So........opinions, thoughts, ideas, emotional outburst?

[Blondiega1]

Today I got two more pekins.
More victims of "aren't ducklings cute, let's get one for easter" people.
I had the Beach Boys song Kokomo on the brain today, so hence we now have Largo and Montego.
Largo is NO DOUBT a hen with her loud quack.
Montego is still peeping and not quacking yet so we aren't sure about him/her.

Here's the question: are the big/old enough to release on our 5 acre lake???
They are still a pale yellow not solid white yet.
Some feathers but not all.
Some down still on them.
And as I said, Largo is quacking (LOUDLY) while Montego is still peeping.
I have not idea how old they are. Maybe 5/6 weeks????
What say y'all??
For now they are going in a pen.




And here's a new pic of Taz and Tweety. More victims of "aren't ducklings cute, let's get one for easter" people.
Taz has the pink bill and Tweety has the yellow bill.

 

[Lollipop]

The 2 in the top pic look like they can handle the lake OK, if you're sure they are safe from predators........Pop

 

[Blondiega1]

The 2 in the top pic look like they can handle the lake OK, if you're sure they are safe from predators........Pop

Thanks.
We have no intention of releasing the bottom two ANY TIME soon!
We know they still have a lot of growing to do.
We are going to try to slowly give the top two some lake time over the next week, bringing them in at night, and see how they do.

 

[LilMissChz]

I wonder, as part of my emotional outburst, what on earth makes a baby animal (of any kind) an impulse purchase? I mean, I used to rescue overgrown iguanas that people discarded when the iguana got "too big" to handle. I just don't understand the need to make any such sort of impulse purchase of a creature of any kind. I simply have never been, nor ever will be that sort of person. No, I'm more like you. I'm the person who rescues those that would be discarded. Good job on the birds, they are beautiful and clearly they are now in the right place.

 

[Blondiega1]

I wonder, as part of my emotional outburst, what on earth makes a baby animal (of any kind) an impulse purchase? I mean, I used to rescue overgrown iguanas that people discarded when the iguana got "too big" to handle. I just don't understand the need to make any such sort of impulse purchase of a creature of any kind. I simply have never been, nor ever will be that sort of person. No, I'm more like you. I'm the person who rescues those that would be discarded. Good job on the birds, they are beautiful and clearly they are now in the right place.

Thank you.
I just couldn't let them be release into the wild.
I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm trying my hardest to raise them right and release them to forage on our lake at the right time.
Of course, I'll still feed them daily and bring them in when needed!

 

[TheRookie]

I am guilty of impulse purchases but I make sure I have done my homework on the breed or species first. I never go to Petsmart or TSC without having researched everything there just in case I can convince my mom for one more pet.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Domestic ducks such as Pekins NEED shelter at any and all ages from predators or they will eventually be killed. They may or may NOT sleep on the water. A duck sleeping on the ground is predator bait. The older two are still too young to be out with out you sitting with them. Again predator bait. Turtles can and will bit a foot off, if not just pull the duckling under.

It's a great thing you are taking them in, giving the, a loving a home.

 

[Blondiega1]

Domestic ducks such as Pekins NEED shelter at any and all ages from predators or they will eventually be killed. They may or may NOT sleep on the water. A duck sleeping on the ground is predator bait. The older two are still too young to be out with out you sitting with them. Again predator bait. Turtles can and will bit a foot off, if not just pull the duckling under.
It's a great thing you are taking them in, giving the, a loving a home.

Thanks.
We are keeping them pinned up a while longer.
We will only be letting them on the lake during the day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks.
We are keeping them pinned up a while longer.
We will only be letting them on the lake during the day.

I admire you for taking in these orphans, thats how I ended up with my muscovies, dicards. so sad, but I'm hooked now and wouldn't trade them for anything. I have to agree with Celtic though, ducks and pond, lake sounds so nice but they can still be picked up off the water by hawks, owls eagles etc. and being white they are going to stand out like a sore thumb, I know i have 3 solid white muscovies. Once you take them to the lake you may have a hard time getting them to go into a house to be locked up at night. Does your lake have vegetation along the edges so they will have places to hide during the day if theres a threat flying over head? I wish you the best in taking in these little ones and by the way they are adorable, Just remember there are alot of dangers out there and you take a big risk letting them out on to the water. We have a mt. river down below our home but I don't let my ducks, goose go down to it, over protective maybe but I haven't lost any of them in almost 9 years now. and they free range around our home and property. But saying this if I had a pond on my property I'm sure I would let them be in it when old enough, I drool when i see folks that have ponds. But most of them don't have ducks or geese on it. Kinda strange if you ask me.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Quote: X2, Miss Lydia. Some folks up the road have a heated duck pond. It steams in the winter months. No ducks. It is a crime, if you ask me, and they should give their property to someone who would put it to better use. I may even know someone willing to take it off their hands...

But, I would definitely want to have a way to put them up in a predator proof enclosure for the night. I have nightmares about things getting my ducks. If they weren't enclosed in hardware cloth & locked up every evening I am sure I'd be sleeping by my pond with a weapon of some sort...