Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

I have to share a couple of videos...these are wood ducks and they are only a couple of days old!!!

Wow. That's crazy!

 

[drstratton]

Wow. That's crazy!

Pretty fearless and tough!

 

[Ribh]

Pretty fearless and tough!

They sure are but as Shad said of chicks, they are so light they literally bounce. Amazing to see.

 

[RoyalChick]

I have to share a couple of videos...these are wood ducks and they are only a couple of days old!!!

Wow! Thank you for sharing. Those were amazing videos.

 

[Ribh]

Oh those little dusters have fluffy feet - you did say, but I only saw them on this video.
They seem quite capable of flying out so I guess the ramp is more to go back up!
They are just the cutest ever!

They do. It makes them waddle like penguins.

 

[RoyalChick]

They sure are but as Shad said of chicks, they are so light they literally bounce. Amazing to see.

I love how on the second one their little feet were furiously paddling even though they had pretty much bounced out of the water.

 

[Ribh]

View attachment 2438575

O.M.GOSH!!! That is spectacular!

 

[drstratton]

Wow! Thank you for sharing. Those were amazing videos.

I love how on the second one their little feet were furiously paddling even though they had pretty much bounced out of the water.

Aren't they something...I remember the first time I saw this...my heart was in my throat...absolutely amazing!

I had to go back and look at the video again...he was definitely ready to go...

 

[Ribh]

I thought I would post this link. I think there is a possibility that some who read the posts above may think Shad has just gone into one and while his view may be relevant to free range chicks, it doesn't apply to me.
Dont handle the chicks is rule 1 here with breeders. It's not going to be a popular view. Just reading the hatching posts and the 'I've just got new chicks' posts will show this.
Read the link.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chick-instructions-on-one-page.71977/

It's good advice. I remember you saying something elsewhere [when I first joined BYC] about not handling chicks & my gut instinct was not to handle the little ones. I do have to pick them up @ bed time simply because they did not know where to go & the ramp is quite hard for the smallest to manage. Our night temps aren't low but it has been very windy & I don't think they would survive a night in the open.

 

[Ribh]

I can't say it's been a real good day.
The Littlies are slowly getting used to things.

The Vorwerks are mad as hatters. One or other of them was standing in the water tray all day.

The big girls spent the morning screaming. I eventually went into the coop to spend some time & hand out treats & in the process found what Luna was so upset about. There was a very long, very dead rat wedged in an almost inaccessible corner. They all knew it was there but luckily no~one had attempted to eat it. I removed it & the flock was immediately calmer. *sigh* I try but I don't always get it first time round. I'm now worried neighbours are poisoning....

Aoife then proceeded to beat up Wrold & force her out of a nesting box so she could use it. Never mind there were 3 empty boxes. All the big girls have been forcing both bantams of the nests so Wrold went downstairs & proceeded to roll Ha'penny's egg out from under the stairs so she could sit on it undisturbed.

I think the whole lot of them have lost their collective minds!

Yes they have been confined for a few days. I can't do a full on quarantine but I do what I can & it's not so bad. There is dustbathing spots, stumps, roosts & deep leaf litter for foraging; food, water & extra treats but the girls are fed up with bantam broodies bokking away all day!​