Show off your house ducks!

[Tevyes Dad]

Precious penguins. I want to squeeze one really bad. I love them. Ice duckies adapted to harsh conditions. Oose!!

No kidding! Several years ago, my wife and I went to San Diego's Sea World and did all the behind the scenes tours. In one of them, they brought out a Macaroni Penguin for us to interact with. So that he could tolerate being in the 65 degree room we were in, they brought in a two foot square by about half a foot thick ice cube for him to sit on... (OK, 2ft by 1ft by 4 in after I looked at the picture) And even then he was only allowed about 10 minutes before he was returned to his habitat. He was pretty socialized though and we did get to squeeze the Ice Ducky

We were also allowed some time in their habitat to feed them. (Just an edge for that purpose - we didn't "invade" their colony, they could choose to waddle over or not.) Our favorite was a little chinstrap (named Peter Pan) who flapped his wings for us. Some of us did (I endured longest) and some didn't because their habitat was around 0 degrees and although they had coats for us to wear, we were all otherwise dressed for San Diego.

Edit: for my crazy interaction with an orca, see: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1052527/buddies-with-a-whale-ok-technically-a-really-big-dolphin

 

[Scovy Momma]

I love you. You're always so funny.

I love you too, Sweetheart!!

No kidding! Several years ago, my wife and I went to San Diego's Sea World and did all the behind the scenes tours. In one of them, they brought out a Macaroni Penguin for us to interact with. So that he could tolerate being in the 65 degree room we were in, they brought in a two foot square by about half a foot thick ice cube for him to sit on... (OK, 2ft by 1ft by 4 in after I looked at the picture) And even then he was only allowed about 10 minutes before he was returned to his habitat. He was pretty socialized though and we did get to squeeze the Ice Ducky

We were also allowed some time in their habitat to feed them. (Just an edge for that purpose - we didn't "invade" their colony, they could choose to waddle over or not.) Our favorite was a little chinstrap (named Peter Pan) who flapped his wings for us. Some of us did (I endured longest) and some didn't because their habitat was around 0 degrees and although they had coats for us to wear, we were all otherwise dressed for San Diego.

Edit: for my crazy interaction with an orca, see: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1052527/buddies-with-a-whale-ok-technically-a-really-big-dolphin

EEEEEE!!!!! I LOVE PENGWINGS!

 

[Julie Birb]

No kidding! Several years ago, my wife and I went to San Diego's Sea World and did all the behind the scenes tours. In one of them, they brought out a Macaroni Penguin for us to interact with. So that he could tolerate being in the 65 degree room we were in, they brought in a two foot square by about half a foot thick ice cube for him to sit on... (OK, 2ft by 1ft by 4 in after I looked at the picture) And even then he was only allowed about 10 minutes before he was returned to his habitat. He was pretty socialized though and we did get to squeeze the Ice Ducky We were also allowed some time in their habitat to feed them. (Just an edge for that purpose - we didn't "invade" their colony, they could choose to waddle over or not.) Our favorite was a little chinstrap (named Peter Pan) who flapped his wings for us. Some of us did (I endured longest) and some didn't because their habitat was around 0 degrees and although they had coats for us to wear, we were all otherwise dressed for San Diego. Edit: for my crazy interaction with an orca, see: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1052527/buddies-with-a-whale-ok-technically-a-really-big-dolphin

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee EEEEEEEEEEEEEE. DO YOU SEE HOW CUTE THE LITTLE BIRB IS? What a photo. You got to pet one. Jealous. What did he feel like? Was he soft? Firm? They look like little missiles of muscle covered by a coating of cute. Look at Peter's little round bod and sweet face. So cute he flapped for you. Was he smaller than the Macaroni? Great photo!! You captured him perfectly. Normally when I write Eeeeee, I don't say it out loud but my brain screams it. Well this time I screamed it. Out loud.

 

[Julie Birb]

I love you too, Sweetheart!! EEEEEE!!!!! I LOVE PENGWINGS!

Thank you, Scovy Momma!! And I see that you Eeeeee'd loudly too over the pengwings. Aren't they just so precious? How is bitsy Serama doing?

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee EEEEEEEEEEEEEE. DO YOU SEE HOW CUTE THE LITTLE BIRB IS? What a photo. You got to pet one. Jealous. What did he feel like? Was he soft? Firm? They look like little missiles of muscle covered by a coating of cute. Look at Peter's little round bod and sweet face. So cute he flapped for you. Was he smaller than the Macaroni? Great photo!! You captured him perfectly. Normally when I write Eeeeee, I don't say it out loud but my brain screams it. Well this time I screamed it. Out loud.

