Show off your house ducks!

[Julie Birb]

Yes! That's my Saxony girl on her nest in the bathroom! Her man is running around the house feeling useless, and she and I have split up the ducklings she has hatched so far to brood. She would love to have them all, as would I, so we are dividing the duty... My babies wouldn't sleep in their little nest last night, so they ended up in bed with me, again....

"My stepmommy is a sucker for my cuteness! Mwahahahaha"

What a cute duckling settin' on the blanket like that. Sweet little face. I'd be a sucker for his/her cuteness too. Kiss that little ducklit. Where do your babies sleep when the sleep with you?

Ah, poor Saxony man duck boy running around willy nilly!!

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

What a cute duckling settin' on the blanket like that.  Sweet little face.  I'd be a sucker for his/her cuteness too.  Kiss that little ducklit.  Where do your babies sleep when the sleep with you?  

Ah, poor Saxony man duck boy running around willy nilly!!

They have a little brooder next to me where they sleep at night, unless they really cry, then they end up in a towel nest under the blankets. They like to sleep in, which is a plus! They love to be held.. I had my daughter babysit them tonight so I could get stuff done and not listen to them crying at the door!

 

[Amykins]

They have a little brooder next to me where they sleep at night, unless they really cry, then they end up in a towel nest under the blankets. They like to sleep in, which is a plus! They love to be held.. I had my daughter babysit them tonight so I could get stuff done and not listen to them crying at the door!

A duck that sleeps in...oh man, what I wouldn't give...

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Sleeping on the babysitter...



My daughter left for the weekend when we still only had one that had hatched. She came back to 5 with one pipped in the incubator. Needless to say she is happy with her babysitting duties tonight!

 

[Amykins]

Maaaaaan, did I ever get a tongue lashing today! Went for a checkup at my old clinic, and the bird specialist I studied under saw my hands and was like "Amy, why are you allowing him to do this, you know better! Why didn't you discipline him?" And I told her the story, she knows he's all alone and mega-bonded to me, heck everyone at the clinic simply adores Wobbles, but she's like "I've been doing this for 20 years, and I've never seen a bird die from sexual frustration. You need to stop reinforcing this behavior, how many times have you seen birds come in with behavioral problems like this and seen me tell them the same thing?"

...And I was just like

My husband was more sympathetic, but he agreed that I can't allow him to try and mate me, even though he'll immediately bite my hands and try to mount any chance he can, even if it's just to change his diaper! I mean, she's right and all, but considering I used to work there I felt like a kid getting lectured by my mom. And I'm 31! Grumble, grumble...

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Maaaaaan, did I ever get a tongue lashing today! Went for a checkup at my old clinic, and the bird specialist I studied under saw my hands and was like "Amy, why are you allowing him to do this, you know better! Why didn't you discipline him?" And I told her the story, she knows he's all alone and mega-bonded to me, heck everyone at the clinic simply adores Wobbles, but she's like "I've been doing this for 20 years, and I've never seen a bird die from sexual frustration. You need to stop reinforcing this behavior, how many times have you seen birds come in with behavioral problems like this and seen me tell them the same thing?"

...And I was just like  


My husband was more sympathetic, but he agreed that I can't allow him to try and mate me, even though he'll immediately bite my hands and try to mount any chance he can, even if it's just to change his diaper! I mean, she's right and all, but considering I used to work there I felt like a kid getting lectured by my mom. And I'm 31! Grumble, grumble...

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Ive got to stop posting via my tablet... The outcome is never good....

I am no better. I pick the babies up the moment they cry. They have been getting out of sleeping in the brooder, and my chores aside from feeding the birds have gone by the wayside because I imprinted more birds than I planned and can't bring myself to let their mother raise some, even though she is happy to take them and has less under her than I have piled on my head at the moment.... There is just something about a bonded duck that is really hard to say no to....

 

[Amykins]

But I mean, what can I possibly do? She recommended putting him in a dedicated time out box, but he sleeps in a crate anyway and he friggin' LOVES going for rides in his travel carrier, so it's not like he's gonna go in there and be all "oh, I'm being punished." And he's so small and fragile I don't want to mount him or physically restrain him. Tapping his bill doesn't have any impact on the behavior at all, if anything it just makes him angrier. So I'm kind of at a loss here.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Have you considered something a bit more radical but still totally hands off? Cornell Animal Behavior suggests the use of an air horn. I used it for difficult behaviors in a 200+ pound show dog I had. Their original application was for cats, but I've found a cheap boat air horn works for a variety of species. It's simply pairing a jarring stimulus that quickly refocuses the animal's attention with an unwanted behavior. I like it because it is hands off and a purely behavioral intervention. Might be worth a try!

 

[Scovy Momma]

Scovy Momma? where in this big wide world have you been? So good to see you. How are you and daisy doing?

Hi!! I'm sorry I haven't been around, just been pouring myself into volunteering, taking my hound on visits to hospitals as a therapy dog. Ever since my Daisy died I've just been so crushed, I miss her so very much. I'm kicking around the idea of another, you know how great Muscovy are. I just don't know. I cry a lot thinking of her.