Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[CCsGarden]

Here Josey is again

 

[CCsGarden]

Happy Fluffy butt Friday!!

 

[CCsGarden]

 

[featherhead007]

Oh, no, of course not!

Ducks are super fun, and yet....super messy!!! Their poop is liquid...and they splash and cavort so energetically in their 'bath water'. It is fun to watch them....but stand AT LEAST 5 feet away or else plan on getting soaked! They definitely have a 'splash zone' of at least a 5' radius. AND - as is their nature in the wild - siphon water through their beaks - so any and all 'drinking water' gets sucked in and squirted out the sides of their beaks - and while they can(and mine do) drink with nipple waterers, they also need a deep water source so they can clear their nares (they need to be able to dunk their full beaks into the water - they then blow to clear their nares - it is the duck equivalent of a kid blowing bubbles in their milk with a straw...funny as long as you aren't right next to the waterer trying to fill it when they do this (ask me how I know!!! I have now learned to fill all waterers BEFORE opening my 2 duck/goose coops. Chickies out first to drink CLEAN water before the ducks muck it up - finish filling the remaining waterers..then release the ducks and geese.

Also, they have a propensity for what I call 'drilling' They shove their beak into the bedding, dirt, muck looking for worms, grubs and other delicious insect treats. In the course of doing this, their beaks get absolutely filthy ...then what do they do???? Why, go dunk them in their water and blow bubbles, making the water a filthy mess and spraying dirty water everywhere!

I have 1 gal. rubber buckets (multiple of them) in addition to a few large nipple waterers for water for the ducks. Each evening, I bring out a gallon jug of water just to clean out the water bins as they have a coating of mud in them - every single one of the open waterers do - sometimes up to an inch thick, despite them frequently being rinsed out at noon (weekends and my 2 remote days).

They ARE cute and funny and fun little characters....but I emphasize the word 'character' and that their middle name is 'messy'. If you can have them, do, but also be prepared!!!!

I’m sticking with my rubber ducky!

 

[notabitail]

 

[RoyalChick]

some great camera angles!

 

[notabitail]

some great camera angles!

Thanks. I had fun making this video

 

[bgmathteach]

Read on. @bgmathteach has said enough for me to be clear I am not getting ducks!

Awww, you do have the space...and they are very engaging characters. So, while they aren't for teh faint fo heart - I am sure you would love them. You just need a duck moat to go around your chicken palace!!!

Quack, quack, waddle, waddle, quack!

If you think chickens are entertaining, you haven't watched much 'duck tv!'

P.S. yes, they do follow me around the yard to 'see what I am up to' when I first let them out (Especially the Geese - talk about busy bodies!)- then they make a bee-line to their favorite spots.

@RoyalChick : Watch this and you will be hooked

And, yes, pay attention to their elevated waterer with a grate under.

 

[bgmathteach]

View attachment 3701037

What a lovely picture - calendar/wall worthy !!!

 

[featherhead007]

And baby ducklings are so adorable: