At 7 weeks old, the ducks are nearing their adult size and most of their feathers have come in. We are listening carefully at every opportunity to hear their quacks so that we can determine who is male or female. Everything we have read says that females have a loud "quack" whereas males make a quieter sound that isn't what you think of as the typical duck noise. So far, we think we've heard 4 of the 5 quacking! It's hard to tell because their voices are still changing, but hopefully over the next few weeks we'll get a better idea of who is doing the quacking.
It's been surprisingly easy to have the ducks outside - definitely better than being in their brooder inside our house! They automatically go inside their coop at sunset, and we shut them in for the night. I typically let them out and give them some food first thing in the morning, and Chris will change out their water. They have learned to use their ramp to freely come and go (not without some pretty hilarious falls off of the side of the ramp - these are not graceful animals). The gang tends to be pretty skittish, and they haven't ventured very far out into the yard when given the chance. We're hoping they will get a little braver with time.
The flock has been outside for 3 weeks now, and we just cleaned out the hay in their coop for the first time. Adding a little bit each week seems to keep it clean for quite a while. Overall, the ducks seem to be adjusting very well to life outdoors. We still have to wait a couple more months for eggs, but I think it will be well worth it!
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