Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[quirkybeeper]

That's a great idea for a brooder though. and I love the pic of your 2 ducklings when they were babies. so sweet. you are going to have her walking on hardware cloth I hope it is really rough on ducks feet.

I was hoping to find something more like that plastic fencing, the green stuff with tiny holes. I'm not really sure yet, I'm sure I'll figure something out lol I just remember it being a pain hauling that pool outside to dump the shavings and hose it down. However, the room she's in has a window that has a screen that slides open, I could just get a bucket to scoop and set the trashcan right outside the window and scoop out the dirty shavings...I'm sure my boyfriend would be thrilled!

Since pools are out of season, my boyfriend said he'd build her a wood box, we'll line it with a tarp probably and just put shavings on top of that. Haha that'll even be easier to fold up and haul out the window! I did put a pan in her brooder to keep the water from going everywhere, which has been so much better than what we had with the first 2 ducks...we thought their waterer was leaking because their shavings were always soaked.

I just can't believe how quickly she's growing!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was hoping to find something more like that plastic fencing, the green stuff with tiny holes. I'm not really sure yet, I'm sure I'll figure something out lol I just remember it being a pain hauling that pool outside to dump the shavings and hose it down. However, the room she's in has a window that has a screen that slides open, I could just get a bucket to scoop and set the trashcan right outside the window and scoop out the dirty shavings...I'm sure my boyfriend would be thrilled!

Since pools are out of season, my boyfriend said he'd build her a wood box, we'll line it with a tarp probably and just put shavings on top of that. Haha that'll even be easier to fold up and haul out the window! I did put a pan in her brooder to keep the water from going everywhere, which has been so much better than what we had with the first 2 ducks...we thought their waterer was leaking because their shavings were always soaked.

I just can't believe how quickly she's growing!

They grow so fast. be sure to post pics of your new brooder so we all can see and maybe help someone else that needs some ideas.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My goodness going on 2 weeks and no updates on baby. quirkybee?

 

[quirkybeeper]

As I mentioned, we got her a little stuffed bear thing at Petsmart that she has been sleeping with, and it shows her change in size most dramatically... She hatched on the 10th. Here is Indigo when we got it on the 12th... And here is Indigo with the bear on the 15th...

My goodness going on 2 weeks and no updates on baby. quirkybee?

Well see, her tote was way too small and I hadn't gotten a bigger space for her yet, so I wanted to wait and post "look how much more space she has!" instead of "I feel like such a bad ducky mommy!" LOL...so I finally have her new pen done! First things first, here she is with her bear on the 20th...

The 28th...

And the 30th (this one isn't a great angle)...

And here's the new pen!

It's an appliance box that I cut in half, reconfigured, and taped back together. It's completely lined with a shower curtain. There are towels on top of that, and a layer of that non-slip shelf liner...it's soft but has holes so all I'll have to do is hose it off and wash the towels...should be easier to deal with than the setup we had with our first two ducks. She has room to run around now which is good, she didn't really have room to move because she'd outgrown the old box, and her leg muscles aren't as strong as they should be. But I'm putting a little bit of niacin in her water (only 100mg per gallon) and making her move around, so that should help. She is so funny...she has started whistling at us when she wants attention! The door to the room she is in stays closed so the cats can't get in, and she'll just call out once very loudly to get us to come check on her! She's still snuggly... the other day when she got out of the bath, she didn't want me to towel her dry, she just wanted to sit on the towel on my lap <3 She's a silly little duck and I can't believe how big she is already!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well see, her tote was way too small and I hadn't gotten a bigger space for her yet, so I wanted to wait and post "look how much more space she has!" instead of "I feel like such a bad ducky mommy!" LOL...so I finally have her new pen done!

First things first, here she is with her bear on the 20th...



The 28th...



And the 30th (this one isn't a great angle)...



And here's the new pen!



It's an appliance box that I cut in half, reconfigured, and taped back together. It's completely lined with a shower curtain. There are towels on top of that, and a layer of that non-slip shelf liner...it's soft but has holes so all I'll have to do is hose it off and wash the towels...should be easier to deal with than the setup we had with our first two ducks. She has room to run around now which is good, she didn't really have room to move because she'd outgrown the old box, and her leg muscles aren't as strong as they should be. But I'm putting a little bit of niacin in her water (only 100mg per gallon) and making her move around, so that should help.

