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Author Topic: Baby ducks coming out our ears  (Read 3288 times)

Offline Cindi

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Baby ducks coming out our ears
« on: April 22, 2007, 12:31:10 pm »
We have so many birds in our chickenyard laying on eggs, and now they are hatching.

The two Muscovy ducks hatched out their babies yesterday.  18 between the two of them.  They are sharing a little pen until the babies get older.  The little ducks toggle between both mothers.  I think that they think they are being raised by both.  The Muscovy ducks are the neatest ducks.  They have such a soft voice, especially when they are speaking to their young.

We have two Rowens ducks that are sitting on the Indian Runner eggs.  They should be hatching any day too.  My sister does not like the Rowens.  They are too wildish and sneaky, they are not tame, even one little bit.  When they are done hatching their brood then they are going into the pot.  The Indian runner has not gone brood yet.

We have two banty girls that are now sitting on eggs.  Man there are babies coming out everywhere.

Now, the challenge is the broody goose.  She is still sitting on her eggs and we are not sure if the gander has fertilized the eggs or not.  Guess we will see in a few days.

This old mother goose is a scary old girl.  She sits inside her little house.  It is dark.  She has moved the nest to right infront of the small doorway so no body can get in or out.  The Indian runners used to always go in there and she would get so mad at them.  She makes me laugh.  She doesn't come out of her nest very often, but when she does, she proclaims to the world that she is out for a short moment in time.  She yells, honks, gonks, noisy as all get out.  Walks around, eats a little, drinks a little, poops a little and then goes back in.

The other day I was feeling kind of brave and I thought that I would try to have a really good look at her.  All you can see inside her house is her beak/bill, whatever is the apparatus that her tongue is in is called.  I reached toward the opening and she put out her tongue and head and hissed at me.  Well, made me jump about 10 feet in the air, it scared the crap out of me.  Now that is one intimidating goose.  I tried to get my husband to put his hand in there, but he knows me.  He would look at her, but narry a hand put within.  when I see something so weird, I always have to show people, thank goodness they humour me.

The Rowans are particularly possessive of their eggs, and they are far more aggressive than the goose or the Muscovy.  My sister wanted to check to see if there were still eggs under one of the Rowans and she almost had her hand all beat up, you don't want to go close to a Rowan.

My teenager neice is so funny.  When they got some babies last summer from the Muscovy, she took a baby into their home and this little duck thought for sure that she was her mummy.  This little duck eventually grew up, and went to live with its clan, but my neice, without a word of exageration was its parent.

She took one of the newly hatched duckies again.  This is her little baby.  It is so cute, cause again, my neice is her mummy.  The little duck always is tucked in around her neck, nestled in her long brown hair, sleeps in her bedroom in a cute little nest.  It follows her around like a little puppy dog.  She is her mummy.    It is surprising this thing called "imprinting" for sure.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful day, and good health to all.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline mick

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Re: Baby ducks coming out our ears
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2007, 03:30:12 am »
Nothing like roast Duck, or potatoes roasted in duck fat!

Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Baby ducks coming out our ears
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2007, 07:07:34 am »
Man those runner ducks are goofy lookin birds!!!  They always remind me of that runner they had in the movie Babe.  How they stand so straight upright!!  Hilarious!!!

Do you guys eat the birds or are they just for eggs?  Please dont tell me they're just pets.  lol

Sean
"My son,  eat  thou honey,  because it is good;  and the honeycomb,  which is sweet  to thy taste"          - Proverbs 24:13

Offline Cindi

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Re: Baby ducks coming out our ears
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2007, 10:35:14 am »
Sean, the runners are goofy and they sound goofy.  They go "whah, whah, whah, whah, whah", can you get this sound?  LOLL.  It sounds like someone out there with a really goofy laugh.  I always laugh inside when I hear them.  Reminds me of some old guy that used to have a cigar hangin' out his mouth all the time, maybe it was Groucho Marx.

We eat the eggs and the ducks one day will be eaten.  But not the runners.  They will be taken to the auction to be sold if they have babies that hatch.  They are expensive here and bring a nice price.  We eat the Muscoveys.  Now that is a big meat bird and it is yummy!!!  Have an awesome day, great day, good health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline organicgrl37

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Re: Baby ducks coming out our ears
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2007, 10:58:57 am »
hey cindi-I wish we lived closer, I would love to take home a couple of your indian runners. I used to keep indian runners and khaki cambells when I was working the farm. I love ducks, they are wonderful creatures and yummy eggs and meat to boot. What color are your indian runners? I started off with a pair that were black, very pretty. Then we bought a couple of couples off the neighbor that were buff and brown, truly beautiful. I miss having ducks around, my neighbor is sly and has chickens in his back yard. It is the one piece of country  I have in my city neighbor hood. It may sound silly, but waking up to a rooster crowing is nice. And every once inawhile we get some fresh eggs, undeniably a yummy treat over the supermarket eggs. I really envy you country folk, with your room to have critters and hives and just plain old space.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Baby ducks coming out our ears
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2007, 11:05:32 am »
organicgrl37.  Our Indian Runners are black, the male has lots of green shine on his head.  Very beautiful ducks.  They lay lots of eggs, but are interested in becoming broody.  So.....we have placed many of their eggs under the Rowan ducks that love to brood, so we will have the little black babies running around soon.

The Muscoveys' have hatched out their brood and it is simply darling.  Yes.  I am grateful for my life in the country.  I love it, I would not trade it for anything...and I exaggerate not.  I am grateful for my sister and family who has come to live on my property with us.  They have now been with us for almost two years.  She is the farmer.  She brings out the best in everyone.  She is the builder too, gardener, Mother of 6, a wonderful and beautiful woman.  She enlightens my life daily.

She is the one that cultivated so much of our property to encompass this world of farmyard animals.  I can never thank her enough.

Right now she is looking into purchasing meat chickens.  We will raise those.  She is also looking into turkeys, should have those by fall for the yummy meals.  Have a wonderful day, good health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service