[heatherhsp]

Our 8 ducklings are now 8/9 weeks old, and have been living in our garden the last 4 weeks, as the adult drakes were trying to hurt/kill them.  Now they won't leave home!  Also the adults come in at every opportunity to have a go at them 

I can't keep them much longer... does anybody want any for pets? Mostly black and white and one is brown.  very gorgeous all of them!

Will the adults eventually accept them, if they keep meeting or not? 

cheers for any advice,

Heather

[poultrygeist]

Hi heather. Once the ducklings are a bit bigger, they'll be able to stick up for themselves but they'll be shoved away from food, etc for some time to come. Male or female, they like to have first dibs in the trough 

Wish we could take a few off your hands but we have enough visiting as it is 

Rob

[Kate and her Ducks]

To a degree it depends on whether your youngsters are male or female. The established males will always try to chase the young males off their turf and won't be very interested in the females till they are sexually mature. That being said my drake seemed to take a really dislike to one of my female ducklings and went for her all the time. It has only just settled down now they are 14 weeks old and she has started to mature. Things will usually settle down with time.
By 8-9 weeks they should be able to defend themselves as best they can, I remember that these are semiferal ducks that you inherited with a house. I seem to remember you saying they were magpies. As domestic ducks, even without wing clipping they are not likely to ba able to fly more than a few meters so will be a relatively easy target for predators.

I would love to have the girls but no room at the inn here, I hope you can find somewhere for them, you have done well providing for them so far.
Post some pictures, its a really good way of getting peoples attention and you are more likely to find a home for them and people can see what they are getting and fall in love!

Good luck.

[heatherhsp]

Thanks Rob.

Will they really be able to stick up for themselves?  The adults seem so viscious...

The young ones are terrified!  

Hope you're right, as I'm becoming less popular as the days go  by for keeping them !

Heather

[heatherhsp]

Yes you remember right Kate.  I'll try to post pics, but they seemed too biglast time I tried.  I'll try again though.  Perhaps another month and they'll be bigger and braver!

Problem is that they have a river a few yards away, but daren't go there.  In our garden we have 2 cat litter trays with water in - you can imagine what that's like!!

One tray is pink, one's blue but they haven't been very co-operative in letting me know who's a girl and who's a boy!! 

Thanks

Heather

[poultrygeist]

Kate as answered your next question beautifully ! 

Our neighbours are not keen on the ducks, although they say nothing, but always chase off any from their garden and have blocked up any holes through the hedge.
I make a point of going out and calling them over to our garden then feeding them which probably annoys them further 

We have females turning up from about 4.30am quacking noisily but they are mostly during the day now. No ducklings recently.

Rob

[Kate and her Ducks]

Are you using photobucket?

[heatherhsp]

Don't think so cos I've no idea what photobucket is!!!

[Foxy]

here you go

http://photobucket.com/

[Vember]

Some adults can be horrid to their babies   

Tell the naughty adults they were young too once


Girls are always welcome at Bonkers


Sarah

[heatherhsp]

Hello Sarah

where's bonkers?

Heather

[joyfull]

where abouts are you heathersp and what sex are they - I have room for a couple of female ducks but not keen on drakes 

[heatherhsp]

I'm in Swaledale (Yorkshire Dales) Not sure what sex they are - but some are quacking a bit now, so guess some are girls. Hope so - fingers crossed

[Kate and her Ducks]

Have a look at photobucket, I'm a complete technophobe and even I can use it!

I am visiting Sarah at the begining of August (8th) and if you can get them to me, be happy to take any girls along on the girls weekend.

[heatherhsp]

will this work?