Sure ducks are fricking cute when they are babies, but the truth is, they are horribly messy, stinky little feathered creatures that will make a mess of anything the second they can.
I compare my ducklings to a toddler, always getting into shit, making a mess of everything, they’re loud as shit, but so damn cute you can’t get mad at them, or stay mad for very long even after you just stepped in one of their watery poops on your just cleaned kitchen floor.
Photo credit: www.tyrantfarms.com (These guys also have 2 indoor pet ducks)
These two ducks I am writing about today are called Ducky, and Roger, and they’re my pet house ducks.
The reason they are even in my house and have been since they hatched is because one of my chickens went broody, she had no eggs to sit on, so I gave her a couple duck eggs to sit on. I’ve seen other stories where chickens hatch and raise baby ducks as their own, so I thought I would give it a try. Nope.
My asshole mama chicken did the long, patient work of sitting and incubating them but as soon as they hatched, she didn’t want any part of them. The first duck (Roger) hatched all on it’s own, but mama chicken said no thanks. The second egg she was sitting on was basically crushed by her, and other dumb hens fighting to get into her nest box to lay their eggs.
When I pulled the last duck egg out, it was definitely crushed, but thankfully the little dude was still chirping away inside the shell, so I knew I had to help.
How could you not love that face?
In the house they went, I helped hatch the last duckling and they instantly imprinted on us.
I knew I couldn’t ask my adult ducks to adopt them even though they are their real parents, because they weren’t broody, and would’ve killed the ducklings if given the chance.
So here I had 2 little ducklings I wasn’t prepared for in our house, and I had no where for them to live let alone sleep in. I found an empty box, stuffed it with paper towel, and that’s where they slept until they grew too tall and began jumping out of it.
If you’ve ever wondered, yes ducks can jump pretty well.
Fast forward to over a month later and they are now in their ugly duckling stage, losing their baby fuzz and growing their grown up feathers, and still living in the house following me wherever I go. Luckily I am a stay at home mom so I can follow them around all day long with a roll of paper towel in hand, cleaning up their shit as they waddle along.
Muscovy duckling
As they have been growing up though, I still never built them a place to really live. So they have been living in our bedroom with us, waddling through the house with us, and even taking small trips outside when safe when our cannibalistic geese aren’t close by.
You must be thinking by now, omg what about the poop? Ha, well, ya, with ducks, unfortunately, they shit, A LOT.
There are no words to describe how much they really shit on a daily basis, other than it just never, ever stops. So it is constant wiping up their messes, going through endless amounts of tissues and paper towel, and A LOT of scrubbing the floors everyday.
Besides their shit, and the messes they make with any dog water bowl they find throughout the house, I love them to death.
I raised my adult ducks from babies as well, but I wasn’t as hands on with them as I am with these two. They are my little quacky sidekicks. Even though they’re growing too big for the house, I find myself having a hard time accepting that they will have to move out very soon. I don’t think I am ready for that.
I love their cuddles, and their nibbles. The fact that they will come running when they either see me or hear me calling their names. They’re so entertaining and adorable, smelly and trouble makers.
Roger and Ducky my two house babies
Ifyou are thinking about raising ducks in your house as pets (which is a more common thing than you think now), just FYI, if you look on Etsy, there are some people who actually hand make diapers made specifically for ducks as they grow. Even for geese and chickens too.
I should probably invest in some of those….
Take a look at duck diapers if you’re curious about them here on Etsy.
