Hi everyone, I know this is a weird question but tonight on my night shift I noticed a little Duckling out in the portico of work and since it's nearly minus one degree and his mother was no where around I picked the little champ up and am looking after him in a box near my work computer, he has water some duck pellets and a bunch of shredded paper to keep him happy, he's breathing fine and doesn't seem too fazed by his situation but he's really young and i don't know what else to do with him/her, should i wait until morning when it warms up and try and put him down where the other ducks go near the lake at work? or just hope he fends for himself if there's no other ducks around? I couldn't conciously leave him stranded it'd make me feel sick if he suffered because of me! any other Duck whisperers out there in Dakka land?
Check with water, and he's got some crushed up duck pellets, but i'm not sure if he's hungry so i won't harass him to eat, if i can get hold of bread i'll put some in with him and see how he goes :-)
This is possibly the most off-topic thread I have ever seen I had to stop myself laughing out loud when I saw the title. I never thought I'd write this on Dakka, but I'm sorry, I have no idea of how to care for ducklings. Good on you for helping the little thing out though
In all serious ...your doing about all you can do,keeping the little guy warm and fed.
It would probably be best for you to attempt to return him to his natural environment though..unless you fancy the idea of a pet duck.
Well lets hope I get points for being massively off topic then! the little guy is rustling around and chirping so I think he'll pull through the night, lets hope the day brings some family for him! maybe we can all band together and name him? how's DuckaDucka sound? :-) the Dakka Duck!
I hope she welcomes him back to the fold? we've had to bring some family members together again a while ago but the mother was nearby, this is the first time i've found one all by his lonesome! I think the mother should take him back, I had heard that some birds don't like the smell of people but these ducks at work are fully cheeky! some even try and get the self opening doors at the front of the hotel to open by rushing them with about 20 of their mates!
Automatically Appended Next Post: nope no animal centre close by :-( and it's 1:55am here so I doubt anyone would like me calling! :-)
Automatically Appended Next Post: And no mr Mystery I'm not eating him....or frying hm....or crisping him lightly in a pan.... how could we do that to DuckaDucka!
Honestly if the little guy seems healthy,I'd just release him back to where he came from..let him go be a duck.
kudos to you for having the heart to help the little guy out though.
You're such a sweet guy Mr Mystery! :-) but you're out of luck i'm afraid, I googled some care tips and yes so it seems i'm doing the correct things for him, and his mother will accept him back if she's around! so when the sun warms up in the morning i'll get the guy on work after me to take some duck food down to the lake and when they all mill around gently release him close to any other ducklings! if you look up countryclubtasmania.com you can check out DuckaDucka's home! i think you can see the lake on the website? hopefully he'll be all good, I can't stand to leave any animal in distress or danger! I even had a 'pet' possum I reared when i was younger and a small Kangaroo called a bennetts wallaby!...yeah i'm a soft touch!
I think DuckaDucka suits him better! :-) especially as this site seems to like him! the thought of dark masters controling the hungry swarms of ducks hadn't crossed my mind but now you mention it..... nah they're too cute dude!
The pellets arent bad, but while they are young your better off feeding him on scrambled eggs.
Had mine for a few years, then let him go in a pond when i had to move.
Damn it chibi! I spat out my cup of tea when i read that! :-) and DuckaDucka started chirping when i asked him....don't speak duckling so i'm not sure but if he kills me during the night...he may be a bad guy!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Nope....again he's too cute!
Oh I don't think the dogs would be too happy if I bought home DuckaDucka Chibi! i'm at work all night so he's keeping me company while I care for him, and considering Oscar is a labrador retriever somehow i don't think ducks are his favorite pets! and if word got out he had one...oh my the scandal!
My Golden Retriever Harvey picked up a little fledgeling once. Just its head sticking out of the front of his mouth!
Eventually managed to get him to let the poor bedraggled, saliva-coated thing go! Otherwise totally unharmed and looking very bemused wondering," why me!? "
Talk about a soft palette!
(and I have seen Harvey easily crack a peach stone with his teeth!)
It was like a scene with Sylvester, Tweety-Pie and me as Grannie!
lol! you as granny! that's a great image! nice floral dress, rolling pin and some serious squinty eyes would look a treat as you chased harvey around trying to pluck a lucky duck from his mouth! ( I know what you mean about soft palette, i've seen oscar with wattle bird in his mouth and then he crack open marrow bones for izzy to get at the insides! strong jaws..bloody strong) and you know the wattle bird had the same 'why me' look as you described!
DuckaDucka is feeling a bit chirpy now, he's starting to get very active and keeps getting out of his box and running at me! he won't sit still! but it's still way to cold to let him outside now!......crap...he just fell of the bench 'cos I wasn't watching! some carer I am!
Automatically Appended Next Post: got me a bigger box now :-) no harry Houdini from the little guy now!
oops lol am sure he's alright
Might be worth putting a cover over the box so he will settle. It will prolly be because of the lights.
