It’s raining a bit today, which is helping to clear out some of the smoke. Depending on how things look in the morning, we’re thinking we’ll probably head home tomorrow. So this might be the last duckling update from the excellent trailer pen that Mom and her partner provided for the ducklings.

The ducklings won’t enjoy the three hour drive home (and neither will my ears, now that some of them are quacking loudly), and they probably won’t like being back in the duck house and run, being a bit smaller than the trailer. But they need a couple more weeks before they’ll be old enough to go in the pond. It’ll be good for the older ducks and the ducklings to get used to each other again through the fence, too, before they merge.

Today, as I have each day, starting the day by adding more water to the kiddie pool, and refilling their food and paint tray pool:

I also added some fresh straw, including some further back, added by sprinkling on top of the wire, which left a few bits as fun things for them to snag:

Treat time:

Treats in the pool:

Only a couple of them wanted to swim while I was there; the others reached for the treats from outside:

She’s happy to swim around, though:

Today I increased the depth of the duckling kiddie pool by another few inches, to the point where they can no longer touch the bottom — so they are actually swimming for the first time.

But first, I refilled their paint tray pool and food:

Deeper water:

Really swimming; they took to it like ducks to water, unsurprisingly (female ducks seem more comfortable in water; previous male ducklings were more hesitant to swim at all, or made a big production of it):

Still enjoying the paint tray pool too:

More swimming:

Leafy treats:

Swimming for treats:

Today marks the start of the sixth week of these ducklings, which is when they are officially old enough to swim, plus no longer need heat (though they’ve been without that for the past week anyway). Still a couple of weeks before they are ready to go into the pond, though… not that that is an option while we’re evacuated, anyway.

So, now that they have the kiddie pool, I’m slowing increasing the water level. They can still touch the bottom, but in a day or two they’ll be actually swimming; that’ll be fun.

(Did you see today’s video with slow-mo and splashes?)

Pool time:

Also tray time:

Fun splashes:

One of the things I brought yesterday from the homestead to Mom’s place was the duckling kiddie pool, which I set up today in the trailer pen:

One of the Rouens was first into the new pool, closely followed by the Khaki Campbell (aka the little brown duckling… not so little or uniformly brown anymore):

Two in the water. I only filled it ankle-deep initially; I’ll make it a little deeper over the next few days, until it’s completely full, to let them get used to it. They should be able to swim about now, but it’s best to ease them into it:

More in the pool, and splashing about:

All but one in the pool:

Since the Blue Swedish has the gimpy leg, I don’t think she would be able or comfortable climbing that far, so I’m keeping the paint tray pool for her (yes, it’s still gimpy; no better yet, but no worse either):

Just a few pictures of ducklings today. Evacuation update coming up soon.

Another smoky day, not quite as bad as yesterday. The ducklings are feathering out nicely, and starting to make proto-quacks. They grow so fast!

Look at all those feathers:

Two in the bigger pool:

Three in the bigger pool, with some nice water droplets:

Splashes:

Treat time:

Another day of ducklings. It’s smoky out, but hopefully the ducklings aren’t too bothered by it.

Good morning ducklings:

Treat time:

Treat and pool time:

The Blue Swedish duckling with her tongue out while eating, and straw sticking to their bills: