New Adventures in Urban Fowl

The Short Version -

I got a duck. It was free. I named him Roger.

Roger is the green one.

The Long Version -

I was at the PASA conference this past weekend learning about agriculture and sustainability. JM Hatchery had a display of hatchlings…ducks, chicken, guinea fowl…and I blurted “I want to take one home!” The guy told me they were giving them away at the end of the conference and he added my name to a list…I was 3rd. I was playing with one of the ducks and it was climbing all over me. The owner of the hatchery, Joel, told me if I put it in my pocket it would just relax and get quiet…it worked! Just then I saw some of my classmates arrive for the conference and got a real kick out of going up to them and saying “I have a duck in my pocket!” then pulling out an actual duck! HA!

I named him Roger and put him in a small envelope box for the ride home, however, I had to take him with lunch and the afternoon session to go. Mostly he stayed in the pocket of my hooded sweatshirt, which I had to go to the car to get…he really likes it there! You’d think people in a lecture would be annoyed that someone would bring a duck in their pocket to a lecture, but not at PASA. And at lunch, the duck under my chair was not a bother…one of the women at my table wanted to let it run around the table!

So the ride home was an adventure. Duck in pocket, duck in jacket, lots of weather to deal with so I kept him locked in my coat most of the way. I had to stop at a rest stop and took him inside with me in my pocket…he jumped out and fell down 3 feet onto the floor! He seems to be OK. Here’s a video of him eating when we took a break.


After he ate and played in the bottle cap of water on my dashboard, he hopped down onto my lap, climbed into my arm pit head first, and just stopped. So cute…he got under my wing! He stayed in my pocket quietly, most of the way home after that.

When we got home I put water in the tub for him. I read that since the baby ducks don’t have oil in their feathers the mother splashes them, so I figured I should splash him, not sure why. He got soaked and looked miserable, but he paddled around happily for a bit. I took him out, dried him off and back in my pocket. When Brett got home and I put him in the tub, his down fluff repelled the water and he was dry! Does the water help build oils in the feathers? The mysteries!

The little guy follows me around the house. Its so cute! But scary, too...he’s so small. I'll get some pics of that up soon…Brett says I’ve imprinted on him. I had to look that up, but basically it means he thinks I’m his mommy! AHHH!
To answer your questions, FOOD - he’ll eat chick starter feed, then laying feed – they have the same nutrition requirements of chickens; SHELTER – he’ll live with the chickens, maybe even think he’s a chicken, for now he’s in a box with a light and my hat to snuggle into; ROGER THE DUCK– I’m not entirely sure it’s a boy…still 50/50 chance. Don’t know when I’ll know, if the coloring will change or if an egg will be layed, I’m just winging it! (pun intended)

For now, Roger the duck lives in my pocket and on occasion in a box. Ducks get very emotional, I’ve read, and they grow to full size in 30 days. We’ll have some hard days ahead if I don’t get bigger pockets!