Who's the boss...you or the ducks?

[maralynn28]

The last two nights, I hear LOUD quacking around dusk. I got scared that something was after them, ran outside and saw only 2 of the 4 ducks! Was sooo scared until I looked closer...my WH were IN the duck house, ready for bed and the cayugas were standing at the end of the ramp.

My dd and I had a laugh about it, figured they were ready for bed so went out there to do our nightly routine.

Last night, AGAIN. Loud quacking, the WH were missing but I could see their little booties in the doorway. Guess my cayugas are either too lazy to climb the ramp or are more of night owls than the WH. It's so funny the WH are putting themselves to bed!
So now I guess they start quacking like that to let me know they are ready for bed and demand that I carry them up the ramp.

On top of that, a few times a day, one cayuga in particular starts quacking loudly (like crying bloody murder) and scare me enough so I run outside...then they all come running to me, begging for peas I'm sure because when they notice my hands are empty they turn their backs on me and waddle away again.

I guess I'm not worth a darn unless I have a bowl of peas in my hands, then I'm queen.

Crazy ducks. I have to say I don't regret the decision to get ducks one bit, they never cease to be entertaining...but I do wish I had some vacation plan.

Still can't find anyone I trust them with...

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Mine are the boss definately! Every morning about 8am they are coming to my side yard (the ducks me and my neighbor went in together for them, so we 'share' them and will eventually split the eggs and so they have free range over 2 yards, a field, and the woods - about 6 acres all together if they wanted to - but they dont go hardly anywhere) and they quack up a storm wanting their treats...THEN if they see me out at noon re-filling the silkie's water (since its so hot out) they come quacking and fly running up for part of the feed

silly things. Then 1-2 more times in the evening they come up to the back door and the big shade tree out by my back door now with about a dozen of the neighbor's chickens wanting their not any good and empty calorie bread and the dinner scraps. - lol.

So yes they are in charge and they know it!

 

[LAMchop]

The ducks are the boss around here! If the feeder happens to be empty, I hear constant ear-splitting shrieks until it gets filled again. When I'm in the process of cleaning the pool they all start quacking "Hurry up!"... and I think they may also be insulting me.
It's a good thing they're so cute!

 

[suburbanduckmom]

They just think they are the boss. The bossiest of them knows I am in charge and will do a submissive dance when I approach her to be pet...but they do not listed to anyone else. Maybe it was all the peas I've fed them, or all the time i spent holding them, but they know I am the queen bee.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Quote:
I'm lucky I have an awesome neighbor who has more animals than me (he has hogs, goats, rabbits, guineas, turkeys, chickens, ducks, hunting dogs, 2 pet dogs etc) They went to New York for a week not to long ago, I took care of the two pet dogs, the rabbits and the birds while his son came to feed the goats, hogs, and hunting dogs... and when I went to the beach a few weekends ago he came down and made sure mine outside were fed and had fresh water even though I had my dad come and check on everything as well, he just thought it was common courtesy, even though one of my dogs wants to eat him XD - he still managed to change her water the one day she knocked it over though - how I don't even want to know - lol. I can picture him out there with a rake or a pitch form guarding himself from the dog long enough to snatch her bucket and bring it back.

my neighbor's in his sixties and he's all tall and well built but I can only imagine him hunkered down with a rake or something fending off my daughter's 45 lb chow mix

- he's an awesome neighbor though

 

[RunnerDucks]

Well, my indoor duck rules the roost. He has the ability to get me to give him a bowl of MY food before I ever even get to taste it, the first thing I do when I wake up is chop up his fruits and veggies for his breakfast, I sleep in uncomfortable positions at night just so I don't disturb HIS sleep, his wardrobe (diapers) is larger than my own, I'm a few minutes late every morning because I'm making sure he's uber comfortable before I go, he has two pools of his own that I bought instead of the hair dye I so desperately needed... and when we go to the grocery store, the first stop is things for him to eat.
Even the dog knows the duck is king.

The outdoor ducks are not as spoiled. They've got the basics... food, water, shade, grass, clean pen, etc. but because they're not friendly and tame, nothing I want to do to spoil them actually makes them happy. They just want to get away from me. Even bringing them their food and water sends them into a panic. I hope these holderread ducklings are better when they're adults. These other ones I've got are just pitiful.