In January my son, now twelve, faced a birthday choice: a video game for instant fun or ducklings from the feed mill’s spring shipment — a lesson in delayed gratification. Like his grandfather, he chose the ducklings.
The wait was long, but worth every day. His joy when they finally arrived said it all.
When the ducklings showed up last week, we discovered how little we actually knew about raising ducks beyond how charming they are.
It turns out duck care is pretty straightforward: provide a warm, safe brooder and be prepared to clean it very often until the birds are big enough to go outside. By “often” I mean multiple times a day at first — keeping things dry and sanitary is key to healthy ducklings.
Today was a highlight for our young duck keeper: his ducklings had their first supervised swim. It was a gentle introduction to water, closely watched to make sure the chicks stayed safe and comfortable. Watching them paddle and preen, seeing his careful, proud face — those moments are hard to forget.
I shot a short video of their first swim. Excuse my silly, excited voice in the background — I couldn’t help cheering them on. Their cuteness is impossible to resist; if you’re at all fond of animals, I dare you not to smile.
As my mother used to tell us when we tried to hide our happiness, “Don’t SMILE!” — an impossible request in the face of these little fluffballs.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6qsugn9oUw[/youtube>