growing up so fast part 3

example 3 - Queenie

four days old - Oct 16

19 days old - Oct 31

growing up so fast (part 2)

Example 2 - in MamaDucks arms/lap

four days old - Oct 16

19 days old - Oct 31

growing so fast (part 1)

example 1 - in the box they were shipped in

two days old - day of arrival - Oct 14

19 days old - Oct 31 - same box barely holds 4 ducks



first published video

This is a video of our baby duckies' first week with us.
They are so tiny in these videos.

Sorry for the lack of updates, life has been busy for the whole flock of us.  Grma Duck's camera died last week and then my (MamaDuck) camera battery died a few days ago and we have to order another one online so it'll be a while before we get it.  :-\
They are getting very big very fast.  All of them have their real feathers coming in.  The pekins aren't looking that great (going through the "ugly duckling" stage), but they'll be pretty in a few more weeks.
We are also going to need to get their house built pretty soon cause in about 2 weeks their going to need to move outside to thier pin.
GrpaDuck built and hung the gate, it looks great.  We are hoping to do the finishing touches on the fence this weekend.

Guess that's all for now.  Hopefully more updates soon.

--MamaDuck

A note from Gr-Ma Duck:
It was so cute to see little duckie heads stretching over the top of the brooder box this morning when I went down to check on them.  Although they were very unhappy because they spilled the water everywhere then made a BIG wet mess in the brooder box and every little duckie was messy and unhappy about it.  They are now napping in the laundry basket.

It may be time for a larger brooder.  You can't really tell from the pictures posted this morning but they are getting big.

Keelyn & Beau

Missy & Kouta

Queenie & Darrick

Happy Nap Time

Nap in the laundry basket

Preening just before a nap -they made a big wet mess after spilling water in the brooder box and then were VERY unhappy about it.

Pictures from Gr-MaDuck's Camera - Oct 16, 2010

 







Queenie & Darrick (our black cayugas)
Keelyn & Beau (our welsh harliquins - multi colored)
Kouta & MissAdventure (our big yellow pekin ducklings - they will be white adults)

a birds (ducklings) eye view




These pictures were taken with Gr-Ma Duck's camera before it broke Oct 16, 2010. You can see our brooder, which is inside in MamaDuck's bedroom for the next couple of weeks. You can also see that we are becoming one happy little flock and how they love to cuddle.

(The brooder light makes it hard to get a picture in good with good light balance. )

THEY (The duckies) do not like the phone camera- especially when they are trying to take a nap

From Gr-ma ducks phone

Just a quick post :)

This is Missy ("MissAdventure") after having an ordeal of watching her mate have to get his ankle band clipped off because it was too tight,and then get her's taken off later as well, she's been very clingy and needs to be held so she can rest her head on my neck. <3 Giving her some love before putting her to bed.

Will be downloading pictures and updating soon, they have grown sooo much just in the first couple days! And their personalities are shining through more and more.

Quick update on names:
Male Cayuga-Darrick (means "power of the tribe" or strong or oak-hearted)...he certainly is strong-willed
Female Cayuga-Queenie (obviously it means queen)...she is definitely queen bee of the whole flock
Male Pekin-Kouta "Cow-Tah" (means peaceful and thick or large)...:P He is and always will be the biggest, but the biggest love-bug too.
Femal Pekin-Miss Adventure, Missy for short (we just were calling her MissAdventure because she was into everything, and it just fits, so it's stickin')
Male Welsh Harlequin-Not sure yet.  We were thinking Finneen (which means beautiful child), but it's a bit too girly, we have also thought about Beau "Bo" (beautiful in french), we're not quite sure yet.
Female Welsh Harlequin-Keelyn "key-lynn" (means lively) was the original thought but its a bit of a mouthful, Gail/Gale also means lively

So basically its now just the WH we need to decide on.

The kids (and adults) had a blast with the duckies today, looking forward to more tomorrow.  :)

-MamaDuck

A trip outside the brooder

They're Here!!!

After getting stuck in the shipping process, they finally arrived this morning, and I went to pick them up at about 9am.

At the Post Office, I could hear them chirping from down the hall :)

We opened up the box to make sure they're ok

Getting in the car to go home.

At first they didn't want to do anything but sit under the heat lamp (it was cold in the post office and outside) but I dipped each one of their beaks in the water to get them to at least get a sip, and within a min. all of them were drinking and eating.

We let Pepper (our cat) in to see them. At first she had a look of distain on her face.  But after a min she just seemed curious, and kept trying to love on me, to make sure that she's still loved. (Of course, she's still the princess of the house :P)

We had them sexed, so they have colored bands on to identify them.

This is the male cayuga, he seems pretty chill.  Of course, when GrandpaDuck held him, he kept trying to climb up his shoulders. :P

This is the female cayuga.  She's also pretty calm, but more skiddish than the male.

(couldn't figure out how to rotate...sorry)  This is the male welsh harlequin, both of the WHs seem more skiddish than the others.

