Support Group for Abused Duck Keepers

[BelovedBirds]

No abuse to report here, the girls have been fairly well behaved!
I had a scare the other night as I missed a bus and ended up having to walk home. By the time I got back, it was pretty dark, and I was anxious to immediately check the girls were okay. The pen is fox proof, but there's always the chance something else could get in, I put them in before dark and just didn't know if they'd be okay...
I walked around the corner and couldn't see them! When I got to the pen door I realised they'd put themselves to bed.
The coop was obviously open, but they'd gone in to bed. I don't know, it just made my heart melt a bit that they knew something was up, mum wasn't here to put them in, and they did it themselves!
Usually they don't want to go to bed even with me telling them to, so I was very impressed!

In other news, I am surprised by these strange creatures day by day. This week they tried some more exotic fruits for the first time, watermelon which they loved-- Sprightly especially, who is the picky one. And dragonfruit! Which Dougie preferred, but both found it acceptable.

And today, I found Dougie tucking into some brambles... Full on prickly blackberry plants.... can they do that?? Why would they want to?? They're prickly. Strange creatures.
She didn't eat much, but definitely seemed to find it good...

 

[Sequestered Ridge Ranch]

I finally let the guinea fowl out (16) of them with the ducks (9) of them they were shacked up with to join the other (19) ducks and (5) geese, it's a mad world...
A few guinea fowl get loss on which flock of ducks to be with, so they are chasing the older ducks, they are running as the geese are going crazy over ducks being chased, so they are giving chase in return to get them away. All the while some of the younger ducks are following in the mayhem and few older ducks merged with younger ducks. Feathers galore flying and so is the dust in this dry area.
At night it gets really fun trying to get them back in!

 

[Canadian Wind]

I finally let the guinea fowl out (16) of them with the ducks (9) of them they were shacked up with to join the other (19) ducks and (5) geese, it's a mad world...
A few guinea fowl get loss on which flock of ducks to be with, so they are chasing the older ducks, they are running as the geese are going crazy over ducks being chased, so they are giving chase in return to get them away. All the while some of the younger ducks are following in the mayhem and few older ducks merged with younger ducks. Feathers galore flying and so is the dust in this dry area.
At night it gets really fun trying to get them back in!

Sounds like a circus / zoo!

I'm about to change the dynamics in my flock, with ten birds going to a new home today. This should be interesting.

The adult drake is probably going to love it, he's bottom of the totem pole here and now he'll be the only drake (apart from juvies).

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I finally let the guinea fowl out (16) of them with the ducks (9) of them they were shacked up with to join the other (19) ducks and (5) geese, it's a mad world...
A few guinea fowl get loss on which flock of ducks to be with, so they are chasing the older ducks, they are running as the geese are going crazy over ducks being chased, so they are giving chase in return to get them away. All the while some of the younger ducks are following in the mayhem and few older ducks merged with younger ducks. Feathers galore flying and so is the dust in this dry area.
At night it gets really fun trying to get them back in!

I just put my 2 youngest ( 5 week old ducklings ) in the coop last night. It’s always crazy right at night as 2 of my boys give chase to girls who scream and run away till I get them all locked in their own areas
Others get mad if another crew is not in their own separate area
I was holding the one little one and she was just shaking. It’s a lot for young birds to take in when life in the house was calm
I gave them a big crate in with grandma and grandpa who I’m trying to keep them with outside as well
They were fine this morning but sure happy to get out of the crazy duck house
It’s funny how they can all mingle just fine in the yard. Sharing bugs , pools , feed , water and mud holes but in the coop they don’t like to share their sleeping areas

 

[Maddcatter]

It’s funny how they can all mingle just fine in the yard. Sharing bugs , pools , feed , water and mud holes but in the coop they don’t like to share their sleeping areas

You know, I was thinking something similar last night.

I don't close the door between the coop and run when the weather allows it, and the original duck flock I had tends to hang out in the run until really late at night. The little monsters (the ducklings I hatched under a Welsummer) like to go to bed in the coop much earlier.

During the day the 2 groups might hang out together, or they might not, but it's never so distinctly clear cut as it is at night.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

You know, I was thinking something similar last night.

I don't close the door between the coop and run when the weather allows it, and the original duck flock I had tends to hang out in the run until really late at night. The little monsters (the ducklings I hatched under a Welsummer) like to go to bed in the coop much earlier.

During the day the 2 groups might hang out together, or they might not, but it's never so distinctly clear cut as it is at night.

It’s crazy isn’t it

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Stella is adorable!

 

[Sequestered Ridge Ranch]

First night only got 4 out of 25 in on first try, second night (last night) got all but 3 in on first try. Tonight I'm going for perfection on herding all ducks and guinea fowl in on one go, can you actually believe you can herd guinea fowl in and no their wings aren't clipped. Soon they will march their own selves in.
Slow an steady, and steady is fast.

 

[Sequestered Ridge Ranch]

Got it, all 25 in one go! Now just need to get themselves in.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Got it, all 25 in one go! Now just need to get themselves in.