First Paddles

He is one month old now.  His feathers have grown in on his chest so he took his first official swim today in the bath tub!  These are his first paddles... trying to figure out how his feet work.  All my videos are of baths so far, but there will be more to come when the weather warms up. Besides, who can't sit an watch a duck play in the water for days??  ;D

Week 3 Donegan Update

Donegan keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. Welsh's are definitely my number one breed to recommend. He got a bath upgrade and needs one again already! He's getting big. He's convinced he still fits perfectly on my shoulder and in my hand. lol. He also started wearing the next size up in training diapers. My eyes could be playing tricks, but it seems as though his walk is a bit off... maybe too pigeon toed. I'm going to look into it, but regardless it doesn't seem to bug him. He's a poopin machine! SURPRISE! Looking forward to less poop after his feathers are in. They are on their way... looking less like feathers and more like spikes. Gotta love that awkward stage. He's still quite photogenic, but we will see if that still stands next week!! :D His beak is slowly getting lighter. Welsh Harlequin males have a dark beak when they hatch, which lightens and turns yellow over time. The femals are born with a light beak that darkens with age. This is why most breeders consider welshs the easiest to sex at hatching. I did a supervised cat/duck meet n greet with donegan in his cage. YUP... the cats were terrified of him. lol I'll be looking for a medium there. I really need to get some orders in for juvenile and adult diaper harnesses, but it's hard to guess the size =/ We removed the heat lamp, but have the heat turned up in the house. Other than that and upgrading the size of his food and water dishes, nothing new :)

Donegan's First Bath During His First Outing (6 days old)

Upgraded :D

This video was taken a few days ago (Blogger was having issues that day).  Her first back upgrade.

The second video is quick.  It's her first time paddling.  My son and I were cracking up!  Not sure why we thought it was so funny.  Hehe

No-Slip Bath

I LOVE using a paint tray for their first baths.  It's low to the ground, not so deep that they can easily drown while we wait on their feathers, and there is a ramp for them to walk up when they don't want to submerge themselves.  I was a bit concerned at how slippery it was, though.  Even though it isn't deep, it seems to be a natural reaction for Cheyenne to try and paddle.  It looked a little rough on her legs when they would slip out from under her.
So, I added Easy Liner non-adhesive grip mat to the bottom.  This is the same stuff I use in her cage on top of a towel to prevent splayed legs, get water runoff, and make cleaning much easier.  I had to attach it with velcro strips because it floats in the water and I also needed the option to remove it for cleaning.
Like I said in the last post, Easy Liner makes your life easier!  Get some :)