Our ducks enjoy a warm December morning... clean pool, clean house & nest boxes , & clean leave piles

What a surprise. We were expecting a deep drop in temp, but instead we received a seasonally unusual warm morning and day.

With aviary clean up on the agenda this worked out perfectly.

Missy is flighty a foot infection again and Keelyn's bad legs are having a major flare-up/set-back. The warm weather allowed lots and lots of time in the clean "deep" pool which is what they both really need (in addition to medications for both and rest for Keelyn).

Every duck loved that we filled the "big" pool and the drakes were happy to have so much forage time. Greens and grass are sparse in the cool months. And the big pool is just too hard for us humans to deal with when the temps are near or under freezing.

So it has been a nice morning in the aviary and back yard.

The "big" pool!!

A warm sunny morning ...
So I decided to fill the big pool so they all had room to dive and swim

Girlie Duckie pool time on a warm Dec day

Some much needed time in the big pool

Video taken with camera cam

Nighty night duckies

Our duckies being out to bed.   

The are a little bit freaked out because for the human  simplicity medicine is given at night after they go in the house.   

We are not sure which is more disruptive to our tiny flock:  the night time invasion of their safe place or the chase capture release in the morning.   With once a day meds right now we have settled in the night time intrusion. 

Notes ... Incomplete needs Editting

I am going to the Vet to pick up antibiotics and pain meds (Keelyn's legs have suddenly become worse again)

Miissy's toe is looking awful ... definitely infected again - I think maybe Keelyn's issue is related to the infection ...

I put Keelyn in the Rehab tub for a bit then she shivered and shivered so I warmed a towel and wrapped her in it and put her in her night time box and put the box in the playpen.

Keelyn ate a lot of clover grass - I went and pull it out of the yard and put it in her water dish and she gobbled it up. So I went and got a bunch more... she wasn't really interested in her food food so I was happy she ate so much clover grass

Just makes me wonder if the rain washed chemicals or something into the aviary ... But who knows?

Queenie looks good but either Queenie or Missy is laying very soft shelled eggs ... could just be a side effect of the infection tho'

All the girlie duckies will be on Antibiotics tonight for the recurring "bumble foot" like infection.

It is just so weird that the drakes don't seem to have these troubles.

All in all the flock has been happy.

~GrMaDuck

Just a couple of pictures

We love these funny duckies

Kouta, Pekin drake

This is Kouta our Pekin drake. He is HUGE and sweet.

He is King of the Flock and his throne is the pool.

He is gentle though a bit clumsy but no longer

likes the human cuddles.  His size might have

something to do about that.  He is calm and, as fits

his title of "King Kouta", can be a bit aloof. 

He is #1 in the pecking order. 

Missy, Pekin hen

This is Missy our Pekin hen.  She is a fussy loud

female.  She LOVES to eat and insists that

the flock is always together.  She is curious yet

a spaz and has a way of sending the rest of the

flock into alarm for the silliest things.

She has beautiful freckles and loves to perch. 

We have often teased her because she must

think she is part chicken.  Her love is Beau but

Darrick and Kouta disapprove of their love so Missy

and Beau have to "sneak" moments together.

She is extremely flock social and you will

always find her near several of her flock mates.

Pictures taken last weekend ... Nov 2011

Keelyn, Welsh Harlequin hen

This is Keelyn our Welsh Harlequin hen. 

She is our disabled duckie.  She continues

to have issues with her legs, having broken

both of her femurs early in her adult life. 

She needs special care and most of the time

she is kept in a small enclosure within the aviary

(so that she doesn't try to walk too and keeps

her from being mated - her legs do not tolerate

the weight).  She is a beautiful sweet duckie.

Because she gets special human attention

this keeps her very high in the pecking order.

Pictures taken last weekend ... Nov 2011

Beau, Welsh Harlequin drake

This is Beau our Welsh Harlequin drake. 

By far, most people find him to be our most

beautiful duckie.  After each molt his coloring

will change up fairly significantly.  This most

recent re feathering has brought back heavy

iridescent green head feathers showing off

his white "necklace".  Beau is our most skiddish

duck.  At the bottom of the pecking order he

will try to act all tough, and is the only one

who will bite (but only if you insist on picking

up duckies).  He love is Missy our Pekin hen. 

It is a funny match but the feelings are mutual.

beautiful drake tail feathers

Beau with his love mate Missy <3

see those beautiful drake tail feathers

Pictures from last weekend ... Nov 2011

Queenie, Cayuga female (hen)

This is Queenie our Cayuga hen. 

She has a strong calm personality. 

She is not easily startled, nor does

she allow the alarm of the other

duckies to send her into panic. 

She also loves a human cuddle.

She has a couple of white feathers,

and her favorite place is between the

big pool and the fence.

Pictures from last weekend ... Nov 2011