Dec 19, 2015

Ducks Always . . . . ?

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Elf and Sechs Tag-Teaming Sitting on Eggs
Hearing anyone say those two words, "ducks always," sets off my inner alarms, because there are some standard misconceptions about them - even among duck keepers.

Some of the behaviors I have seen in my flock that defy "the books" and common knowledge are:

--They do not always molt a certain time of year - sometimes a duck will molt in winter, or not for over a year.

--They do not all have the same comfort levels. Some prefer it a little warmer, some prefer it a little cooler.

--My ducks do not sleep through the night - they awake often, and chatter.

--My ducks will not huddle together if they are too cold.

--Not all flocks have a duck-in-charge that they all follow all the time - mine don't.

--Some ducks play "hop on top" just for fun, not to prove dominance.

If I think of any others, I'll add to the list.