The duckies are here!

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Oh my goodness they are so adorable! I love the Cayugas.

 

[897tgigvib]

Baby Duckies!

 

[HotPepperQueen]

The duckies have been named! The Cayugas are : Xena and Dita. The Gold Stars are : Nora and Cleo.

 

[bj taylor]

do the different breeds get along ok? what kind of water set up do you have/or will have for them or do duck require a water situation?

 

[timberlane]

I thought about getting ducks, but don't know much about them. What kind of shelter do they require ?

 

[HotPepperQueen]

The breeds get along great! I make sure to pick up each one of them multiple times a day so they can be very socialized. When I do this, they cry for eachother. So now I heat up a towel in the dryer and let all of them sleep on my lap until the towel cools off. I'm so afraid they will get chilled because they play with their water a lot. I still haven't figured out that whole set up yet. They can't swim in water until they are about 2 months old safely because they don't have any protective oils on their fluff to make them water proof. I have a plate upside down with a small waterer on top so they can't step in it anymore. I still have to clean wet shavings out every day. I'm working on it! As far as swimming water for when they get older- first I will just set up a kiddy pool for them and eventually when the funds are there I will put in a plastic pond with rock around it for them that's set into the ground. They require a lot less than chickens do. They just need to be protected from the elements basically. Mine will be living in a plastic dog igloo during the summer and in the meat bird coop in the winter. I went into this almost totally blind. I read a few articles online and one in a homestead magazine and just went ahead and ordered! I figured I know enough not to kill them....I have raised a lot of chicks successfully hehe