Quackies

Incubating in a cooler with warm water as a heat buffer. In the upper part of the image is a 5 gallon container, and under the pot with the eggs are another few one gallon milk bottles. The water needed to be heated once a day. we did it as part of the routine of turning the eggs.

A day old duck. When newly hatched the ducklings did not react to much. We dipped their beaks into water, and gave them wetted duckling food.

A few weeks old they would happily play in the garden, but get very upset if we left them alone. They stayed imprinted on us and would follow us for several months.

After a lot of screaming and sticking their heads through the fence between the back yard, where the ducklings were and front yard where we were we took them to the front yard whenever we went. They did not understand the concept of walking around the fence through the gate, and would always try to go the shortest path and get stuck at the fence until helped.

It takes a while for the duckling to become waterproof. They have an oilgland near the tail, and will use their beak to rub the oil over their feathers. The first pool visits had to be short to keep them from getting soaked, cold and sink. After a while they would get more daring and could stay in the pool for a long time playing, diving and messing up the water.

Duck barbecue! Just kidding. I was not allowed to eat these. In the fall after we had the ducks for a few months we were cited by the town for a code violation. Barking dogs and wildlife killing cats are fine with the town officials but keeping a few pet ducks is not. The ducks had to go. A friend who lives on the country side took them. However the wildlife there must have liked the ducks too much. One by one they disappeared at night.