My Love Affair With Ducks...

[Mimi13]

Nowadays kids will ask you: "You went to a movie? - Didn't you have your NutFlix TV in the living room?"
Are there still movie theaters around?

I don’t like theaters. I don’t want somebody else’s cooties. I’d just as soon stay home and get ‘yard cooties’ from my animals. Well, thinking back, maybe I liked them when I was a teenager. I didn’t think about cooties when I was with a cute little boy!

 

[Mimi13]

So, here are my trials! Yes, plural! These ducks are pickier than chickens.

First one - A big Cheetos canister with six 2” holes. I thought it was perfect but it turned into an Epic Fail Waterer.

I apologize for the laugh. I don’t know what the hell that was OR where it came from!

I thought I could ‘modify’ the oversized holes with blue painters tape (on both sides as not to pull their down.) I sat there, one-on-one with each duckling, showing them how to put their heads in the smaller holes. That was a no-go!

Back to the drawing board. Waterer - Trial Run #2.

It worked, but it wasn’t just quite right.

Waterer - Trial Run #3.

It’s deeper, but not quite large enough around. It’ll have to work for now though.

I have several more black feed tubs. I’ll have to go looking to see if I’ve got one just the perfect size. My final waterer for them is gonna be this large field waterer, without the red trough. I plan on it sitting on a brick in the feed tub that I’m using as a catch basin in their brooder right now.

Until they destroy the last one I put in, it’ll have to do the job.

I’m headed out to set up their temp fence so they can browse the ground after the storm that came through last night. I’m afraid I’ve gone to work for a herd of five ducklings. Good grief, Charlie Brown!

 

[Mimi13]

Oh yeah, do ducklings’ legs peel/shed, like a snake?
Mine are.

I never read about this!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes they do peel although I’ve never see it like that! Sure looks like they are having a blast in that waterer!

 

[duluthralphie]

NO, I haven’t thought of such! I thought they’d be fine in this pool for a month or so.


I guess I need to get busy fixing something, huh?


I’m just kidding, of course. I have already got their outdoor brooder ready and waiting, minus the fresh shavings though. And after seeing what the cuties are capable of doing to a wall, I’ve decided I‘ll line the back walls of their house with feed bags. Now that’s using my noggin, I must admit. They are amazing sharp shooters. Okay, let me rephrase, they are just amazing shooters!

I was thinking the other day that as soon as they could get their necks over the side of the pool they are as good as gone.

Maybe instead of making them move outside you could knit them all little diapers and house break them.

 

[Mimi13]

Yes they do peel although I’ve never see it like that! Sure looks like they are having a blast in that waterer!

We are now sitting out enjoying the beautiful weather. Well, I am. Here’s the beautiful view we have overlooking the front pasture.

The ducks, on the other hand, are enjoying the...
...wait for it...WATER!

They have almost used up all their water and I smell dog poop really bad, so we’ll be going inside very shortly.

Note to self: I should’ve looked my spot over better before I set up camp.

 

[Mimi13]

After we came in from our field trip I thought I’d go ahead and let them play in the water and get really tuckered out.

I didn’t take a video of them zooming around, I’ll get one next time, but at the end only Petey and Quinny remained in the tub. The others had already been dried off and put in the carrier.

Quinny is the only one that has showed signs of actually swimming (only because she’s the smallest and the water is deeper to her.) She was doing her little swimming around, somewhat distressed because only two remained in the tub, and swam back to Petey, just swimming in place with only one leg moving. Petey Really Wonders About Quinny and has some of the funniest expressions watching her...swim in place with one leg!

 

[DuckGirl77]

Oh my they've gotten bigger! I didn't notice until now!
I swear they try to empty those quart waterers on purpose - like it's a race

 

[Mimi13]

Oh my they've gotten bigger! I didn't notice until now!
I swear they try to empty those quart waterers on purpose - like it's a race

I know it. They are so sweet though.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

NO, I haven’t thought of such! I thought they’d be fine in this pool for a month or so.
I guess I need to get busy fixing something, huh?
I’m just kidding, of course. I have already got their outdoor brooder ready and waiting, minus the fresh shavings though. And after seeing what the cuties are capable of doing to a wall, I’ve decided I‘ll line the back walls of their house with feed bags. Now that’s using my noggin, I must admit. They are amazing sharp shooters. Okay, let me rephrase, they are just amazing shooters!

I was thinking the other day that as soon as they could get their necks over the side of the pool they are as good as gone.

In a month your little girls will have started to grow real feathers and they will deafen your ears when they want something… Below were my Spring Dumplings at day 21 (Februar 20) and just two weeks later they were outside.