Raising Ducks
Basics
Duckling diary
Management
Housing
Eggs
Links/Resources
Movies
and please note:
Raising ducks: movies
These movies require Quicktime Player 4.+ for viewing.
One week old (May 2002)
In the brooder (1:18)
Good video of week-old ducklings dabbling (drinking, and you'll see why it's called dabbling), eating grit, and interacting in their brooder.
- small format for 56K modem (1.7 Mb)
- large format for cable modem (6.2 Mb)
Free range ducklings (1:19)
Their first trip outside, one week old. There is some really good video here, including better closeups than I was able to get inside, but unfortunately the file size is quite large. I think it is worth the wait.
- small format for 56K modem (7.1 Mb)
First swim (1:18)
The ducklings' first swim, one week old, in a baby pool outside. Most
of the advice we read said not to let them swim until they are at least
three weeks old, but it was a very warm day (about 90 degrees), the water
had been sitting overnight, and they had plenty of time to dry off in
the sun afterwards. And you know what? They were fine. They're ducks.
When we first put them in the water they
were terrified, but within five to ten seconds they all had the epiphany
that they were, after all, ducks, and could swim. Within half a minute
one of them suddenly dove to the bottom of the pool, swam a lap, and resurfaced.
It is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
By the time I started taking video, they
were having the time of their young lives.
- small format for 56K modem (1.7 Mb)
- large format for cable modem (6.2 Mb)
Two months old (July 2002)
Grazing (1:54)
Wandering around the yard, dabbling in the grass, and interacting with one another. The barking in the background is Toby chasing his tennis ball.
- small format for 56K modem (6.1 Mb)
First Flight (2:01)
Assembled clips of the ducks running back and forth stretching their wings, and finally taking off in a few brief flights.
- small format for 56K modem (3.6 Mb)
- large format for cable modem (11 Mb)
Feynman and Her Flock (1:25)
One of the most frequent questions we get from friends learning we have ducks is "How do the dogs get along with them?" Feynman is mildly interested, though not as much as when they were tiny. As you can see here, she gets along with them just fine.
- small format for 56K modem (2.7 Mb)
Toby and the Ducks (2:04)
Toby, meanwhile, ignores the ducks completely unless they get in the way while he's chasing his ball...and then he just plows on through. Eddy sometimes nips him on the butt when he does this. (Poor Toby — he doesn't get to be in charge of anybody. He's the Omega Dog.) And he tends to get a bit disconcerted when they fly over his head, as anyone might. Otherwise, though, they all get along just fine.
Because it's Toby, most of this video involves the tennis ball. You can watch him tracking the ball and sounding off when he finds the trail — his own basset hound version of fetch.
- small format for 56K modem (4.4 Mb)
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