Good Morning! 2019

[kenya]

I was debating whether to replace my three beloved runner ducks after they were murdered, but have been spared my indecision by a friend who decided to give me three Khaki Campbell ducklings for my birthday. They are very sweet. I am making then a separate pen today, since Lois at the farm store says they can go right outside, but need to stay separated from the vicious chickens until they have feathered out. What do you think? How long would you keep them separated? I have two gentle Wyandottes and a Polish.
For now the ducklings are named Nabisco, Nanette and Nina, reflecting my wishful thinking that no more than one is a drake. I have them in my brooder box for now but can’t wait to put them outside. What a soppy mess they make! I love to watch them , though, the way they shake their butts and then squat to squirt. I don’t remember the runners doing that.

They may seem docile but I wound't trust them with young , wait till the ducklings are a little bigger to introduce them. Hens can be nasty.

[WLLady]

@JimW Just from my experience with cardiologists, unless you actually drop in front of one, don't expect much.

yep, what she said.....they'll likely go "oh, that's interesting, nothing to worry about yet"....and send you home and then yell at you in 20 years when you show up with a problem and they'll wonder why it wasn't dealt with 20 years ago....

wow that made me sound bitter LOL. i'm not, really.....beautiful morning out there this morning and it's the friday of a long weekend with fireworks coming up on monday if the weather is nice bird moving weekend. ducks and munchkins go outside to the grow out coop and boys in the grow out coop go to freezer camp, if there's anything on them, otherwise i might just let them loose to eat bugs and work out their own pecking order. have to move some turkeys out of a pen because we're dog sitting, and if i put her in the one horse stall she digs out, so she needs a concrete floor under her. too warm to leave her alone at home-she wanders and the neighbours call the doggie police and i end up having to bail her out...so owners said "put her in the garage", well it's too darned hot for that, so into the barn she goes. i know, i just know, we will have a dog fight because sally (our puppy) is a little rambunctious and lacy (the one that's coming) is a little old and crotchety....fun times. everyone will be leashed....and trained! flies are starting up in a big way so i want those ducks moved out asap! they're getting big, 2 muscovies...i'm hoping a boy and a girl....and i will be getting a couple more girls i hope in the near future!

rooster crowing from the top of the manure pile this morning. looking so absolutely in earnest LOL. if only he knew that was a pile of he was guarding...ha ha.

[kenya]

Yeah but that manure pile has lots of bugs.

[Killerbunny]

@SusanH I would wait until they are older. My wyandottes are very quiet with others chicks BUT Mum is there to look after them. Baby ducklings on their own may get harassed or injured.
@JimW remember that almost nobody has a "normal" textbook heart. SO many artefacts show up on some of these tests which cause no problems.

[JimW]

@Killerbunny thanks, ya my doctor said since I have never had an ecg done the little "abnormalities" don't mean much since they don't have an old ecg to compare to. I am more worried that I personally feel something has not been right for the last couple months... shortness of breath and chest pains and some times tingling in left arm most times after doing any physical activity, and sometimes takes an hour or 2 to recover.

School is DONE!!! Bring on the fishing!!!

[Killerbunny]

Well @JimW that is not to be ignored. Buddy of mine had something similar to that a few months ago and didn't ignore it. Good thing, they fixed him up and he's right as rain now!

[kenya]

JimW Yes that is not something to ignore, was your blood pressure high? Did they do a stress test?

[ross]

Had that 20 yrs ago Jim just like you describe . After dye tests they installed 2 stents close to my heart( blocked arteries) & it’s been ticitiboo ever since . Luck man , squeaky wheel gets the grease .

[SusanH]

Thanks @kenya and @Killerbunny , I will keep them separated, but I was wondering how long you think I need to wait before introducing them? I don’t remember now how I introduced the Wyandottes to the runner ducks and the new polish chicks or when, even though it was just last summer. I just turned 65, so am suddenly in my dotage, it seems. Maybe it was my husband dying in the middle of it that obliterates the memory. It went without a hitch, anyway. Ok, now I do remember Miranda chasing Happy just to bite her bum. But that was the worst of it. I think having the ducklings and chicks together worked out well. The chicks taught the ducks to go in at night, and consequently those sweet ducks laid their daily eggs in their house, not all over as per reputation.
In fact, I am going to buy a couple more Polish chicks and hope this works again with my khaki Campbells. One of them is crested, so cute.

[WLLady]

best to get checked out jim!!! with my a-fib i had zero chest pain...zero anything!!! but now that i am being treated i can tell something was brewing since about fall last year....sigh. dont wait....

ah just what we needed tonight. more rain!! our beans are in as of 2 days ago....and corn is up. happy we have a crop in at all this year!!
babies off to new homes tomorrow. and weeding and cleaning the house and napping. lol long weekend. going to make sure to catch the fireworks this weekend too!!!