gonna need a bigger tub

Ducks are amazing. It seems like they almost double in size daily. Its the dead of winter so we are not going to turn ducklings without full feathers onto the field. They need to feather out: grow out full size feathers as well as the small, insulative bits of down that keep them warm.

Just a couple of weeks ago they were little babies. A few days ago they were gathered up at a local farm, placed in a cardboard box and transported the few miles to our farm. 

And then turned out into a plastic tub upon arrival at our farm. 

Because that cardboard box was funky. In the hour or so it took to box, load, drive, chat, unload and unpack. 

Early the next morning the ducklings went into the brooder. 

Where it looks like in just 10 hours the ducklings have grown. 

It looks like they double in size daily. Probably an exaggeration. Very quickly they will fill out and be moved outside, where they will be trained to go into a shelter each night for predator protection. 

And during the day, once full sized, they will roam the farm (not the vegetable garden area, but the rest of the farm) and find slugs, mosquito larva and flying gnats and then eat them all up. 

And we will fill and emptylow tubs of water so they can climb in and out and bathe. At the same time a small, low sided container can be hosed out and relocated to a clean spot. The ducks make a mess daily and by emptying and moving the container we can keep a bit clean.