She is so funny...she has started whistling at us when she wants attention! The door to the room she is in stays closed so the cats can't get in, and she'll just call out once very loudly to get us to come check on her! She's still snuggly... the other day when she got out of the bath, she didn't want me to towel her dry, she just wanted to sit on the towel on my lap <3

She's a silly little duck and I can't believe how big she is already!

What an awesome brooder she looks like she shrunk she is so small in it. Yes good for you to get her some niacin especially since Pekins seem to really have the leg issues they grow so fast. On nice days above 60 [if you have any of those] I'd get her outside so she can really run around and get exercise. has she been able to meet mom and dad yet? through the fence of course. Does she have a mirror? She is so cute I know you have to be in love.

 

[quirkybeeper]

What an awesome brooder she looks like she shrunk she is so small in it. Yes good for you to get her some niacin especially since Pekins seem to really have the leg issues they grow so fast. On nice days above 60 [if you have any of those] I'd get her outside so she can really run around and get exercise. has she been able to meet mom and dad yet? through the fence of course. Does she have a mirror? She is so cute I know you have to be in love. 

We're in the piedmont of NC, I don't know when we'll get above 50 again, but I'll get my boyfriend to put up chicken wire around the deck so she can run around, we used to do that with the other ducks, they really seemed to enjoy it. She hasn't met the others, I'm scared she'd get away from me if I took her outside...I'm such a fearful mama lol

She has a mirror and a toy she likes, I just haven't had time to transfer them to the new brooder yet, I'll probably do that this week. She finally decided the hanging toy isn't going to eat her, so she likes to peck at it

She is such a sweetie! She wears herself in the bath pretty quickly, then she comes to the edge of the tub and stares at me until I get her out. And she always responds to my voice. I just wish she'd stayed small a bit longer!

 

[Miss Lydia]

We're in the piedmont of NC, I don't know when we'll get above 50 again, but I'll get my boyfriend to put up chicken wire around the deck so she can run around, we used to do that with the other ducks, they really seemed to enjoy it. She hasn't met the others, I'm scared she'd get away from me if I took her outside...I'm such a fearful mama lol

She has a mirror and a toy she likes, I just haven't had time to transfer them to the new brooder yet, I'll probably do that this week. She finally decided the hanging toy isn't going to eat her, so she likes to peck at it

She is such a sweetie! She wears herself in the bath pretty quickly, then she comes to the edge of the tub and stares at me until I get her out. And she always responds to my voice. I just wish she'd stayed small a bit longer!

I know they grow to darn fast. please keep the pics coming when you have time, we always enjoy watching them grow up, and I bet she would stay right with you if you took her outside, remember you are her mama. Happy New Year.

 

[quirkybeeper]

First things first, here she is with her bear on the 20th...

The 28th...

And the 30th (this one isn't a great angle)...

And here's the new pen!

She's a silly little duck and I can't believe how big she is already!

Updates!

Indigo has definitely entered the "ugly duckling" stage lol she's molting, so there's fluff and tiny baby feathers all at once...poor thing! The good news is with the extra room and the niacin, her legs are doing really well, and she seems a lot steadier on them too, at first she was losing her balance a lot. She really loves her new pen though, and I love how easy it is to clean everything. I need to get her a new waterer though, anyone have any recommendations?

So...pictures! These were all taken today.

With her bear...

Standing up...

And just being really incredibly cute!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Updates!

Indigo has definitely entered the "ugly duckling" stage lol she's molting, so there's fluff and tiny baby feathers all at once...poor thing! The good news is with the extra room and the niacin, her legs are doing really well, and she seems a lot steadier on them too, at first she was losing her balance a lot. She really loves her new pen though, and I love how easy it is to clean everything. I need to get her a new waterer though, anyone have any recommendations?

So...pictures! These were all taken today.

With her bear...


Standing up...


And just being really incredibly cute!

I don't see an ugly duckling She's adorable. where is her mirror though so she can see she is a duck? if you type in Duck waterers you may find something in the search I still can't copy and paste with IE. Also glad to hear her legs are doing better.

 

[quirkybeeper]

I don't see an ugly duckling She's adorable. where is her mirror though so she can see she is a duck? 

Thanks for reminding me! She had it for a couple weeks and I took it down to clean it the other day, and keep forgetting to put it back! It's been in the back corner near her lamp because that's where she hangs out most often. And yes, she's the most adorable little thing, she's just having a bad feather day

ETA: I just put the mirror back in her pen.