Ridge Haven Farm Ducks 01 Pekins
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2008-02-17: Our niegbors were at an OEFFA conference,
and knowing we were planning on getting ducks,
brought home four baby Pekin Ducks:
two for them and two for us :)
20080217: Since they were at the confrence all weekend,
they must be about four days old when we got them.
20080221: Hard to believe, but they have doubled in size,
in the four days since the last picture!!!
We called them monster ducks after seeing how fast they grow.
Pekin Ducks are the oldest domesticated duck from China.
They began to be raised by people somewhere around 3,000 years ago.
20080221: Hard to believe, but they have doubled in size,
in the four days since the last picture!!!
We called them monster ducks after seeing how fast they grow.
Pekin Ducks are the oldest domesticated duck from China.
They began to be raised by people somewhere around 3,000 years ago.
20080224: at a week old, we decided they needed a bath.
Baby ducks do not have the preening oil from thier mother,
therefore they do not float as well, nor stay warm.
You must watch them until they have thier feathers.
20080224: So that they stay warm, here's me, Ron,
happily drying off a little duckling.
A friend is drying off the other duckling.
20080225: Sitting Ducks.
Our first cage is actually a dog cage, with a bin lid,
to separate the side with teh heat lamp,
from the side with teh food and water.
They drink lots of water and it must be refilled regularly.
We add vitamins and especially niacin to the water.
20080302: Since they are growing so fast
I had to build them somewhere bigger to stay:
our friend dubbed it Duckingham Palace.
A kiddie wading pool, some one inch mesh fence,
Some cardboard and of course some Duck tape.
A bungie cord provides the latch and a door.
20080302: Here they are in thier new digs.
We believe we have a male and a female
both by thier size and how they act.
They ran around fast when they were first in thier new home.
They are very happy luckie ducks.
20080302: They are ravinous eaters, since they grow so fast.
They are starting to sprout feathers here and there.
We feed them duck chow, mixed with oats and sprayed with a bit of.
cod liver oil, since they are not getting natural sunlight.
20080303: Duckies taking their second bath.
A plastic bin in our bath tub provides a good swimming place.
The water is luke warm and they love it.
They were excited as soon as they heard the water running.
20080303: They just love the water.
They feel natural diving under for a little swim.
20080303: They peene and clean themselves.
They scratch at thier ears and pluck at thier feathers.
They really do need water on a regular basis to ber happy ducks.
20080303: These little ducks are getting tail feathers.
They only get to swim for about five minutes,
Then we dry them off and they eat like little piggies.
20080308: They are growing feathers as fast as they grew big.
They are starting to look like full grown ducks.
It is hard to imagine that they are not quite a month old!
20080331: On thier first outing they were overwhelmed.
They first tried to run away, but were in a small Llama pasture.
One can only imagine how vast the world seemed.
20080331: On thier first outing they explored the mud.
They stuck thier beaks in the mud and blew bubbles.
This must be a natural instinct to search for grubs.
20080415: On thier second outing they seemed more at ease.
They didn't really care about the big Llamas.
They enjoyed the Sun and Air.
20080415: On thier second outing we put them by the Llamas.
The ducks were only mildly interested.
Sterling was very curious about these new guests.
20080628: Corky, Cornelius Duck, became a Drake this month...
His male drake feathers curling at the end of his tail are quite obvious.
He has also taken an interest in the harem of Campbell hens.