My Love Affair With Ducks...

[Mimi13]

can so!

Ha! Don’t be making me think I’m crazy now. I had to go back and read it again. You dux hatin nut!

 

[duluthralphie]

Ha! Don’t be making me think I’m crazy now. I had to go back and read it again. You dux hatin nut!

I quoted it right in my post.. no reason to go back.

 

[Mimi13]

Yeah, yeah. I’ve gotta go inside and start teaching my duckie babies that ‘Ralphie’ is a bad word! Bad, bad word!

 

[Mimi13]

I’ve been sitting up at my coops for the past hour waiting on a particular broody girl to go back to the nest boxes.

Back story: one of my black ameraucanas went broody, but I didn’t need her so I put her in the broody breaker. Today was day 4. It usually doesn’t take that long, but she’s dang stubborn. Earlier this morning, I let her out to see if she still needed to be caged. Yep, after she let out this gosh-awful squawk of a sound that literally scared me, she went straight back to the nest boxes. Nope, she wasn’t done yet so I picked her up and put her back in the BB.

A couple of hours later I started thinking about all the requests for laying birds I’ve had lately and a light bulb went off in my head. I know it’s a gamble, but all these people are only wanting good laying hens, not necessarily purebreds.

I’ve got a broody on 6 eggs due to hatch 4/15. These will be ready to lay mid August. If I put some more eggs under my stubborn broody, they’ll be ready to lay the end of August.

I gathered up 8 eggs to set under her and headed to let her out of the BB.

Yep, you guessed it. She hasn’t gone back to the nest boxes.
She’s out foraging!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

What about that. I simply got it with the hopes of it being like my BO chickens. Luckily the other four don’t mind interaction and even initiate it.

Your girl may turn out to be completely different as she is the only BO in your flock! And she will have a good example with cheeky Petey! - Here the BO's mostly hang out with the Fawn & White Runners who are also a bit temperate.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Hopefully yesterday was my last busy ‘mask-making’ day. Today is duckie day. It is supposed to begin raining today for a couple of days, so I have a good reason to sit and play with them. Oh, and learn a lot more of their ways/habits/funny antics.

Another question I had early on, but thought I’d just wait and find out myself, I learned this morning. (I have always had a tendency to ask/say things without thinking how it may affect others: it may be politically incorrect, sexual in nature, gory or gross in detail, etc. In my defense, most things just pop out of my mouth, mostly out of curiosity.) This one isn’t that bad though. But I learned that where they lay, they poop. It’s also strange that they do not have a ‘go-to’ place to sleep. During the day and at night, they pick different spots around the brooder. They never sleep under the heat plate anymore, but they do sleep on it.
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I was worried that the uneven surface of the top of the heat plate would be a deterrent for them, but nope, they still pile up on it.
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One thing that makes me happy is that Sadie, my jaunty eared GP/GS mix, has found the closest spot to them and lays outside the door. I even noticed last night that she was outside the door looking in when I closed the curtains for the night. It won’t be long and she’ll be piled up with them, if they’ll let her. A few of my chickens will lay down pretty close to her, but they don’t shoot poop on her! We will see. All I know is that poor little starving pup, that I did not want (already had six dogs, five inside) quickly made her way into our hearts and has been a god-send. Luckily, our neighbors aren’t close because she patrols the fence lines and barks all.night.long! Nonetheless, I’m thankful she picked us. She’s a big old girl and fills a big old spot in our hearts.
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A little secret @WannaBeHillBilly clued me in on is, ‘yes, ducks do poop straight out behind them.’ I have proof. Later today I will be wiping down the side walls of the pool/brooder cause it is nays-tee! (That’s southern for d@mn filthy!) I guess I’m shocked that they don’t poop on each other. They may and I just not notice it.
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Here is one last picture I will sign off with...this is Peaches, my Buff Orpington, showing a little leg!
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Thanks for all y’all’s helpful tips, advice, sympathy, etc.

This Mimi, aka Crazy Old Chicken and Duck Coot, certainly appreciates it ALL!

Ducklings pile up to sleep even if it is too warm to do so! They just need the contact to the others to feel safe. And my spring ducklings used their Momma Heat Cave for Ducklings only for their very first week, then they used it as a watchtower to peek over the rim of the brooder or sat on top to warm up after bathing.
And, unfortunately, ducklings do poop at each other. They just go when they have to and don't care what's behind them. And the soiled duckling usually doesn't really care either.

 

[Mimi13]

Ducklings pile up to sleep even if it is too warm to do so! They just need the contact to the others to feel safe. And my spring ducklings used their Momma Heat Cave for Ducklings only for their very first week, then they used it as a watchtower to peek over the rim of the brooder or sat on top to warm up after bathing.
And, unfortunately, ducklings do poop at each other. They just go when they have to and don't care what's behind them. And the soiled duckling usually doesn't really care either.

I mean, after all, they can usually wash it right off...I like poor chickens.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

As ducks mature, do they still tend to pile up to sleep?

Some of my ducks share a nest box overnight and also lay their eggs in the same nest, but most of them prefer to sleep with a "duckspan" of distance to their neighbors. Even when it is lousy cold overnight!

 

[Mimi13]

Some of my ducks share a nest box overnight and also lay their eggs in the same nest, but most of them prefer to sleep with a "duckspan" of distance to their neighbors. Even when it is lousy cold overnight!

Amazing.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I’ve been sitting up at my coops for the past hour waiting on a particular broody girl to go back to the nest boxes.

Back story: one of my black ameraucanas went broody, but I didn’t need her so I put her in the broody breaker. Today was day 4. It usually doesn’t take that long, but she’s dang stubborn. Earlier this morning, I let her out to see if she still needed to be caged. Yep, after she let out this gosh-awful squawk of a sound that literally scared me, she went straight back to the nest boxes. Nope, she wasn’t done yet so I picked her up and put her back in the BB.

A couple of hours later I started thinking about all the requests for laying birds I’ve had lately and a light bulb went off in my head. I know it’s a gamble, but all these people are only wanting good laying hens, not necessarily purebreds.

I’ve got a broody on 6 eggs due to hatch 4/15. These will be ready to lay mid August. If I put some more eggs under my stubborn broody, they’ll be ready to lay the end of August.

I gathered up 8 eggs to set under her and headed to let her out of the BB.

Yep, you guessed it. She hasn’t gone back to the nest boxes.
She’s out foraging!

As you say here: Careful what you wish for…