Author Topic: Our first brood of 12 Indian runners in Fife (Read 17186 times)

robbiegrant · « **Reply #45 on:** September 25, 2012, 02:08:26 am »

Orite Kerstin.
Hows it going your side of the hill?
We are fine thanks... Vasily/lucky, kroshka and big yin{b6} are growing sooooooooooooooo fast... They will outgrow the brooder very soon so I will have to build something bigger for them.

They are very entertaining. Vasily has been watching TV with me. he dosent seem as upright at I thought he might be. Kroshka ( crumble in russian ) is sooooper cute and quite a character, she walks very upright.

They are on chick/ducklin started crumb ( un-medicated ) and we have been giving them a little cottage cheese. We cut the egg because i'm concerned about them getting too higher protein ratios. We got it from fife crop services in pitscottie.

oh and I go some more crazy ideas about sexing ducklings ... will post soon on this...
wishing you well.

Robbie

robbiegrant · « **Reply #46 on:** October 01, 2012, 03:03:15 am »

Hello all. Just to say our wee brood is growing alarmingly quickly, they are full of mischief. We are adding finely chopped foodscraps to their diet, lettuce, potato, cheese etc. They now have a predator proof

run out the back for when its braw

, They caught their first work and had a good squabble over it. They are still in the brooder at night. ( tho they are outgrowing it fast! ) Temperature in brooder is now 22 degs.

We bought a wooden shed for them on saturday, its actually a 6x4 wendy house made of weatherboard with a porch, very cute and very cheap ( or should that be cheep?

) ex demonstration delivered and constructed for £225 marked down from £600.

Quite posh for a duck!

it will arrive this week and we will set about insulating, wiring and lining it.

Vasilly is not scared of cats! Strolled up and pecked our old cat in the face soon as look at her, now she is avoiding ducks!. Hope he dosnt get too brave to quick I have been trying to explain not all cats are such a push over....

Anyway I hope you are all well, really wanted to make it to the show but been run aff oor feet! definately next year...

Take it easy folx.

Robbie

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #47 on:** October 02, 2012, 10:33:23 pm »

Wow, that's luxury housing! I've only "insulated" our ramshackle houses with lino flooring (for easy clean purposes

) - those birds have feathers to keep them cosy! If it's very frosty they get extra cardboard under their straw every few days to keep their feet dry.

Our cat also has the highest respect for the ducks from when they all came charging at her once - they are about the same size as the poor cat

robbiegrant · « **Reply #48 on:** October 04, 2012, 02:26:15 am »

The shed was so cheap ( cheep ) and well made so it will last for years. We have insulation panels, wires, sockets etc left over from our build. In my experience insulation goes a loooooong way to creating a happy environment. We built in sooooo much into our house, best thing we ever did. You can have enough of it! A couple of sheets for the ducks is nothing, the shed will be cheaper to heat ( protecting or late hatchlings! ) and as a bonus it be cooler on a sunny day!

LINO FLOORING - good idea. why did i not think of that?! Doh!

The Ducks have been ensconced in their new residence. They are very happy to be out of the brooder. They like to visit the kitchen when Leras cooking, and the living room for a movie

If we put a small towel on the floor they stay on it quite happily. ( they had towels down in the brooder )

They are little characters. Still trying to gauge sex... croshka has a horseness about her/his/other voice sometimes when she is talking/chatting away and then other times she/he/it peeps normally... Is it a sign? Lera soooo wishes her to be a girl.. Very adventurous and bolt upright in stance, she/he/it will be a stunning adult duck whatever the sex.

Vasily/lucky and bigyin ( the largest egg ) .... still peeping away like they always have done. Vas/Luck is gonna be big!

Cheerypeeps!