Thursday, October 4, 2007

Still not going into the pond


Did you know that we have a big pond filled with a duck's favorite food--that would be duck weed--and these ducks won't go in it? We kept on trying to force them in, but they would swim for a minute and then fly out all nervous. Well, we realized that there were two large snapping turtles in there. And they were just being smart. Smarty ducks!

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

They Don't Stand Still!


They move around so much it is actually hard to get a clear picture. They are also still a little shy of the flash on the camera. I will have to be more stealthy. But, you can still see how beautiful their plumage is! The males' heads are noticeably greener than the females. They are also bigger. The females have more purple in the iridescence of their feathers. Another difference of the two is that the males have a quiet quack whereas the females are incredibly loud. And it sounds just like the word "quack." Except for really loud: QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK. Stress the first quack and then do the following three in a decreasing crescendo and you will be close to impersonating them. It is nice to have a distinction between them finally. I am not sure if I said this already, but before it was like, as Steve would say, we had one large duck with twenty-two legs.

Two weeks ago, I saw one eat a frog!! It was outrageous. This duck ran around with the poor little frog legs hanging out of its beak while the other ducks tried to pull it away from her. This went on for a spell until all the other ducks gave up and went back to grazing. It took awhile for the frog-eating duck to realize it was all hers. Then she promptly swallowed it whole. I wonder if it tasted like chicken.

It has been a while...



In the past few months, we found out we have six ducks (females) and five drakes (males). The way you can tell is that the drakes have a curly feather tail. I am serious.

Monday, July 23, 2007

New Digs



Much better. The barn is now their permanent home.

The Pool Gets Too Big



And, not to mention, too dirty. And smelly. Gross.


Oh, I did it!

Baby Pool!




I can't get in!

Swimmies

Thursday, June 21, 2007

A Good Life Indeed


So now they are just chilling out. They think outside is wonderful. Except for hawks circling and cawing--they bundle together to protect themselves. We put them in at night and let them out in the morning. They stay inside the shed while we are at work---they are still such babies. Not even three weeks old! But this weekend we are going to teach them how to swim. That will be exciting.

Home Sweet Almost Home


They were impressed by their new digs. Honest. They were like: check...this...out!

Travel Time!


Then the hard part: rounding up the little critters. They peeped bloody murder, but quieted down when we got them in their travel box.

The Ducks Move Out of the Basement!



Steve worked on the outside of the shed. I set up the inside. It was really pretty easy. I think it looks pretty cozy.

Daddy Duck Does the Dance


Steve is trying to move like a duck. I am not sure it is working. Anyways, that is the basement steps leading up to the shed: new home of the ducks (for like two weeks).

Lettuce is not enough


I realized that lettuce was all they looked forward to. And that's no fun.

The ducks started to look pretty big in their little baby tub. I was beginning to feel badly for them. And their chips had to be changed a lot. And no offense? But they started to stink up the joint.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Ten days old?


The ducks now are connoisseurs of lettuce. It is so much fun to feed them. They eat out of your hand and they like to nip your hand flesh when all the lettuce is gone. They will also try to get your rings if you wear one. They eat so much and when you get home and first say hello to them they run up to the edge of the tub like little puppies, eagerly waiting for food. (I like to think they are also happy to see me.)

Their frenzy to eat is so endearing. Why is that? That someone is so excited that I am giving them a little handful of chopped up lettuce is so fulfilling on a very gut level. Oh, it just makes them so happy!

Aww, who's a little sleepy bunch of ducks?

Crazies!


After the ducks finish eating they get sort of jazzed up and do this thing we call "the crazies." They run like crazy all around their little tub. Then they stop. Then, some duck will start it all up again and they will all peep like crazy!
Crazies!

Water!


Ducks obviously love water. This one was trying to swim in the water dish. Nice one-legged swimming!

98 degrees in the basement


They were so tired after they ate that first night. They didn't know where to put their little heads so they just flopped over to the side. One duck was standing and starting to wobble. He had fallen asleep and promptly fell right over!

Week One


When we first got the ducks in the mail they were so tiny! Steve picked them up at the post office and they were in a little cardboard box peeping away. When I got home, he had the whole set up put together: a blue plastic baby pool filled with pine shavings, food and water troughs, and a nice warm heat lamp. They began eating and drinking right away.