Ducks, snow, bath time

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

My neighbor put an aerator in his pond earlier this year, it’s been a godsend to have even a small portion of the pond open for the ducks. However, it’s been wickedly cold up here in NE Ohio, they've been reluctant to even go outside. We’ve had a high yesterday of 17f, next week we’re looking at highs in the single digits. I absolutely HATE winter. No one will ever convince me otherwise. Please don’t tell me that winter makes you appreciate spring…that makes me want to scream

You are not alone. And this winter has been the coldest in recent memory. And it’s only mid January. I can’t find a single positive thing to say about it.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

You are not alone. And this winter has been the coldest in recent memory. And it’s only mid January. I can’t find a single positive thing to say about it.

by recent memory... do you mean 2022?

 

[sowNreap]

Not so fast. What little I've learned about those ducks of yours, they've most likely unionized and you better be prepared for a tough negotiation when they hear you are thinking of cutting their pond time. Don't be surprised when they lay out a demand for an indoor heated pool.

hahaha ... Hummm I wonder if they'd like a small hot tub.

Please, don't give my ducks any ideas, they're already too spoiled & if they thought I might buy hot tub for them ... oh boy would they hate me if I didn't. lol

They're already little mad at me for clipping their wings. Way too many people said Muscovy drakes are usually too heavy to fly good or far. Well they didn't get to see mine flying like they were wild Mallads or the migrating Geese flying south.

One was getting bullied so he would fly from the bully(s). Another seemed like he just liked flying once he discovered he could. But crazy ducks they are couldn't seem to fly back into my yard. Saw some flying high enough to get over the fence but landed just few feet from it so was on wrong side & couldn't figure out how to get back in. Pacing back & forth trying to figure out. Crazy I say, they just crazy. lol Of course people probably thought that about me when I went out to get them & tried to get them to fly over the fence by flapping my arms. They didn't, so would have to herd them back in. I sure was getting lots of exercise chasing them down, but I couldn't let them fly all over the neighborhood or worse across a busy road.

 

[sowNreap]

My neighbor put an aerator in his pond earlier this year, it’s been a godsend to have even a small portion of the pond open for the ducks.

It's amazing how just how much moving the water can help keep it from freezing. I thought about buying/trying another de-icer (not really a heater) but I could buy about 3 - 400gph water pumps for price of one de-icer which didn't do anything to keep hole open. And it was 400 watts. My "fountain" pump is only about 15 watts I think so WAY cheaper to run too.

I have another pump I could try but it's only about 158gph. If put into the pool itself might help keep other areas open where the water doesn't flow over fountain very hard.

But if temps get into teens or below for couple days/night I think it'll be hard to keep it open no matter what.

 

[Luv Ducks]

My neighbor put an aerator in his pond earlier this year, it’s been a godsend to have even a small portion of the pond open for the ducks. However, it’s been wickedly cold up here in NE Ohio, they've been reluctant to even go outside. We’ve had a high yesterday of 17f, next week we’re looking at highs in the single digits. I absolutely HATE winter. No one will ever convince me otherwise. Please don’t tell me that winter makes you appreciate spring…that makes me want to scream

I am in Ohio also but more closer to Columbus. The ice and snow have been a headache here too. Carrying buckets of water and trying not to fall to refill their several heated water buckets has been a challenge. I guess that proves how much I love my ducks, right? Or that maybe I'm just all quacked up!!! LOL

 

[DucksOhio]

I am in Ohio also but more closer to Columbus. The ice and snow have been a headache here too. Carrying buckets of water and trying not to fall to refill their several heated water buckets has been a challenge. I guess that proves how much I love my ducks, right? Or that maybe I'm just all quacked up!!! LOL

I love my little monsters…winter is heck trying to deal with the mountains of ice and snow. Every time I fill their water bowls, they immediately jump in and displace all the water. Argh.

 

[sowNreap]

Carrying buckets of water and trying not to fall to refill their several heated water buckets has been a challenge. I guess that proves how much I love my ducks, right? Or that maybe I'm just all quacked up!!!

I can't remember having this many low temps in the teens & highs only in 20's for several years. I mean we get some, but this year seems we've had way more than normal.

