I am elated to report that all ten “ducklings” on the dorm plaza have taken wing and flown away.  As we predicted from the condition of their feathers, they would be ready to leave last week—and, indeed, they made their egress over that week.

Last Monday: Nine ducklings (one had left over the preceding weekend)

Last Wednesday: Seven ducklings (two more left)

Last Friday: Four ducklings (three more left)

This morning: Zero ducklings and no mom (last four left)

Here is the very first shot (iPhone camera) I took of Marie and her brood; it was June 23, and they were only a couple of days old. All ten are crowded into their tiny pool (we immediately got larger ones). Food is on the right.

And from last Monday, August 21.  It was eight weeks from hatching to flight.  Marie is on the extreme right, still watching over her seven remaining babies. Hen mallards make terrific moms!

All we can hope for now is that every offspring has found a pond or other body of water with food. I can only imagine how they felt when they were first able to swim at great length, duck and dabble under water, do zoomies, hunt for food, and take to the air on their mighty wings. They’re doing what natural selection and their genes built them to do. If that means “happiness” for ducks, then they’re happy.

We are also a bit sad that they’re gone, but that’s far outweighed by the satisfaction of Team Duck in knowing that we saved every one, and that we did our job well.

Thanks to the other members of the team, Marie and Gracemary, for sharing the hard work of tending these fowl. And thanks to the woman in charge of the dorm who, after asking us for help, cooperated with us to get food and water to the brood three times a week.

Well, our job of bringing up the University of Chicago Patio Ducks is almost done. As you may recall, mother Maria gave birth to ten babies about eight weeks ago, but they were trapped on the dorm plaza where they hatched.  Because the plaza is enclosed and freedom barred by an eight-foot wall, they couldn’t leave until they flew.

Thus three of us on Team Duck took it upon ourselves to rear them to fledging. This was no easy task, as it involved schlepping food and lots of water to the plaza three times a week.  But we fed them well, they grew and prospered, and now, eight weeks later, they’re able to fly.  And when they get that ability, they begin flying off the plaza, as Mother Nature is calling to them: “Time to live as ducks! You need to find a pond, fly, and swim!”

Here are some photos from August 23, when the ten had become seven (three had flown), and then from today, when only four were left. We’re all very happy that they’re healthy, flying, and leaving to live in nature.

A few pictures from Wednesday. Look how big they are! You see eight because mother Maria was here, too:

Their “swimming pool”. It was the best we could do, but I’m 100% sure they’ll prosper in real water where they can swim.

Based on beak color, we decided that there were five drakes and five hens: an even distribution of offspring. Watchful Maria is on the right; she was a terrific mom.

The primary flight feathers have now grown in and are full-sized. These puppies can fly, and we’ve seen them doing short flights around the plaza.

Walking around after bathtime. At the end you can see the big wings of one “duckling.” To think that when we started they were tiny yellow balls of fluff!

And pictures of the four left taken this morning. I expect that by Monday there will be either just one or two ducks left—or none. One of them decided to go swimming, and Maria was not there. (That doesn’t mean she won’t return to look in on her brood, though. She comes and goes, probably visiting a real pond when she leaves.)

They’re full-sized mallards:

The tub hog, a male. For reasons we don’t understand, the females flew away first.

The tub hog about to nap:

I can’t convey the satisfaction it brings us to see our efforts rewarded this way. Ten ducks, originally doomed, now will have full duck lives. I suppose this is like a parent bringing up an infant and then seeing it off to college, with the whole timeline compressed into two months! Thanks to Gracemary and Marie, the other two members of Team Duck, who worked like demons to help raise these guys.

It’s Friday, so let’s have a butcher’s at the Dorm Ducks. They’re about six weeks old now, and all ten ducklings are thriving. Mother Maria is on the scene most of the time, and is a very attentive mom.  You’ll see how fat the little buggers are, and how much they’ve grown.  Blame the Mazuri Duck Chow, mealworms, and plenty of fresh water (about 20 gallons per visit), much of which we schlep several blocks in gallon milk jugs.  It’s not an easy job, but somebody has to do it.

Here are some photos and two videos from July 31:

Tub o’ ducks!

The ducklings like to lie on tufts of grass on the patio, even though there’s a whole lawn right nearby. But they like to stay close to Mom and their siblings.

The tub gets a bit crowded at times. . . .

But sometimes a lucky duck gets the tub all to itself. Here’s a video of one having a high old time swimming, drinking and ducking. We’d prefer a pond, of course, but that’s not available.

Napping on a tuft. Notice the closed nictitating membranes protecting the eyes.

