Ducks in a hail storm

[HeatherKellyB]

My ducks and I both experienced a first on Saturday afternoon. I know what hail is and I remember hail falling during a storm every so often. This was NOTHING like that. This was a hail storm. Majority of hail was golfball sized. My ducks stay in a fenced in yard outside my back door during the day. They're able to easily get under the porch for shelter if they'd like and they're often under there just hanging out. During this golfball sized hail storm they chose to sit along the fence away from the shelter. My yard was completely white afterwards so we're not talking just a little bit of hail here. I wanted to corral them under the porch but I would have been pummeled by the hail. I figured their feathers would help with padding and if it was bad they'd head under the porch. Every time I'd go check on them (quick peek out the glass door) , Honey and Reggie, my two Pekins had their bills sticking straight up in the air towards the sky. Since their eyes are fixed, I'm guessing they weren't looking for the source of these icy rocks. Any idea what was going on with them? My Cayuga and Buff Orpington just hunkered down as tight as possible with their bills straight ahead. Do you think my Pekins demonstrated a survival skill or something? I'm just curious now. Thank you

 

[LT71689]

not sure about the sky gazing, but was the hail loud on the porch?

I have a plastic-roofed pergola outside my door, it gets pretty loud with heavy rain and hail. I had my two outside in their pool one day last summer and the sky just absolutely opened up on us out of nowhere. They were afraid to stay in the pool, but also afraid to seek shelter with me under the pergola because of the noise.

 

[Ratchnick]

I have heard of the looking up in a hail storm before. I think its a survival instinct.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

not sure about the sky gazing, but was the hail loud on the porch?

I have a plastic-roofed pergola outside my door, it gets pretty loud with heavy rain and hail. I had my two outside in their pool one day last summer and the sky just absolutely opened up on us out of nowhere. They were afraid to stay in the pool, but also afraid to seek shelter with me under the pergola because of the noise.

The porch isn't covered. They would stay safe by going under it. It's constructed of mostly 2x4s. I didn't think about the sound of it. Thank you.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

https://www.livescience.com/63245-geese-birds-hailstorm-survive-stare-up.html

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I have heard of the looking up in a hail storm before. I think its a survival instinct.

That's interesting! I haven't heard of that before but I thought about it possibly being something to do with survival while I was typing my post out. Honey had her bill pointing up perfectly to the skies. Reggie was doing it to but he didn't look like he was as serious as she was.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

https://www.livescience.com/63245-geese-birds-hailstorm-survive-stare-up.html

Thank you for this link! So interesting

 

[SolarDuck]

I would think that the reason they didn't go under is likely because of the sound of the hail hitting the porch. My ducks love hiding under their coop, but if I go into the coop and they hear me walking above them they all run out terrified.