Re: Ducklings We are having some very hot weather this week and hens do not do well in hot weather. So I made the decision to put Lockyer back in the chicken coop with the two other hens, where they have a misting system to keep them cool. It was 38 yesterday, 40 today and will be 39 for the two days after that. So, that means that the ducklings are all now living together in the one pad. I put them together yesterday and there was a bit of argy bargy. Meriwether and Temeriare had a fight. Temeriare is about twice the size of Meriwhether but Meri still served it up good. Mind you, a duckling fight is not that fierce and certainly nothing you'd pay good money to see. After spending the night together in the coop they are all best buddies today. Ariel was initially peeping sadly for his hen Mummy, but has now forgotten all about her. Lockyer is still pacing up and down the coop wall, wanting to get back to them, but, even so, she was happy to sleep on the perch last night with the other hens. Here are some pics of the united group. I am also very excited to report that Temeriare has started quacking!! It's just a tiny, baby quack. But it means that he is a she. She (and Ariel) are the bubs of my two original ducks and I have really wanted a daughter from them, as I have only kept one drake from them in the past. That means that Temeraire is quite likely to be staying. But it depends on how the others turn out. I'm very happy about it though
Re: Ducklings Oh, Rachael - you know we'd like to hear Temeraire's quack now, don't you???! That's fantastic news that you have a little girl from your original ducks... I do think that Obi is studying them in their pool so carefully as his way of gently asking when his pool is likely to be installed. Dogs and ducks demand equal rights, you know. I know that your weather causes so many problems in terms of water conservation, but it's 8 a.m. here, it's still dark and it's pouring with rain. I am today unreservedly envious of sunshine and warmth. Clare
Re: Ducklings Rachael those pictures are beautiful, love the one with Obi looking in ;D Wow those duckings have really grown quickly, so very cute
Re: Ducklings So cute! Including Obi. You stick up for the indoor boys, Meri. Don't let the big outdoor Temeriare push you about! That swimming pool is starting to look a bit crowded. So cute the way they all pile in! Lockyer must miss them though. But at 40 degrees, she must be better off in the cool.
Re: Ducklings Ignoring how cute,funny,adorable and BIG the ducklings are.......Obi you look fantastic in that photo! ;D x Ps a Duckling fight?....can you imagine anything less intimidating and endearing....unless you are a duckling ,particularly if you are the duckling involved in the fight!
Re: Ducklings Clare I'll swap you about 15 of our degrees for 50mm of your rain. Will try to get a recording of the proto quack. She's mostly still just peeping, but now and then there's enough of a quack to confirm girlness. Obi says thankyou for noticing him and, yes, his order for a personal pond has now been placed. Actually, the ducklings really do need a bigger tub. The grown up ducks have a paddling pool but I need a second one. Might check out the local hardware shop tomorrow When ducks fight they mainly just grab a bill full of their opponent's chest feathers (or fluff in a duckling's case) and pull while shaking vigorously. As long as they're roughly the same age it's all a bit of a non-event. I stood by to supervise. At one stage Christopher joined in against Temeraire but I don't think that Meri needed the help. Ducks also do rude gestures at eachother. The rudest gesture is to rapidly pass your bill over the upper back of another duck (without touching). That means, well, "get lost, loser". Temeraire and Ariel were doing a lot of this yesterday to any indoor duckling who tried to get in their tub. But, as you can see from the pics, the indoor guys overwhelmed then with numbers and determination.