The lovely Maria, who hatched all these babies:

More bathing, noshing, and preening in this video:

. . . and another shot of Mother Mary:

A baby in all its grown-up splendor. The secondary wing feathers are coming in, and today the primaries were visible.

Another improvised swimming pool. I used to use these containers in my incubators to keep my flies under high humidity. Never did I dream that they would serve as duck bathtubs.

The dorm ducks are still doing well, and we still schlep over a cart full of food and water to the dorm plaza three times a week. Here’s a full cart ready to go: there are about ten gallons of water, a large quantity of duckling pellets (also good for mom, though she flies off every day, presumably to feed and bathe in a nearby pond), some freeze-dried mealworms, and spare food dishes and paper towels.

Yesterday the whole brood of ducklings (well, teenage ducks) was waiting by the door, and when we came in they ran toward us. They were clearly hungry, and the first thing they did was eat a huge meal. While they were doing that, my job was to take the pools and water dishes, empty them out, and take them in the restroom to scrub them clean with soap and water. It’s a nasty job because the ducks aren’t particularly sweet-smelling (their leavings smell like fish!). While I’m doing that, the other members of team duck clean out the “swimming pools” and replenish them with water.  After that, I return with clean dishes and vessels, and we leave out a bunch of food and clean water.

By then the  ducklings have eaten their fill (for the moment) and they have a swim.

Maria, the mother, was there yesterday, and was watchful as usual. They’re all getting tamer, now to the point where I can dump fresh water into the small “pool” while a duckling is swimming in it. Here’s one having a fine old time splashing, dipping, and dunking:

Only about eight of the ten can fit in this pool, but yesterday we put a larger one (a “cement mixing tub” from Home Depot) in the shade on the grass, under a tree.

Maria is always between us and her babies, but she trusts us quite a bit now. She’s a great mom!

After food and a swim, the ducklings repair to a shady spot to preen and then have a nap. This order of tasks is invariant. Note Maria between us and her brood.

When Mom is there, they scatter about a bit, but when she’s gone they huddle close together. That’s clearly an adaptive behavior:

The lovely Maria and some of her babies:

Look, they have most of their feathers now! And we haven’t lost a duckling (“no duckling left behind” is our motto”).

They still have down on their backs, but they’re about 2/3 the size of Mom. Two in the pool. The one with the orange-yellow beak is likely a female (hen), while the one in the foreground, with more green in the beak, is probably a male (drake):

A snoozing duckling. Note the down on its back.

We’re going to have a hot three days this week, so extra water is called for.

We’re still schlepping a cart of water and food to the dorm ducklings three times a week. As you can see, they’re growing rapidly, and now have most of their feathers. Some are even flapping their tiny stubs of wings.  They are using their “pools” more, but come Monday we’ll put in a larger and deeper tub of water for them.

It’s a bit sad, because although we’ve kept the family together and the ducklings are thriving, they really should be in a place where they can swim freely. They haven’t had a normal duckling life. On the other hand, they’ve been protected and cosseted by the three Team Duck members since we first saw them. They are fat, healthy, and lively.

Here are a few pictures and two movies taken today and Wednesday.

Ready to drink:

Yes, these are scruffy teenaged ducks (Wednesday). Note the mixture of down and feathers.

Their nap after feeding (the first order of business) and after their swim:

Here’s a lone duckling enjoying a swim and then quickly leaving the tub for some lunch:

It took a few days for them to get brave enough to go in the tub, but now they can fit in there, but only eight at a time. The others wait their turn:

A closeup of the pile o’ ducks:

Lunch! Duckling starter chow and mealworms, which they love:

More napping:

A video of naptime. They preen, peep, and open and close their eyes. Not being dumb, they always find a convenient patch of shade:

The watchful Maria. She was there Wednesday, but today had flown off to have a proper bath and a swim. She’ll be back! She’s sleepy in this pic from Wednesday

And more pictures of the duckling pile:

Note the closed nictitating membrane on the duckling at left:

Yep, they’re in their awkward and unsightly teenage stage. The ducklings with orange beaks are probably females, with drakes having green beaks:

A drake to be!

Excuse me, but NO COMMENTS? If someone doesn’t comment, I’ll shoot these ducklings.

Two people from the University of Chicago Alumni group filmed Team Duck doing their tri-weekly feeding and watering of Maria and her ten babies marooned on the dorm plaza. ‘

Carrie and her friend Alonna came along with us and filmed the ducks, with Alonna turning the video into a remarkable summary of what it’s like to care for them, and in such a short film clip. We were all very pleased.  Click on the screenshot below to see the video, and be sure to put the sound up.

Here are some screenshots from the video. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!

h/t: Carrie, Alonna