This is the female WH, she's a bit of a spaz, this is the best picure I could get of her cause she's constantly running around and freaking out.  I'm gonna have to spend alot of time holding her, in hopes that she won't be so skiddish with us.

This is the male pekin, he's not too skiddish, but not as calm as the male cayuga.  He seems to really like being cuddled.

This is the female pekin, she's more skiddish than the male, but not as skiddish as the female WH.  She also enjoys being held close.

We are going to have to come up with some names for them, they definitely have their own personalities.  As I sit here typing they have finally decided its time for a nap.   They had a long journey, and they haven't laid down yet to rest.  I am just so happy and thankful they are all healthy and hearty and seem like they're in good shape.

More to come later.

-One ecstatic MamaDuck :)

FWD:

FROM MamaDuck :: USPS had me open then up to check. All 6 are chirping and hopping.

ANTICIPAAAATION....

is makin' me wait.

Getting very very excited. We found out that since Monday was Columbus day (a postal holiday) that they did not hatch or ship untill today (tuesday). We thought that this was going to delay them another day, but hopefully that won't be the case.  According to the USPS' Expedited shipping guaranteed arrival date/time they should arrive before 3p tomorrow Wed. the 13th.  :D  We are hoping and praying that this is true and they don't get stuck another day in the shipping process.
I will be putting fresh batteries in the camera tomorrow, so be prepared for LOTS of pictures :D

-MamaDuck

In the words of GrandmaDuck "This is like emotional labor." :)

The babies are hatching today!!! :D

Happy Birthday Duckies!!!  <3

The hatchery controls when they hatch through the temperature, so they are hatching today, and will be shipped this afternoon.

Gr-MaDuck and I (MamaDuck) have been praying that they are strong and healthy and are protected through the whole shipping process, that every person to handle them would be kind and loving.  Also that they would have their own unique and identifying personalities, and bond well with all three of us (Gr-DaddyDuck, Gr-MaDuck, and MamaDuck).

We got alot of work done this weekend, but we've still got more work to do.  We have family coming this weekend for our annual Pumpkin Day, and we also are preparing for that, I'm sure the kids are going to love seeing the babies so small and fluffy. :)

Stay tuned for more updates and photos. :)

-MamaDuck

What our ducks will look like...

Since our babies will be arriving on the 13th of October, I (MamaDuck) thought I would share what they are going to look like.  We will be getting a pair of male and female for 3 different breeds.  Pekin, Cayuga, and Welsh Harlequins.

This is the baby cayugaThis is a full grown cayuga

(Interesting tidbit about cayugas, as they age thier feathers begin to go white, like people go gray...by the time they are 8 years old they are completely gray/white)

This is a baby Welsh Harlequin

These are full grown Welsh Harlequins

              (Female on left, male on right)  (Welsh Harlequins are fantasic layers, and the females actually have very stong mothering instincts, so we will see how she reacts when we start taking her eggs)

These are baby Pekins

(This was Alex and Bianca, when they were only a couple days old)

These are full grown Pekins

(These are also Alex and Bianca at about 1 1/2 years old)

(Pekins-like alot of ducks-are very sociable and affectionate, not in the sit in your lap kind of way, but they love for you to come and sit on the ground next to them and just talk or listen to them talk, they just love attention. (:  )

 Just thought some people would want to know what they are going to look like.  We will definitely be posting lots of pictures of OUR new babies when they actually arrive. (9 days!!!)

I got the first 4 images from http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckWelcome.cfm?CustID=147879.  The last 2 are our own.


--MamaDuck

duck aviary - part 1

MamaDuck and Gr-DaddyDuck got all the posts and headers in the ground for the duck aviary. They did this all on Saturday.  (Well Gr-DaddyDuck dug a few holes and painted the posts with roofing tar the day before.)  We are so grateful to God for the 4+ days of steady rain that softened the ground enough that we could dig holes without renting an auger. Gr-MaDuck's only contribution for this phase: taking pictures and pulled staples out of the top of the posts.

We choose an oval shape because we thought it would look more natural in our backyard.  This is a natural not manicured yard which slopes and is surrounded by woods.  I (Gr-MaDuck) thinks it looks pretty good.
It is approximately 42 ft x 30 ft (~1050 sq ft)

Next two phases: 

Build and hang the gate

(gate and header posts already in the ground),

then attach the wire mesh

1/2" inch galvanized hardware cloth on the bottom (skirted)

and chicken wire on the top.

Alex and Bianca - they taught us about the joy and companionship of having ducks for pets.

These were my first babies, they were truly like my own children.  They were given to me, only a few days old, for my 18th birthday, 3 years ago.
This past march they were killed by a pack of coyote.  It was one of the worst days of my life.

I'm starting this blog as a sort of public journal about life with pet ducks.  We (as a family) are getting 6 baby ducklings in a few weeks.
I plan to post about us building a new avairy and coop for them.  As well as lots of photos and updates when we get the ducks, and continue as an on going documentation, of them growing up and being part of the family.  :)

-Megan