HOLIDAY HATCH PARTY... chicks anyone... the party continues....

[mayapooh]

Murphy!!!!

 

[neferset]

Well, it's been a while since I moved the EE babies and the remaining Turken to the barn. They are doing well and driving me crazy every time I open the door.

The three roosters seem to be ignoring them completely. No one has gotten smashed since the first night. It's likely that little one was gone before she was sat on.

And pretty soon I will have to do something with my first Orpington X babies. The ducklings have started going out for the day in a "play pen." I gave them a gallon dog waterer which I'm told is the best toy on earth.

 

[evonne]

gallon dog waterer??? for a pool for them to play in??
when mine were little they got a 3' across kiddie pool i picked up at babies r us for $7... thne they graduated to a 6' one... the 3' one is a lot easier to turn over and dump.. lol....
if it's not a pool for them, i'm curious what they are doing with it... you say gallon and i think of a milk jug... lol..

i was thinking about you this afternoon nef and wondering how the rat situation was going... things are stable on the rat warfront??

 

[neferset]

So far they are going well. I need to get some traps but meanwhile, we have them locked out of the house. Max the Cat stalks the kitchen near the now blocked holes from last year, so there appears to be some activity, but Max is prepared with his mad ninja skills.

The dog waterer is half waterer, half play basin. It's small for them to get into really, but I can leave them with it without worrying about drowning. The water reservoir is a gallon and has to be refilled at least once during the day. It fills a shallow dish big enough for a ducking to get her feet in. They also dip their bills and generally play in the water. I don't think these ducklings have been dry since they hatched.

This is not the waterer we have, but it's pretty similar. Ours is also one quart bigger. We've got several (they sell for about the same as the LG gallon chicken waterers locally--ignore that super high Walgreens price, it was just the only link I could find quickly).

They do have some nice kiddie pools to play in also, but I don't feel comfy leaving them with a kiddie pool all day.

 

[evonne]

lol... i get it now.. and that's a great option for them... i might have to get a few of those for our ducks.. it's hard for them to drink out of the LGwaterers because they're shallow and narrow... i havethese bowls that my moms neighbor gave me.. they have bunnies and eggs on them.. but they're good for a bag of chips for a party... you know the size... fairly big, but not bucket big..... not sure how much they hold... one day i put one of them into the run area for the ducks since they have a hrd time drinking from the waterer.. they have their kiddie pool too and drink out of that a lot.. it's mucky but i figure they're actually eating the algae that grows in it too... but hubby comes in laughing and says i'm not allowed to leave those bowls out there anymore because they don't drink out of it they try to swim in it...
the duck fits in the bowl, but barely fits.. lol... it was pretty funny...
other funny duck in the water story i have....
one of the ducks got a metal construction staple stuck in it's beak... musta been in the dirt from the original owner... the thing wa slike 1" long, and it had managed to get on prong going through the bottom of it's bill in the center.. the other prong was outside it's mouth...
well my 6 yr old see the staple and catches the duck and carries it into the house to show us... me and hubby are like oh.. wow... holy crap... etc etc... i take the duck who's throwing a fit becuase son is holding him with his arms around the ducks tummy... bottom pointing at the floor, wings are against sons belly, but the poor duck is flailing it's leggs all over the place... i get a towel becasue the duck is wet.. and wrap him up so he can't kick or flap his wings.. hubby gets pliers and pulls the staple out.. duck is fine.. no blood or anything.. but i got a bowl... like a 2qt size one and put water in it for him to get a drink... i'm holding the duck, wrapped in the towel still in one arm, the bowl of water in the other hand.. i move the bowl close to him so he can get a drink, he flops and jumps into the water bowl...
so i'm standing there drenched with a bowl of duck.. all the water is now all over the floor and me... 6 yr old who was worried sick about his duck is laughing his ass off... okay.. i was laughing too... ducks are great...
wonder what's gonna come out of these ducks from sillystunt i have in the bator....

 

[kathyinmo]

evonne and nef,
OK, you have brought me to my senses. I was wavering there for a bit. I was right in the first place, and should not have rethought it. I do NOT want ducks! Dirty, messy things ... why do they have to be so darn cute!

 

[neferset]

You know you want to...

 

[kathyinmo]

 

[evonne]

aw c'mon....
honestly, once mine went outside, i have no complaints on the mess.... when they are inside, i would definatley recoment a rubbermaid tub for a drooder as opposed to a wire cage... don't ask me how they manage to poop outside hte cage, but they do...

the water in their pool is a mess.... and it's a littl muddy around the one LG waterere they use a lot, but other than that...

they are ssoo cute wandering around the yard together.... and it's hilarious to wathc them team up and bully the rooster... although i'm sure he doesn't think so...

 

[mishythechickenlover]

OK so I know I have disappeared for a while but I'm back Sorry to those who have lost some babies

The Pics are cute I adore them all

here is the latest pic of my lil ones

My banty is around but She

likes to hide under either one of the twins as I like to call them