Three weeks ago, I got a call from someone from church. His daughter and granddaughter had decided that Dan needed ducks at his pond, and that seven ducklings would be the perfect gift for Father’s Day. He knew nothing about keeping ducks. What he did know was that he and his wife would be leaving for their annual summer trip to Michigan in three days. After calling a nearer neighbor who declined, he called me and asked if he could bring his baby ducks to my house, in their brooder, with their heat lamp, etc., only he wasn’t certain when he’d be back, it would probably be the week after Fourth of July. Sure, Dan, no problem. He brought his cute little fluff balls over, we set them up in the garage and he headed off to pick cherries in MI.
And the ducks grew. And grew. And grew. They ran out of the food he brought within days.
As they grew, they practiced their adult behaviours, just like the chicks I have raised, except the behaviours these guys practice are different, and a little tougher to do in a brood tub. Instead of scratching and roosting and pecking, they started working on splashing and dabbling and bathing.
We have had to make several changes in the setup since Dan dropped them off. They upgraded from the drowning-proof waterer in the picture to a big bowl with a rock in it, and started getting lettuce and weeds tossed in. The water was always messy between them wading in it and taking mouthfuls of their food over to wet it. Ducks seemed convinced that anything is edible if you get it wet enough. Their brooder tub had to be cleaned every day because the entire water bowl would be emptied into it.
A little over a week ago, Jeff put some temporary fence around the tadpole pool so the ducks could have their first swim. It was one of the most joyous things I’ve seen in a while. Once one of them took the plunge, they all did, splashing and ducking and diving, and finding it nearly impossible to get wet. They had been practicing grooming themselves since before their oil glands were even active yet. I guess it paid off.
We carried them out to the pool every day in a cardboard box. We expanded the fence several times. They have grown bigger and stronger and better at eluding recapture every day. Yesterday it was clear the box was not going to work for much longer.
We got out the extra large dog kennel and set it up as a temporary duck house. They slept in it last night. They were suspicious and had to be herded in, but that was where their crumbles were for dinner, so I think they will be more amenable tonight. Bribing them with lettuce helped, too. You should see them attack a lettuce. Wow.
We don’t have a more secure shelter for them without building one, the temporary fence has been expanded as much as it can be, and there is only so much ungrazed ground left around the pool, which is getting very muddy and mucky even though we have already bailed and refilled it once. Its edges have been expanded by dabbling, but it just barely fits them all now. It is not a puddle, not a pond.
So, the question everyone is asking today is: When is Dan coming back?
EICIE 