[Sca-cooks] A milestone for ducklings and goslings...(OT, a bit)

[Saint Phlip]

Well, my babies, the first batch, reached a milestone last night-
their first night out of the heated box. I worried all night, stayed
up late to make sure they weren't in distress as the overnight temps
descended. Other than being hungry (they kept going through all their
food), they seemed to be just fine, so that's a relief. Their only
comment this morning when I went to check on them was "Where's
breakfast" ;-)

See, we have two cages my rioommates bought from the local acquarium
that we call the "penguin cages" because originally they were used to
ship penguins. They're nice, large stainless steel cages, and have
been used for a number of critters over the years. When the first
batch of birdies arrived, we set up a penguin  cage in a wooden frame
out on the back porch under the garage shelter, with insulation on the
outside (styrofoam sheets) and a heat lamp inside, and a tarp over the
whole contraption, to prevent drafts. There was plenty of room, but
the little twirps have this habit of continuing to grow, and it was
getting awfully crowded.

I'd been relieving the population pressure by taking all the older
water birds into the bathtub every day to let them learn to swim (and
play, and bathe), letting them dry off in the warm cage, then putting
them out in the other penguin cage with a stainless steel steamer tray
we had filled with water, to enjoy the fresh air and warm sun. They
loved it, and I called it their play pen ;-)

Last night, they spent the night in their playpen, covered with a
tarp, as I said, first time without the heat lamp.

It's cool and cloudy today, so I'm going to leave the tarp on, with
the front lifted up so they can see out. If it warms up later, I'll
take it off. Will keep an eye on temps this week, and next week should
be able to move them out into the duck house and pen.

Much as I enjoy them, though, seems like I've been doing nothing but
feeding and cleaning up after babies.. Next warm day(s), I'll need to
clean up the chicken pen for the summer, and will (eventually) start
the baby chickens and the turkeys with the goslings and ducklings, but
leave them access so they can get in and out of the chicken pen.
Hopefully, they'll all start gravitating to their natural kinds, and
have all summer to grow and learn to be geese and ducks and chickens
and turkeys.

-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

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