Re: Ducklings My goodness , they have grown quickly , looking good and so is dear Obi, mud and all ;D ;D
Re: Ducklings [quote author=Oberon link=topic=3806.msg47338#msg47338 date=1389784504] Clare I'll swap you about 15 of our degrees for 50mm of your rain. Ducks also do rude gestures at eachother. The rudest gesture is to rapidly pass your bill over the upper back of another duck (without touching). That means, well, "get lost, loser". Temeraire and Ariel were doing a lot of this yesterday to any indoor duckling who tried to get in their tub. But, as you can see from the pics, the indoor guys overwhelmed then with numbers and determination. [/quote] Done deal. I'll start waterproofing the airmail packets and shipping it out - how are you going to get the heat my way??? And I guess that without opposable thumbs, ducklings do have to be creative with their 'Loser' gesture... Except I now have a mental picture of gangs of ducklings in Hawaiian shirts (you need to be thinking Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet here...) replacing the line, 'Do you bite your thumb at me?' with 'Do you pass your bill over my back?' I should probably go and lie down and hope it goes away... Love the fact that Meri is a duckling with attitude. ;D Clare
Re: Ducklings They are loverly Obi looked like a bit of a protective big brother there (guess his intentions might not be entirely honorable though ;D )
Re: Ducklings Woop woop!! Temeraire scores first peep!!! Proud "naming mum" beaming over here!! I have been wondering how you were doing in the heat....I would truly LOVE to send you a foot or two of snow, but sadly it wouldn't make the trip.... Mind you, we had 120kph winds here this morning, should have just blown you some!! : needless to say, it's been a crazy winter here so far....
Re: Ducklings Yes, congratulations!!!! ;D If you click below you'll go to a site where you can hear a recording of her 'quacking'. Click on the orange arrow up the top left hand side. There's a bit of background noise, but you can hear a tiny, baby slightly husky quack. Might have to have your sound up a bit. It's more like a husky little squeak (with a few proper peeps thrown in). It might not be obvious, and is far from an adult quack, but it's there https://soundcloud.com/70-cocoa/female-duckling-first-quacking I am pretty sure that second prize goes to Christopher, who is also developing a bit of a husky edge (a girl thing, when you are a duck). Will reserve judgement though Would love some of your snow, Lisa.... I'll have that after the rain Clare is sending. It's getting close to 40 again today and it's awful. Not looking forward to this picnic in a couple of hours....daft idea!
Re: Ducklings I heard it! So sweet. Go girl! Any signs my Harry is a boy or a girl yet? I missed the bit about why boy ducks don't quack - I'm sure it's in the thread somewhere. I saw the question, but missed the answer?
Re: Ducklings Julie, I am leaning towards a girl for Harry too, but I'm not certain. Couple more days should tell Boy ducks do quack, but it is a much softer sound. It's more of a RAAB RAAB RAAB sound, whereas it's the females that do the classic 'quack'. When they are ducklings, the girls' voices break quite young (by 4 weeks, usually), and you start to hear a quack. The boys take ages, and continue to peep like babies till they are much older (even up to 8 weeks). Eventually they develop the raspy, throaty drake sound. Will see if I can record the difference in the adults tomorrow Our picnic turned out not to be a daft idea at all. We had it on a little island in the lake, and we had a breeze blowing across the water. So, even though it was still 38 degrees, it was still pleasant. A few pics.... The remains of our picnic and Obi wrestling with one of our friends. Our picnic location - the Carillon (bell tower) on Aspen Island. The Carillon was a present from Britain. Obi says thankyou Britain! Retrieving (and illegally gnawing) an inappropriately large 'stick'.... Tomorrow is going to be 40 degrees again (sigh) so it'll be a quiet day of duck watching in the heat for me. The ducklings are doing fine in the heat. They are small, and only have fluff (not thick feathers) and I refresh their water a few times a day so it keeps cool. I think that out of all of us that live here, they are doing the best
Re: Ducklings Those are lovely photos Rachael , very envious of your heat right now, ahhh picnics , just the best
Re: Ducklings Would so love just to have dry weather now, this mud is very depressing and causes TOO much cleaning Beautiful photos and yes very envious but you enjoy it and don't worry about us x
Re: Ducklings Gorgeous Obi . So jealous of your weather at the minute.......I am very much a heat person, I don't do well in the cold
Re: Ducklings Lovely photos Rachael! I'd love something like to be near to where I live! Hope you're all coping ok in this heat
Re: Ducklings Picnics - I remember those. I think I might have had one once but could have been a dream. looks like it was a good one too! Is that a lovely evening? Like, a warm evening, with the warm blob in the sky (what do you call that?) sinking down, and no rain? I heard that there were such places.... Obi looks gorgeous and full of fun, as always.
Re: Ducklings Sigh. Water, warmth, green, picnic. Sounds like paradise to me!! Thanks for the pics, it looks beautiful!! I heard little Temeraire's quack...so cute!! Can't believe I'm saying this, but if hope it cools down a bit for you there!!