The Macaroni was real soft but also firm so your intuitive description was spot on. Peter was a little smaller. They both were big duck sized say 8 and 12 lbs (just a guess).

That was a landmark vacation for us (The only real "just for us" vacation we ever had). We bought week passes for San Diego that covered admission to the Zoo, the Animal Park and Sea World. What really made it though was the extras! It was going to cost so much just to eat out every meal for a week, stay in a hotel and fly in and out, the we figured we should really maximize our experience.

The first day we took a tour of San Diego as well as a mini cruise around the bay. This didn't use our pass at all so the clock wasn't ticking yet.

Days 2 - 4 we went to Sea World. We did the "Dolphin Interactive Program" and all of the behind the scenes "tours" at Sea World. This filled 3 days completely with just enough time to actually see Sea World and all the "free" shows in between the tours.

Day 5 was very rainy. We decided to do the zoo then since all our activities were outdoors and the zoo was going to be the least fantastic. The San Diego zoo is a pretty nice zoo, but due to the rain, all the animals were in their houses (they didn't have a duck display). Also they were doing a major remodeling so much of it was closed or limited. Also we are kind of zoo nuts and have been to both the Frankfurt zoo and the Detroit zoo which are both absolutely phenomenal zoos so compared to the rest of the trip, it was kind of a let down, but that means it was only great.

Day 6 We did the Photo Safari at the Animal Park. That was pretty expensive (like $150 per nose after you are in the park), but it was fabulous and about 3 hours long. There already weren't many people on it but it looked like it was going to rain, so several people took rain checks and it ended up being just us and one other couple. Then the weather cleared up. The guides were very knowledgeable and with such a small group they were able to focus on the things we found fun and skim over the stuff that wasn't so fun. You want the definition of awe - feed a slice of apple to a rhino from a safari truck (no cages). The guide had us hold the apple slice inside our hands and make a fist as tight as we possibly could. The rhino grabbed our fingers with his super pliable upper lip and opened our hands to get the apple. As easy as you would pop a soap bubble. No force, no aggression, the rhino had no doubt... it was just going to happen. Well.... If that is his lip, you sure don't want to mess with rest of the rhino. We probably spent half an hour feeding giraffes - did you know for every foot tall a giraffe is, his tongue is an inch long? So an 18' giraffe has an 18" tongue. They sell biscuits for something like $3 each to feed the giraffes in the park - we had buckets of them. I am absolutely sure we fed the giraffes 50 biscuits each so that actually paid for the whole safari.

 

[Scovy Momma]

Thank you, Scovy Momma!! And I see that you Eeeeee'd loudly too over the pengwings. Aren't they just so precious?

How is bitsy Serama doing?

YES!!! A literal "EEEEEeeeeeeEEEEEEE!!!" even at work in my little office! Coworkers were concerned momentarily... Very precious! Pweshius pengwings!!

Bitsy bitty serama is awesome! I need to take another picture, she is getting more white feathers on her & less fuzzy floof.

 

[Scovy Momma]

The Macaroni was real soft but also firm so your intuitive description was spot on. Peter was a little smaller. They both were big duck sized say 8 and 12 lbs (just a guess).

That was a landmark vacation for us (The only real "just for us" vacation we ever had). We bought week passes for San Diego that covered admission to the Zoo, the Animal Park and Sea World. What really made it though was the extras! It was going to cost so much just to eat out every meal for a week, stay in a hotel and fly in and out, the we figured we should really maximize our experience.

The first day we took a tour of San Diego as well as a mini cruise around the bay. This didn't use our pass at all so the clock wasn't ticking yet.

Days 2 - 4 we went to Sea World. We did the "Dolphin Interactive Program" and all of the behind the scenes "tours" at Sea World. This filled 3 days completely with just enough time to actually see Sea World and all the "free" shows in between the tours.

Day 5 was very rainy. We decided to do the zoo then since all our activities were outdoors and the zoo was going to be the least fantastic. The San Diego zoo is a pretty nice zoo, but due to the rain, all the animals were in their houses (they didn't have a duck display). Also they were doing a major remodeling so much of it was closed or limited. Also we are kind of zoo nuts and have been to both the Frankfurt zoo and the Detroit zoo which are both absolutely phenomenal zoos so compared to the rest of the trip, it was kind of a let down, but that means it was only great.

