The Quack Shack

[Miss Lydia]

Might find a size for Frankie here
https://www.etsy.com/listing/149509...&organic_search_click=1&variation0=3546364278

 

[Jenbirdee]

he was getting better then he got worse . The bowed out leg straightened up, which pushed the foot further into the other foot.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

This one is a wild child. goes hysterical if it sees you coming from a mile away. you can see the crazy eyes look. was near impossible to get a good pic . reminds me of something that you might find growing wild in the View attachment 3835174forest. Mushroom? ‍

She has beautiful brown eyes! - If she is so wild, just name her »Wild Thing«…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Oh my what cuteness

Is it OK for such little ducklings (while they don't yet have feathers) to bathe and dive, getting really wet? I had this idea from somewhere that I should wait... Have I been holding them back for no reason? Should the water be warm?

Absolutely! - Exposing them to water triggers their oil-gland to start the production of »Duck-Oil« which they know how to use to make themselves waterproof.
Again: Think as a Duck-Momma. Latest on day three she will coax her duxlings to the nearest body of water. Okay, her babies are waterproof by her rubbing off the oil of her own plumage, but still the little webbies touch the sometimes really cold water…
I do the same thing with my ducklings. Depending on their fitness they go for a swim in not too warm water (again: I have seen a lot of ducklings panting!), followed by family cuddles in a large towel.
Be prepared for the poop-reflex though.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Does anybody have an idea what Ancona ducks are called in Europe? (German? French?) @WannaBeHillBilly ? ... I don't seem to find anything

On the web-site of the British Poultry Club:
https://www.poultryclub.org/breeds/ducks/
The Ancona Duck is not listed as a recognized Breed. Verified by the English Wikipedia page for the Ancona Duck :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancona_duck
»It is not recognised or listed by the American Poultry Association, by the Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture, or by the Poultry Club of Great Britain.«

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Yes, my bad habit is only ducks and sugar. I eat too much of that but other than that I am not spending money on more expensive things. lol

Better that way than the opposite: Collecting Sugar and…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

My two Hens will eat out of my hand and are the first ones to come to the watering place to get in while I am changing the water. I got one as a baby and the other one was 3 months old. I am very fortunate. My Runners are the ones that are more off standish and my Mule and Rouen Hens are the tamest of all. Funny how some people have more luck with one breed than another. Some people have very tame Runner Ducks. Mine will let me near them but only one has every eaten the lettuce out of my hand.

And the behaviour is not set into concrete: Last year Tweedledee hatched seven ducklings of which only one survived, a chocolate brown female which i called »Laura«. She was afraid of everything larger than a rubber boot and especially of me.
But by consequently showing her that i am not a danger, talking calmly to her, using her name and of course treats she has learned to trust me. Today (actually yesterday, Saturday) i was tilling the bed for the members of the pumpkin family and discovered a ton of bug larvae. Collected a handful of them and showed them to Laura Duck. She made a little happy hop, ran straight to me and enjoyed the bugs out of my hand. Then she stood on the other side of the fence and watched what i was doing, not scared by the big humming tiller, the flying rocks and soil and happily accepted more bug larvae as i discovered them.
Buffzilla last year jumped straight into my face when i got too close to her nest and this year we are candling her eggs together - on calm days, when Milka has not tried to steal her straw, Violeta shuts the duck up and Brød is not attempting to sit on her.

 

[Jenbirdee]

these 2 lovely ladies arrived yesterday. Olive and Acorn . and it just so turns out that the eggs they are laying now are likely have been fertilized by a fawn and white runner Drake (before a fox attacked his flock , and these two are the only survivors) but while I was brainstorming on what to do about my extremely broody chocolate Orpington hen, I realized I could put these duck eggs under her…. so what do I do? I have these two new ducks separated from my other ducks. I have collected two eggs so far. Do I let them sit on the counter on their side? until I have maybe eight or so? The longer I wait before putting them under my hen., the longer her brood timehas to be to hatch them out.

 

[Jenbirdee]

View attachment 3837314these 2 lovely ladies arrived yesterday. Olive and Acorn . and it just so turns out that the eggs they are laying now are likely have been fertilized by a fawn and white runner Drake (before a fox attacked his flock , and these two are the only survivors) but while I was brainstorming on what to do about my extremely broody chocolate Orpington hen, I realized I could put these duck eggs under her…. so what do I do? I have these two new ducks separated from my other ducks. I have collected two eggs so far. Do I let them sit on the counter on their side? until I have maybe eight or so? The longer I wait before putting them under my hen., the longer her brood timehas to be to hatch them out. View attachment 3837314

oh, and what kind of ducklings might we see from these combinations? My ladies are a Cayuga and a Khaki Campbell. drake was fw runner

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Sorry I know nothing about broodys but these guys are really cute.
Its been busy even outside the electricity fun. Buttercup went walkabout in the new subdivision. I don't think the city folks over there appreciated a cow in their yard.

Shes pretty but a escape artist so she had to get a new home today. I've made strawberry prserves, canned green beans and froze peaches today.