Duckin Crazy
Chirping
- Jun 22, 2022
- 26
- 86
- 89
Everyone figured I’d end up being a crazy cat lady. Didn’t see this coming!
Last August my daughter called me while I was in town, “Where are you? I’m at your house, you have to come meet your Grandduckies.” Told her I’d be about 30 minutes. 20 minutes later I’m pulling in & she’s leaving the other way. I called her and asked,” what about meeting my Grandduckies?” Response, “they are in a box in your bathroom. I’ll be back.” She ran to her dad’s where they were staying to get migraine meds.I didn't see her again for 3 days. Her husband had got her a pair of ducks to cheer her up. She didn’t have time, nor did they have a place for ducks. By Monday S.I.L. realized he didn’t think it through and told me he would try to return them or rehome them. Despite my hubby’s objections my response was,” sorry, we’ve bonded. Thanks for the ducks”. I soon learned (from your member’s info) that with winter on the way I really needed at least 3 ducks to keep themselves warm. Must have been the first part of October my neighbor who has ducks picked me up 2 more. So that’s how “The Duckers” came to live with me.
I’m not 100% positive on my first hen, but I think she is a Buff Orpington. With her came my drake, he’s a cream-colored Indian Runner (coolest personality). My second 2 girls are (I think) a little mallard and a Welsh Harlequin. I don’t know if I just didn’t bond with them as close as the first 2 but they are more standoffish. “Brown Duck” (my first girl) only likes me when I have food, but my drake, Duckles, is my guy. He seems to like our late-night slug hunts. My husband teases me about their names, like a 4-year-old named them. I have “Brown Duck”, “Little Brown Duck” (LBD),” The Princess” and “Duckles” (who was Dude until he was attacked by my daughter’s dog and lived in my bathroom for 3 weeks in November. That’s another story). He finally told me his name when I was spending my evenings with him hanging out in the bathroom, medicating him and putting blue stuff on his neck.
My hubby has even come around and not only built me a cool little portable coop but now we have a 20x20 pond and a covered structure to hopefully keep them safe from the bird flu.
It’s a good thing hubby got on board with the ducks. If not I might have had a thing to say when 2 months ago, he came home with 16 chicks. Yes, 16! He’s had chickens before and built them a nice coop in our old dog kennel. Eventually we will free range them, but not until the severe bird flu has passed. We are on a migratory flight path. I don’t know what all they are. Two Turkens, Two Golden somethings, some red ones, some white ones and a few that look like they have mutton chops.
We had converted the dog kennel to a cat kennel when another daughter’s Maincoon came to live with me. Now the chickens get it during the day and Ralph gets it at night. He did hang out with them for a couple days and it was going well. A couple days into it the chickens started being mean to him. I watched them chase him across the pen (It’s like 12x40-wraps around the end of the house), I’m a little worried a couple might have taken notes on how the doggie door worked.
Not sure how many roosters are in my hubby’s flock. Might be building a bachelor pad out in the field later.
I have spent a lot of time here in the last 9 months. I want to thank you for all the advice I have gleaned from you all. From “what do I do with baby ducks?” (When my daughter ditched them here, I called her and asked her that question and if it was 350 for an hour),” how do we make a duck house”, dealing with Duckle’s injury and I can’t forget “chicken pasty butt” (didn’t ever know it was even a thing). So thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you. I should have joined sooner but didn’t feel I had anything to contribute. Now I’ve got myself in a bit of a broody duck situation, actually they are hatching as we speak and I need advice so I’m going to close this for now and hope I can figure out how to post this and move onto where I saw a link to ask a question. This is the first forum I’ve ever joined and hope to figure out how to navigate it.
I just discovered I have very few pictures of all 4 ducks. The best one's I have don't show Duckle's head. Guess I need to work on getting my ducks in a row!
Last August my daughter called me while I was in town, “Where are you? I’m at your house, you have to come meet your Grandduckies.” Told her I’d be about 30 minutes. 20 minutes later I’m pulling in & she’s leaving the other way. I called her and asked,” what about meeting my Grandduckies?” Response, “they are in a box in your bathroom. I’ll be back.” She ran to her dad’s where they were staying to get migraine meds.I didn't see her again for 3 days. Her husband had got her a pair of ducks to cheer her up. She didn’t have time, nor did they have a place for ducks. By Monday S.I.L. realized he didn’t think it through and told me he would try to return them or rehome them. Despite my hubby’s objections my response was,” sorry, we’ve bonded. Thanks for the ducks”. I soon learned (from your member’s info) that with winter on the way I really needed at least 3 ducks to keep themselves warm. Must have been the first part of October my neighbor who has ducks picked me up 2 more. So that’s how “The Duckers” came to live with me.
I’m not 100% positive on my first hen, but I think she is a Buff Orpington. With her came my drake, he’s a cream-colored Indian Runner (coolest personality). My second 2 girls are (I think) a little mallard and a Welsh Harlequin. I don’t know if I just didn’t bond with them as close as the first 2 but they are more standoffish. “Brown Duck” (my first girl) only likes me when I have food, but my drake, Duckles, is my guy. He seems to like our late-night slug hunts. My husband teases me about their names, like a 4-year-old named them. I have “Brown Duck”, “Little Brown Duck” (LBD),” The Princess” and “Duckles” (who was Dude until he was attacked by my daughter’s dog and lived in my bathroom for 3 weeks in November. That’s another story). He finally told me his name when I was spending my evenings with him hanging out in the bathroom, medicating him and putting blue stuff on his neck.
My hubby has even come around and not only built me a cool little portable coop but now we have a 20x20 pond and a covered structure to hopefully keep them safe from the bird flu.
It’s a good thing hubby got on board with the ducks. If not I might have had a thing to say when 2 months ago, he came home with 16 chicks. Yes, 16! He’s had chickens before and built them a nice coop in our old dog kennel. Eventually we will free range them, but not until the severe bird flu has passed. We are on a migratory flight path. I don’t know what all they are. Two Turkens, Two Golden somethings, some red ones, some white ones and a few that look like they have mutton chops.
We had converted the dog kennel to a cat kennel when another daughter’s Maincoon came to live with me. Now the chickens get it during the day and Ralph gets it at night. He did hang out with them for a couple days and it was going well. A couple days into it the chickens started being mean to him. I watched them chase him across the pen (It’s like 12x40-wraps around the end of the house), I’m a little worried a couple might have taken notes on how the doggie door worked.
Not sure how many roosters are in my hubby’s flock. Might be building a bachelor pad out in the field later.
I have spent a lot of time here in the last 9 months. I want to thank you for all the advice I have gleaned from you all. From “what do I do with baby ducks?” (When my daughter ditched them here, I called her and asked her that question and if it was 350 for an hour),” how do we make a duck house”, dealing with Duckle’s injury and I can’t forget “chicken pasty butt” (didn’t ever know it was even a thing). So thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you. I should have joined sooner but didn’t feel I had anything to contribute. Now I’ve got myself in a bit of a broody duck situation, actually they are hatching as we speak and I need advice so I’m going to close this for now and hope I can figure out how to post this and move onto where I saw a link to ask a question. This is the first forum I’ve ever joined and hope to figure out how to navigate it.
I just discovered I have very few pictures of all 4 ducks. The best one's I have don't show Duckle's head. Guess I need to work on getting my ducks in a row!
and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
