to make sure the little one can't get through the fencing, how easily they can get stuck in different ways.

This is one fence I don't think I have to worry about them getting stuck in (I better not have just jinxed myself! )I think the hubs did pretty good on this one! Please excuse the gypsy camp look in the background. I wanted to totally seal off from above because I'm paranoid of bird flu and live in a flight path, got 80% covered and not the rest so I put up what I had. I took the netting off the top and put it on the sides. even with just the shade cloth up now hardly any tweety birds come in and I'm hoping for the best that a sick bird doesn't poo on the shade cloth on the way by (pretty sure my cars out front have been the main target again this year).
I should have waited until it warmed up enough to take her out to be in the pic, (high desert) but her mama and pa in in the background, wanted to thank you for your advice I'll take all I can get! I have been accused of being overly paranoid/cautious about little things when it comes to my ducks (okay, not just my ducks). I would feel so bad if I let one of them get injured or sick because of my lack of knowledge or an oversite.
Have a wonderful day!

 

[Regina Larsen]

Amazing thing happened while I was gone! The Duckers are growing on the husband! So much so I think today he is finally going to help me install my 32 gallon trash can filter I could probably do it, I just don't want to go wonkey with the the hole saw and have leaks forever. I am so over cleaning 2 filters every single day.He also thinks we need to add to the enclosure and give them an additional run that will be about 30 x 4 (he won't have that path between the ducks and my garden to mow anymore) AND there are talks of expanding the mansion. (It's far from it)..He and I had many discussions over what I wanted vs what he thought they needed/he wanted to build in the beginning.
My little abandon bathroom duck even did well while I was gone. It was so sweet when I got home, he had her out front in the tractor and she heard my voice as I was coming in the gate and started chirping like crazy. My avatar is the hug she gave me when I picked her up. -Excuse the hair, that was after the last leg of my daughter and my journey. I had ducks to get home to! We did about 1900 miles in a little under 30 hours. Glad I didn't take my Pipi duck!
He even bonded with Little Brown Duck Her babies started hatching the night before I got home and it sounds like he was pretty diligent about checking on her.
Funny thing about that duck. She has always been quiet and timid. When she was on her nest she got aggressive. She would even strike at me when I'd hold some water down for her, she's drink it after she got her jab in though. Now with the babies she's insane.She'll "hiss" at you just for looking at them! I think she loves being a mama. Up until now I had never seen her tail fanned out completely. Not just when she's upset. She walks around like that now. I don't know if that's normal, or even what that means. LOL Just dawned on me, I'm sure somewhere on this site you have talked about ducks and what their tail feathers mean. I'm headed out soon before it gets hot but when I take a break later I'm going to come look. I bet you don't let me down!
Here's a pic of Little Brown Duck's babies. I can't get a picture of her & babies, she hides them.
Have a great morning!

Great news

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is one fence I don't think I have to worry about them getting stuck in (I better not have just jinxed myself! )I think the hubs did pretty good on this one! Please excuse the gypsy camp look in the background. I wanted to totally seal off from above because I'm paranoid of bird flu and live in a flight path, got 80% covered and not the rest so I put up what I had. I took the netting off the top and put it on the sides. even with just the shade cloth up now hardly any tweety birds come in and I'm hoping for the best that a sick bird doesn't poo on the shade cloth on the way by (pretty sure my cars out front have been the main target again this year).
I should have waited until it warmed up enough to take her out to be in the pic, (high desert) but her mama and pa in in the background, wanted to thank you for your advice I'll take all I can get! I have been accused of being overly paranoid/cautious about little things when it comes to my ducks (okay, not just my ducks). I would feel so bad if I let one of them get injured or sick because of my lack of knowledge or an oversite.
Have a wonderful day!

Great job getting the pool out where you have it. Looking good all around.