oh woe is me!

[mamanaturale]

i think i have come to the conclusion that my ducklings will NEVER, i repeat NEVER move out of my house. i might as well start buying them diapers... they are 4.5 weeks old and not transitioning to the outside world very well. (not that i am trying too terribly hard) We built them two fabulous ponds complete with waterfall, then we fenced it in like a oversized ducky playpen. eventually, they will have free run of the 1.5 acres, but not until they are full sized. so they go out for playtime everyday, usually after dh gets home from work because he hates to miss the fun. We have some chairs out there and we usually sit and watch them play. well tonight i left them in the pen while we ate dinner on the porch. they screeched the entire dinner. kid.you.not. they stood at the gate and cried like i had just dropped them off on the side of the hwy. and i do sometime walk away from the pen, just not very often. and when i do dh and the kids are usually on the trampoline right by it.
*sigh*
how will i ever cut the cord? i really need to start getting serious about them moving out because we have to go across the state in the beginning of july for a memorial for a couple of days. I will have a house sitter but i really can't expect her to be responsible for hauling the ducks out for playtime every day...

i didn't expect them to be out by now or anything, i just thought the transition wouldn't be so hard on them (and me). yes i am totally hooked on these sweeties.... they follow me everywhere!

 

[Mahonri]

That young and they have you trained already!

Smart ducks.

 

[mamanaturale]

i know, i know.... since hatch day really. they might just be the death of me. they are just so darn cute! how could i have resisted this:

and i thought they would get ugly duckling ish but they did not! see:

 

[shelleyd2008]

There is nothing ugly about ducklings!! Don't you remember the story? The ugly duckling was a swan, or something like that! I'm lucky, the only thing that is permanently attached to me is my baby goose. She comes running when I'm out in the yard, and follows me everywhere!!

Hope you can fix your dilemma, tough love....that's my solution....tough love (good luck with THAT!)

 

[Judy]

Might try thinking of their natural habitat. Nothing natural about indoors for ducks. Don't they deserve what is natural for them? Sorry, but you are dealing with your needs, not theirs. Let them live a duck life.

IMHO, of course.

 

[mamanaturale]

oh i agree fully that they need to move outdoors. the real dilemma is that they were hatched in an incubator (nothing natural there either) and therefore imprinted on me. so they feel as though i am their mommy.

at what age does the mommy duck kick them out of the nest "in nature"?

 

[Wifezilla]

Sometimes you just have to let them cry for a bit. Mine still cry if they can hear me but not see me

 

[mamanaturale]

thanks wifezilla, so there is hope?