I love ducklings they are just so cute

Eating bugs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uJ__EgTkRQ&feature=youtu.be
Eating eggs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0DWo528kAM&feature=youtu.be

I kept muscovy ducks for a a few years and fell in love, it was sad when the house we rented was sold without us knowing it was on the market and we had to move.
It was nice that the new owners had planned to have ducks anyways and so our ducks were able to stay and their great great and so on ducklings are still dabbling today.
My drake was a huge fat duck, he chased and hissed at everyone but would walk up to me and let me hug him, one day again when I have some land to call my own.
Ducks rule.

Moved out the ducklings today while it was snowing! Fiance was complaining about the smell, hes a giant baby...
So, they are now in the 3x6ft wooden hutch. I boarded and covered as much of it as possible to keep most of the icy air out. Heat lamp is between the water and food to keep it from freezing, but enough space for the ducks to also use the heat. The two Khaki's are still tiny and I'd rather keep them indoors, but I didn't want issues later on with reintegrating them.
Pics later in the day!

__________ Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:22 pm __________





__________ Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:25 pm __________

http://youtu.be/8-V23Bz77CY

__________ Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:14 pm __________

I'm really interested to see what the weights are like at butcher. I'm watching with anticipatioN!

They seemed to take a week to adjust being outside. They also waste 2-3 gallons of water every day. Had to add a 2nd gallon waterer. Hoping the one on the left w/the pink bill is a girl!

How common are pecking ducks with pink bills? I don't recall ever seeing one. She/he is very pretty!

Not sure, but unfortunately, it's not gender specific. :/
I know they can vary from real yellow/orange, pink or whitish.

Darn!

Gave them a random bath/pool time! Had to make a wall, toss them all into a crate and then dump them in and stand back until they calmed down to swim. Picked one up and boy is it heavy!

Noticed that the hybrid Pekin are the same size as the regular Pekin, all this time they have been equally growing. When the heck do they start to outgrow and be better than the regular Pekin? No idea, guess we will all find out together. Poor Khaki is half, if not smaller, than the others. The other Khaki fell through a tiny hole and didn't survive the freezing night, then the dog found it. :/

They are bigger than they were 2 days ago, seems as though they are back on track in their growing!

Im sorry about your other Khaki! It's amazing how fast ducklings grow. Oneday they are tiny and the next the feel like they weigh a ton! More pictures and updates please!

None yet, unless you want to see the huge mess growing under the hutch? lol.
But I'll try and get a pic today, they seem bigger this morning. We are redoing the shower, so very busy.

__________ Sun Feb 05, 2012 2:45 pm __________

Duckie breakfast, 8 scrambled eggs, crushed up egg shells for calcium, floating aquarium plants fresh from the tank, a few snails from the tank and adult bird feed pellets.






__________ Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:18 pm __________

They are 37 days old today, will get a picture tomorrow. Hoping to let them out with the adults to give them room to run around a bit. =D

__________ Tue Feb 14, 2012 6:09 pm __________

Ok, decided to move them into the chicken run for a few days. Will move them in with my two adult ducks once I block off the dividing fence from dog yard to duck yard. My little dog will pull anything laying next to the fence through and kill it. :/
The two adults were very curious and wanted to come say hello so bad! =D
Btw, they weighed a ton when I was moving them in the dog crate. They were clean before I moved them...uugh.

They are getting HUGE!!!

They really are! One of the Pekin or Pekin hybrids is a female, I hear her quack all the time. But the one with the pink bill, prolly a boy. 38 days old, only 12 more days dil dinner! Wonder if they will be fully feathered by then or not...rather have them feathered so I can save them.

They are getting really big!! Will you keep a female Pekin?