(Obviously make sure there are breathing holes)
Duly noted and now fixed Chibi style! put a box lid diagonally across the current...larger...box so now he can't escape and the lights won't hurt his little eyes! he's very very active and just running around in ther chirping like there's no tomorrow! so he's healthy at least, and i did take some pics on my phone which i'll try and post tomorrow when i get home :-) I am a sad case aren't I!
Having helped lizards, mice and toads back into the wild I can only reiterate what others have said. Keep him warm and fed, then try to contact an animal centre. If this proves fruitless, DuckaDucka may have to become some sort of mascot for this website...
Alright alright due to popular demand I shall put up pics and inform you all of everyone's favorite Dakka mascot DuckaDucka when i get home from work today...after a sleep that is :-) I know the thread isn't as long but I feel that DuckaDucka may be more popular than awesome spider?
ha, that's awesome. I'd personally raise him and teach him to use a shotgun, then make a little shotgun for him and release him into a lake or something.
Give him some little pieces of bread and a a pool of water to diddle around in. He should be happy until you release him. I think.
What is it about animal threads that always brings out the ravening carnivore in some people. Fluffy animal = EEEAATT!! omnomnom
It seems to provide some sort of substitute for a primitive hunting instinct or something. Or a compensation for repressed masculinity which is perceived as only redeemable by shooting and roasting said fluffy.
not being a psychoanylist I can't be sure.
Maybe these posters are simply repressed Frenchmen or maybe they are labradors. Labs have to eat everything they possibly can!
Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:What is it about animal threads that always brings out the ravening carnivore in some people.
Fluffy animal = EEEAATT!! omnomnom
It seems to provide some sort of substitute for a primitive hunting instinct or something. Or a compensation for repressed masculinity which is perceived as only redeemable by shooting and roasting said fluffy.
not being a psychoanylist I can't be sure.
Maybe these posters are simply repressed Frenchmen
or maybe they are labradors. Labs have to eat everything they possibly can!
I blame the animals myself. I mean, if they weren't made of meat, they'd be a lot safer. Silly evolutionary choice if you ask me.
Gwar! wrote:HERP DERP Silly Ozzies with their incorrect seasons!
It's not just that, compared to you, we walk upside down constantly.
EDIT: Oh hey, I just started DuckaDucka's third page. How is the little fellow? It's getting late here in WA so you've had plenty of time to post pics.
Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:What is it about animal threads that always brings out the ravening carnivore in some people.
Fluffy animal = EEEAATT!! omnomnom
It seems to provide some sort of substitute for a primitive hunting instinct or something. Or a compensation for repressed masculinity which is perceived as only redeemable by shooting and roasting said fluffy.
not being a psychoanylist I can't be sure.
Maybe these posters are simply repressed Frenchmen
or maybe they are labradors. Labs have to eat everything they possibly can!
Nah bro, I'd probably take pretty good care of a duckling if I found a little loner one. I was just straight trollin' yo.
Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:lol and you're a troll? yikes! they eat people too! off to hide under the bed. Dang That's where the Boogerman lives!
Nah, just that once. I couldn't help myself. I actually have two happy cats, live with another cat, and three domesticated rats. I love small fuzzy cute thingies.
Back by poular demand! DuckaDucka! lets hope these pics work? he's well if you're interested, a workmate released him with other ducks when it warmed up outside mid morning, he was quite a confident little fellow and apparently just ran off towards them! so happy days! now my partner keeps calling me the Duck whisperer!
i'll try and throw the pics up (i'm not real good yet)
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hopefully this will appease all those animal lovers that wanted to see the cute little guy (he's a heart melter isn't he) and hopefully Mr Mystery has forgotten about him!
nerdfest09 wrote:Back by poular demand! DuckaDucka! lets hope these pics work? he's well if you're interested, a workmate released him with other ducks when it warmed up outside mid morning, he was quite a confident little fellow and apparently just ran off towards them! so happy days! now my partner keeps calling me the Duck whisperer!
i'll try and throw the pics up (i'm not real good yet)
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hopefully this will appease all those animal lovers that wanted to see the cute little guy (he's a heart melter isn't he) and hopefully Mr Mystery has forgotten about him!
I know I sound like a girl for saying this, but he's/she's so cute.
Yep he was fine, and i'm proud to say it was because of me and my Dakka friends! it was minus one celsius and he was slow and shivering but he was full of confidence when he left his little home!
The racing stripe was well earned too! he jumped off the desk at about 4:30am and ran from my office through the door and the door to the showroom was open and in he went little legs pumping madly! i'm glad he couldn't get on stage but damn he was quick!
Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:Rats make good pets. My daughter had a couple of them. They obviously don't mind 2 happy cats and a (miserable ?) one
Indeed they do, but the cage sometimes gets smelly.
I just typed strangely due to tiredness, I meant to say that there's three very happy cats (especially now that it's spring) but only two of them are mine.
Also, duckaducka is adorable, and I hereby apologise for telling you to eat him.