Day 6 We did the Photo Safari at the Animal Park. That was pretty expensive (like $150 per nose after you are in the park), but it was fabulous and about 3 hours long. There already weren't many people on it but it looked like it was going to rain, so several people took rain checks and it ended up being just us and one other couple. Then the weather cleared up. The guides were very knowledgeable and with such a small group they were able to focus on the things we found fun and skim over the stuff that wasn't so fun. You want the definition of awe - feed a slice of apple to a rhino from a safari truck (no cages). The guide had us hold the apple slice inside our hands and make a fist as tight as we possibly could. The rhino grabbed our fingers with his super pliable upper lip and opened our hands to get the apple. As easy as you would pop a soap bubble. No force, no aggression, the rhino had no doubt... it was just going to happen. Well.... If that is his lip, you sure don't want to mess with rest of the rhino. We probably spent half an hour feeding giraffes - did you know for every foot tall a giraffe is, his tongue is an inch long? So an 18' giraffe has an 18" tongue. They sell biscuits for something like $3 each to feed the giraffes in the park - we had buckets of them. I am absolutely sure we fed the giraffes 50 biscuits each so that actually paid for the whole safari.

SO FREAKIN' AWESOMESAUCE, T.D!!

That sounds like the best vacay ever!

 

[Tevyes Dad]

SO FREAKIN' AWESOMESAUCE, T.D!!

That sounds like the best vacay ever!

Sure was for us. Maybe some day we will do something like that again... <sigh>

 

[Scovy Momma]

Sure was for us. Maybe some day we will do something like that again... <sigh>

You should...soon...& take TONS of pictures...& post them all...so I can live vicariously through you as I am stuck at home

 

[Julie Birb]

The Macaroni was real soft but also firm so your intuitive description was spot on. Peter was a little smaller. They both were big duck sized say 8 and 12 lbs (just a guess). That was a landmark vacation for us (The only real "just for us" vacation we ever had). We bought week passes for San Diego that covered admission to the Zoo, the Animal Park and Sea World. What really made it though was the extras! It was going to cost so much just to eat out every meal for a week, stay in a hotel and fly in and out, the we figured we should really maximize our experience. The first day we took a tour of San Diego as well as a mini cruise around the bay. This didn't use our pass at all so the clock wasn't ticking yet. Days 2 - 4 we went to Sea World. We did the "Dolphin Interactive Program" and all of the behind the scenes "tours" at Sea World. This filled 3 days completely with just enough time to actually see Sea World and all the "free" shows in between the tours. Day 5 was very rainy. We decided to do the zoo then since all our activities were outdoors and the zoo was going to be the least fantastic. The San Diego zoo is a pretty nice zoo, but due to the rain, all the animals were in their houses (they didn't have a duck display). Also they were doing a major remodeling so much of it was closed or limited. Also we are kind of zoo nuts and have been to both the Frankfurt zoo and the Detroit zoo which are both absolutely phenomenal zoos so compared to the rest of the trip, it was kind of a let down, but that means it was only great. Day 6 We did the Photo Safari at the Animal Park. That was pretty expensive (like $150 per nose after you are in the park), but it was fabulous and about 3 hours long. There already weren't many people on it but it looked like it was going to rain, so several people took rain checks and it ended up being just us and one other couple. Then the weather cleared up. The guides were very knowledgeable and with such a small group they were able to focus on the things we found fun and skim over the stuff that wasn't so fun. You want the definition of awe - feed a slice of apple to a rhino from a safari truck (no cages). The guide had us hold the apple slice inside our hands and make a fist as tight as we possibly could. The rhino grabbed our fingers with his super pliable upper lip and opened our hands to get the apple. As easy as you would pop a soap bubble. No force, no aggression, the rhino had no doubt... it was just going to happen. Well.... If that is his lip, you sure don't want to mess with rest of the rhino. We probably spent half an hour feeding giraffes - did you know for every foot tall a giraffe is, his tongue is an inch long? So an 18' giraffe has an 18" tongue. They sell biscuits for something like $3 each to feed the giraffes in the park - we had buckets of them. I am absolutely sure we fed the giraffes 50 biscuits each so that actually paid for the whole safari.

That is theeee money shot. Yvonne in a rain covering and an 18" giraffe tongue extended on her. Tell her she's adorable!! Then the rhino's pliable upper lip. Truthfully I'd be scared to death to feed one by hand but if I remember from seeing them on nature shows, they aren't exactly sporting an upper and lower arch each of razor sharp teeth. I have to say the safari with just the 4 of you would be perfect for me. I am from Calif originally but have never been to San Diego. Of course I have heard of the zoo. Ok, good. The Macaroni pengy and Peter Chin strap are about the approx estimated weight of a larger duck. That gives me perspective since I really had no idea. I think it's so cool the zoo allows people to pet them. They probably pick the least anxious one for petting. I'd die if I got to do that. It wouldn't be enough for me to view, I'd have to touch the sweet thing. Your vacation certainly was a really enjoyable read for me Tony. I was almost there with you and your wife.