A Changeable Day

This morning started out very cold, about 11 degrees and seemed to feel even colder to me. I couldn't get the chicken area gate open at first due to ice that had melted yesterday and then re-froze in the night. I had to chip away at it with birds hearing me out there and fussing for their door to be opened.

Once the demanding birds were freed for the day I got the new ducks settled into their outdoor pen. They're starting to learn my routines and getting a little less suspicious. The Mama duck will be hardest to win over but I think she is starting to warm to me...and my treats. Today the new ducks ate some of their treats with me quite close and walked back and forth right in front of me as I took a little video of them.

The new ducks don't mind the chickens at all, mama duck doesn't like our original ducks near her baby though!

Back indoors I set up some of the new boredom busters that we purchased for the 4 week old chicks. 

At first it seemed the dogs and cats wanted the chick stick much more than the birds did, the birds showed no interest in their new treats at first. Later though in the play cage I did see them pecking the treats from time to time. I hung the treats with my farming friend- zip ties. There is so much I can accomplish around the place with zip ties and/or duct tape.

 

The day warmed up to about 40 F by noontime, mid-day chores were much more pleasant than the morning chores had been. I did some cleaning in the animals fenced area and made sure the now melting snow had some drainage channels to direct it where I wanted the water to go not into piles that would refreeze again tonight. I put the new ducks into their sleeping cage a little early since they'd spilled all their food and I thought I might as well give them a refill in the coop and let the whole gang do clean up duty in the pen. The chickens were happy to oblige.

The new ducks meanwhile had a snack and a drink then I added some dry bedding to the kennel cage I have them sleeping in within the main coop. They are definitely warming to me and learning that my routines are okay. They are most happy with the bedtime mealworms. This is a method I have always used to get the ducks in for the night. Small bowls of mealworms then a drink. After that all food and water is taken away for the night because well....ducks are messy! Also they shouldn't have food without drink available and they love to spill their water. Just easier to have a final bedtime snack, it draws them into their sleeping areas and gives them a nice final treat for the day. Maybe silly but it works for me. Day 1 the new ducks were ambivalent to the mealworms. Maybe they didn't know quite what they were. Day 2 they liked them but would only eat them and other treats when I went away. Now day 4 they gobble them up as soon as I put down the bowl. 

As I left the coop for the night and shut up their fenced area I noticed that some snow flurries had begun. A very mixed weather day.