Cute fuzzy chicks and ducklings don't stay that way for long. In fact, they grow up so fast that they are considered full grown at just six weeks old. Wow. Our little duckling flock has just about outgrown their wire pen, so it's time to get on the ball and build their permanent living quarters. Poor Greg has been working more hours than ever, and now has to put in a half day on Saturdays. I hate to ask him to do chores in his very limited time off, so I may attempt this project myself. Fingers crossed! Carpentry is not one of my proven skills to say the least.
Although our baby ducks are no longer little fluffy ducky balls, they are still very cute. They are slimming down and their necks are getting long. When they hear my voice, they just know something good is coming, and by that I mean food, so they start peeping like mad. They are food obsessed. Way more than chicks. I used to throw away so much chick food, I think at least half of it ended up in the trash. Not so with ducklings. Those lil piggies practically lick the dish clean. Unlike chicks, ducks will eat more than is good for them and fat ducklings could cause laying problems later on. At least, that's what I read from one duck 'expert'. Other sources say they will self regulate. So far, I have found that my ducklings will eat everything in the dish and peep for more, so I am regulating the amount of feed they get. They are also fed lots of chopped up greens. I don't think they can get too many calories from greens, but I limit those too because I don't want to upset their digestive systems. Like I mentioned before, there is not a lot of information out there regarding backyard ducks and much of it is conflicting. Therefore, I am taking it all with a grain of salt and a lot of common sense. All I can say is that the ducklings seem healthy and happy, so I must be doing something right.
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