The Quack Shack

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have a dog X pen? portable? set it up and carry the ducklings to it. Best way to introduce them to adults.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Wow, they sure did love that. Poor little guy hesitated too long and missed out. lol I am sure they have grit somewhere to go with the soup or do they not need it. I had always thought they did and never had any so my babies never got to get anything but duck food. That looked really yummy!!!

Oh and for that "poor little guy" who hesitated too long and missed out: That's duckling #12 who sat in my lap in the afternoon while i was handing out meal-worms to everybody. It climbed into the bowl and stuffed itself, then closed its eyes and napped. That wasn't hesitation, that was a heavy belly with a huge inertia to overcome…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Do you have a dog X pen? portable? set it up and carry the ducklings to it. Best way to introduce them to adults.

I don't have a dog pen and that little duck vacation home is in such a bad shape that it won't offer any predator protection anymore.
I wanted to rebuild that little house since one year, using better (hard-)wood, but you know how that always ends here.
I might use the fenced in area to keep them during the day, but then i have carry them back and forth twice a day…
Or i build a ramp and fence in some grass around that patio...

 

[Miss Lydia]

A ramp might be you least expensive and easiest to do. Since they are so small keeping them safe from predators and the adult ducks is the biggest concern. I like the fake plastic poultry fencing and the push in fence posts for making spaces for mine when they are little so they can be around everyone and protected.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Happy Monday to Everybody!​

This weeks objective is to get the Incubator Gang introduced to the real outside, meaning get them off the patio into the grass and introduce them to the rest of the flock.
And i have no idea how to do that!
That patio is four feet above the ground, the steps are an accident waiting to happen, even for humons and i don't want the gang to run through the living-room, the kitchen and the other patio to be able to hop on the grass. There's too much distraction on that way and there will be too much poop left behind...
I need an idea...

Make a ramp?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Make a ramp?

I should finish reading comments before replying!

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

That plastic poultry fencing is less than 25 A roll at TSC and you will have a lifetime supply. It will not keep out any predators but if you have extra 2 by fours you can set it up with some fencing or construction stakes and then lay the 2 by 4 s on the ground and staple the bottom down. If you have some 4by4 pieces you could make smaller steps between the bigger ones. Those little guys can jump pretty good.

 

[Luv Ducks]

The four ducknagers have already spent time in the duckling box outside on the grass, so they have plenty of grit in their gizzards. For the others, that patio is not as clean as the inside of the house. There's soil that was under somebody's shoes, dust, sand and other stuff that the wind and the rain has deposited. They have eaten unwashed salad, kale and clover that i brought them from the garden.
My ducklings have always been brought outside to experience the outside as early as possible. I think it is important for them to experience the environment that they will live in as soon as possible. So far it has never been a bad experience, neither for the little birds, nor foe me - its the perfect excuse to pick each little one up, huddle it and then put it back down into the duckling box on the grass.

I knew you had to have that all figured out since you have had ducks for quite a while. How is the Peacock doing? Still hanging around?? You have beautiful ducklings by the way.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I knew you had to have that all figured out since you have had ducks for quite a while. How is the Peacock doing? Still hanging around?? You have beautiful ducklings by the way.

I have had my ducklings separated in my large pen by netting and fence posts and it has worked out really well. They can see them but not touch them. I also have several houses in the pen so they have always had shelter. I hope that you can figure something out for your ducklings.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

THey aren't happy. Poor things had free range with 50 other peafowl before coming here, and getting locked up so they don't fly home. Would it be cruel to clip their wings? My heart says yes but I feel like them locked up is crueler. The tennis court is very secure (besides no roof)