I have a good update on DuckaDucka! I worked afternoon shift yesterday and i was doing my usual walk around the property and happened by the lake, when I saw a white mother duck followed by about 6 fluffy yellow ducklings...and right at the back was our very own DuckaDucka! I could tell because he is a dirty yellow with a racing stripe on his little head, so it appears another mother duck has taken our little fellow under her wing! hopefully I can take some pics as he grows! what a champ he is!
I rescued her three times from the same cat, well I did twice, the first and third time, my father the second time.
Third time she lost a third of her tail and was very shocked, looked after her. Now she is my cute pet mouse, and very healthy.
I noticed this mouse because her mannerisms were rather odd. Even while caught by the cat she would preen and wash herself, something rodents only do when secure. If she had the attitude that she wanted to be clean and presentable cat or no cat then she was definately worth saving. The cat proved that mice can be intimidated, to some extent, it took a lot of roughing up to get that far.
The first time I picked up the mouse she leaped at the cat, which took a step backwards. She is one crazy brave mouse, and deserved another chance, and another one after that and now a cat proof existance.
more power to any Dakkaite who cares for the little guys in life! bring on the worldwide love! that brave mouse sounds damn cool too, first time I ever heard of an attack mouse!
Smudgekin Oddsocks:
Not a rescue of a wild animal, but in the sense that she was found by a friend one wet and windy wintery night. Rather than send her to a cat shelter I volunteered to look after her till we could find the owners.
Oh chibi, you came and you found me a pussy! that's awesome good Karma for you my friend! but I have more news! I'm not sure but I think animals must like me rescuing them! last wed night was the night the world met DuckaDucka! and tonight I just rescued a swallow that was stuck in the accomodation blocks flying around! took me nearly 45 minutes to actually grab him (as I can't fly it was difficult) but he's safe now, he was cute also and yes i took a pic as usual, maybe I should start an album?....
Nope no spandex for me, but my work uniform makes me look like a Turkish perfume salesman! I shall post a pic on this thread maybe sunday? he was cool but not as cool as DuckaDucka, I can't help it I just have to try and help any animals I can, I have raised a baby brush tailed possum from a tiny little babe until I released her into the wild, she was awesome! like a dog, so smart and very affectionate, and I also reared a Bennets wallaby from a joey we had him for a while but he suffered from shock one night and didn't make it I don't know why it's just you and me so far posting cute animal pics Chibi, maybe Dakkaites are too tough to admit they're softies?
When I was a kid I had to walk a long way to the bus stop to go to school (rural town), and I would often encounter ducks.
When they had ducklings, I was invariably assaulted by one of the adult creatures that would run and fly headlong at me, snapping its beak and making horrible noises. It was harmless, but not the most comfortable situation to be in.
I recall when I was learning how to drive and I was in a 100kph zone, stuck to my learner's limit of 80kph. This always resulted in a chain of other cars tailgating me. One day, with a 4x4 up my arse and on my way down a hill, Mother Duck and at least a half dozen of the kids decided to cross the road.
That's why I stay away from ducklings. And they'd better stay the hell away from me too.
Last time i tried to fly I was very intoxicated...and that was over 9 years ago!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Oh my arctik, that's horrible! that would have been awful for you! I was driving some guests to our other property and the same thing happened to me! except I put on the brakes and a guest who wasn't wearing his seat belt went flying throught he van and ended up in the front seat!....but the ducklings were fine!
Yes thought you meant Kudos, but then thought maybe it's some strange motherland word? yep last time i thought I could fly due to demon drink was my 21st birthday! launched off a nissan skyline into a bush and then onto my own car! not a pretty sight in the morning considering I was home in bed with a garbage bag over my head before 11:30pm! and since that night i've never been drunk! I prefer to be in control of my body incase I need to chuck a steve Irwin and rescue any animals or anything!
nerdfest09 wrote:Yes thought you meant Kudos, but then thought maybe it's some strange motherland word? yep last time i thought I could fly due to demon drink was my 21st birthday! launched off a nissan skyline into a bush and then onto my own car! not a pretty sight in the morning considering I was home in bed with a garbage bag over my head before 11:30pm! and since that night i've never been drunk! I prefer to be in control of my body incase I need to chuck a steve Irwin and rescue any animals or anything!
Well it appears it's also just as dangerous to rescue animals as it is to jump off a car drunk trying to fly! obviously both very similar things with very real consequences! one you'll hurt yourself, the other you'll keep a little creature alive....hang on,....they're so not like each other at all, they're different, this is begining to sound like a sesame street moment.....one of these things .....is completely ridiculous!
no Mr Mystery, I don't believe the little guy would enjoy that!
I had to stop myself laughing out loud when I saw the title. I never thought I'd write this on Dakka, but I'm sorry, I have no idea of how to care for ducklings. Good on you for helping the little thing out though 
I shall post a pic on this thread maybe sunday? he was cool but not as cool as DuckaDucka, I can't help it I just have to try and help any animals I can, I have raised a baby brush tailed possum from a tiny little babe until I released her into the wild, she was awesome! like a dog, so smart and very affectionate, and I also reared a Bennets wallaby from a joey we had him for a while but he suffered from shock one night and didn't make it 