I've been having to use way too much hot water to thaw ice. I heat some of it up in the microwave but that takes so long for such little amount.

I think we're all quacked up dealing with ducks in winter, well actually any season.

I love my little monsters…winter is heck trying to deal with the mountains of ice and snow. Every time I fill their water bowls, they immediately jump in and displace all the water. Argh.

OMG mine do same thing! Yesterday was fairly warm day low 40's so I decided before this next cold spell coming I'd change the water in the pool because it was really dirty and can cause the pump to not flow as good.

Usually as soon I start refilling the pool at least 1 duck gets in with almost no water yet but has to poop in it. Grrr

Well this time all 6 ducks waited until the pool was full and decided to spend time in it bathing & swimming around. By the time they were done it was almost as dirty as before I changed it. So, I hated to do it since I'm on city water & cost $, but drained & refilled it again.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I dumped and refilled several other of their water bowls, one being a round 7 gal tub & a 3 gal bowl which several decided to bath in also. So that water got dirty too.

Little monsters is right! But they're just so adorable, funny & I just my duckies.

 

[sowNreap]

I kind of went crazy with the emoji's in my previous post lol but realized we need an animated human hugging a duck emoji.

 

[Luv Ducks]

hahaha ... Hummm I wonder if they'd like a small hot tub.

Please, don't give my ducks any ideas, they're already too spoiled & if they thought I might buy hot tub for them ... oh boy would they hate me if I didn't. lol

They're already little mad at me for clipping their wings. Way too many people said Muscovy drakes are usually too heavy to fly good or far. Well they didn't get to see mine flying like they were wild Mallads or the migrating Geese flying south.

One was getting bullied so he would fly from the bully(s). Another seemed like he just liked flying once he discovered he could. But crazy ducks they are couldn't seem to fly back into my yard. Saw some flying high enough to get over the fence but landed just few feet from it so was on wrong side & couldn't figure out how to get back in. Pacing back & forth trying to figure out. Crazy I say, they just crazy. lol Of course people probably thought that about me when I went out to get them & tried to get them to fly over the fence by flapping my arms. They didn't, so would have to herd them back in. I sure was getting lots of exercise chasing them down, but I couldn't let them fly all over the neighborhood or worse across a busy road.

I ended up pinioning my Muscovy ducks when I first got them because the ones I had years ago would fly away and I too would be chasing them down. I was not sure if I did it right but so far they have stayed put so I think I must have. It's a real pain to chase them down. I didn't want to clip their wings as I already do that for my Mallards and chasing them down to do it is no fun. They hate those wing trims.

I am in Ohio also but more closer to Columbus. The ice and snow have been a headache here too. Carrying buckets of water and trying not to fall to refill their several heated water buckets has been a challenge. I guess that proves how much I love my ducks, right? Or that maybe I'm just all quacked up!!! LOL

I can't remember having this many low temps in the teens & highs only in 20's for several years. I mean we get some, but this year seems we've had way more than normal.

I've been having to use way too much hot water to thaw ice. I heat some of it up in the microwave but that takes so long for such little amount.

I think we're all quacked up dealing with ducks in winter, well actually any season.



OMG mine do same thing! Yesterday was fairly warm day low 40's so I decided before this next cold spell coming I'd change the water in the pool because it was really dirty and can cause the pump to not flow as good.

Usually as soon I start refilling the pool at least 1 duck gets in with almost no water yet but has to poop in it. Grrr

Well this time all 6 ducks waited until the pool was full and decided to spend time in it bathing & swimming around. By the time they were done it was almost as dirty as before I changed it. So, I hated to do it since I'm on city water & cost $, but drained & refilled it again.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I dumped and refilled several other of their water bowls, one being a round 7 gal tub & a 3 gal bowl which several decided to bath in also. So that water got dirty too.

Little monsters is right! But they're just so adorable, funny & I just my duckies.

I put bowls inside of my water containers to keep them out of them. They can get their heads all the way in them but not their whole bodies. The bows don't break because the water bowls and buckets are electric and heated. This keeps the poo out of them but they still get dirty and changed daily.