Congratulations! You sound thrilled to be a duckie mommie again. I can understand. I'm hooked on them. Just can't help myself. Are you in need of a cigar and an "It's a Boy or Girl" banner or balloon? LOL Glad you have them. Let us know if you have others soon. :)

Thank you all. I'm a pretty lucky ducky too! What would I do without them? I watch them for a good share of the day. They fascinate me so much that I can't help myself. :-) Hey sumac, I don't mind the extra work at all. I live for it. It's what pulls me out of bed in the morning, just knowing that they're all out there. The chickens are lap chickens. They all heal my soul daily. (Really :-) ) I grew up with birds which was my mothers side business. (She also did bird rehab) She was a nurse but she bred and sold cage birds too. She kept journals about them all. They're full of dates and numbered nest boxes and the colors of the parents, colors of babies, who she mated them with... There must have been hundreds and hundreds of birds, maybe more, that she raised over the years. She bred for color and disposition. I have always LOVED birds. But my mother never had DUCKS!! What was wrong with her??? LOL I have no cage birds, but I have had chickens most of my adult years (I'm 51). Getting a spring duck baby last year was literally accidental. My son found a very smashed mother duck on/near the road. He saw this movement as he drove past and he stopped. His wife opened the car door and there was this little tiny thing...a baby Mallard. He was doing all the usual hysterical things that ducks do when they're scared. She scooped him up and they went looking for more babies, but didn't find any more. Of course they brought it to ME. I turned to butter. I was besotted. Hopelessly lost and in love with the little guy. He was Mr. Flippers. Then I found this site! I found out that he needed a friend, so I very quickly went to the hatchery and all they had left were the more heavy bodied babies. It worked out great. Then Mr. Flippers flew with the wild ducks, just like I knew he would. Uh-oh. I'm telling another story. I have to stop doing that. Anyway, here I am with three and I'm still in the same emotional state as I was in the beginning... In LUV with 'em. Things already have become more intense, so I'm watching them very, very carefully. I've taken Mrs. Pippit away from Mr. Flappers twice because he held her under the water for so long trying to mate with her, so I am planning to seperate them for at least part of the time. I'll only allow them together when I'm with them. I've placed their pools and food on the far side of my patio and can watch them most of the day that way. But you are right. They will need to be separated. I have spent about four hours a day with them during the warm months. Since the cold weather I probably still watch them that long, but it's from the inside looking out more often than not. Thank you for you advice. I love to hear what other people are doing with their ducks and chickens and I'll take all the advice I can get! :-)

my children and i loved the pics!!..it reminded me of when i was a child (we lived on a lake).we called them by saying here duckie duckie duckie (loud and repeatidly)they came from everywhere(on wing and on foot) to eat the bread we had for them...atleast 30 of them! we had alot of babies around but i dont ever remember seeing a black one..how lucky you are to have these precious little ones!! thanks for sharin the pics kathy

I'd go stir crazy being cooped up inside that long. Hope by now it has stopped. Judy