This is a follow up thread to my thread »Rescue Duck[lings] need some advice« and was named after the the advice of my friend @Texag87 .
Short summary: My neighbor had a broody hen (chicken) reluctantly sitting on infertile eggs and they were afraid she might starve to death and always wanting to try out ducks, they asked me for some fertile duck-eggs. The result was five beautiful ducklings that did what ducklings just do for their living:
They made a terrible mess! Flooding their brooder, pooping three feet into the air and destroying four heat lamps.
Well i guess chicken people and ducks are not compatible, so after five weeks they gave up and asked me if i would be willing to take them back. Having already a flock of 24 Ducks and Drakes, providing food and shelter for additional five bills does not really make a difference, so i said yes.
Fast-forward to today: The five »ducknagers« arrived here today (2019-12-20) late in the afternoon and they were scared to death:
A big humming monster (truck) had swallowed them and spat them out in an unknown place where people don't speak English (i speak German with my ducks). On arrival they looked like one duck with five heads and lot's of feet, dashed into the darkest corner of their new home and huddled together under the ceramic heat lamp (they won't break this one, not even Blanca Duck was able to! She tried to eat it…).
Nothing happened for a while, then came Nona Duck. She stood in front of the duck Vacation home, that i use as a temporary shelter, then started talking calmly to the little ones. Talking. Not quacking, she made noises like a mother duck… and the Ducknagers responded! They came out of their hiding places, looking at another duck. Then started talking to her with soft peeps and quiet quax.
I decided to open the door to their temporary run, so that they could go outside. - And scared them back into their hiding place.
Then one of the Summer Ducklings started to quack, Blanca answered, Pompom joined, others joined all ducks were quacking - duck owners know that: Every duck makes a loud QUACK, then the next one, the next duck and so on - it is LOUD! - And out came five Ducknagers:
Note the two fawn and white ducks - i am almost certain those are Limpy's babies, they look like clean breed Runner Ducks, they stand so upright and push their tails forward.
Then there is that dark brown duck with the white bib on her throat. Where the heck is that brown color coming from? I have no brown ducks!
And the crested duck looks like a clone of Pompom Duck, except she/he is blue/gray instead of black, like she fell into a bucket with bleach.
Apologies for the bad quality of the video and the pictures, they came so late this afternoon that it was getting dark so fast. - Pictures! Have a look into the Ducknagers Album, please!
I will continue to tell their story here until they can be integrated into the flock and there will be plenty of pictures and videos. Stay tuned!
Short summary: My neighbor had a broody hen (chicken) reluctantly sitting on infertile eggs and they were afraid she might starve to death and always wanting to try out ducks, they asked me for some fertile duck-eggs. The result was five beautiful ducklings that did what ducklings just do for their living:
They made a terrible mess! Flooding their brooder, pooping three feet into the air and destroying four heat lamps.
Well i guess chicken people and ducks are not compatible, so after five weeks they gave up and asked me if i would be willing to take them back. Having already a flock of 24 Ducks and Drakes, providing food and shelter for additional five bills does not really make a difference, so i said yes.
Fast-forward to today: The five »ducknagers« arrived here today (2019-12-20) late in the afternoon and they were scared to death:
A big humming monster (truck) had swallowed them and spat them out in an unknown place where people don't speak English (i speak German with my ducks). On arrival they looked like one duck with five heads and lot's of feet, dashed into the darkest corner of their new home and huddled together under the ceramic heat lamp (they won't break this one, not even Blanca Duck was able to! She tried to eat it…).
Nothing happened for a while, then came Nona Duck. She stood in front of the duck Vacation home, that i use as a temporary shelter, then started talking calmly to the little ones. Talking. Not quacking, she made noises like a mother duck… and the Ducknagers responded! They came out of their hiding places, looking at another duck. Then started talking to her with soft peeps and quiet quax.
I decided to open the door to their temporary run, so that they could go outside. - And scared them back into their hiding place.
Then one of the Summer Ducklings started to quack, Blanca answered, Pompom joined, others joined all ducks were quacking - duck owners know that: Every duck makes a loud QUACK, then the next one, the next duck and so on - it is LOUD! - And out came five Ducknagers:
Then there is that dark brown duck with the white bib on her throat. Where the heck is that brown color coming from? I have no brown ducks!
And the crested duck looks like a clone of Pompom Duck, except she/he is blue/gray instead of black, like she fell into a bucket with bleach.
Apologies for the bad quality of the video and the pictures, they came so late this afternoon that it was getting dark so fast. - Pictures! Have a look into the Ducknagers Album, please!
I will continue to tell their story here until they can be integrated into the flock and there will be plenty of pictures and videos. Stay tuned!