the ducklings have arrived

the post office called this morning to tell us the ducklings were there waiting for us to come and take them home.  before we left i filled the waterers and feeders.  i also added a second heat bulb.  i let the single heat bulb run overnight last night and checked the minimum/maximum thermometer this morning.  it didn't stay as warm in the brooder overnight as it should have and it was only about 78 degrees in there in the morning.  it should be about 90 degrees for the first few days.
with everything set up we drove into town to pick up the little peepers.  i opened the box at the post office and everyone was alive and looking (and sounding) quite well. 
they were very eager to get out of the shipping box and into the brooder where they could stretch their wings and legs and get a drink.  i took them out of the shipping box one by one and dipped each of their bills into the waterer to make sure they knew where to get a drink.  they were all pretty thirsty.  they also started eating right away too.  always good to see them eating well and running around like crazy right at the start.  well, actually they're sort of staggering around like little drunken sailors right now.  they haven't quite got their legs figured out yet but they all seem very healthy and they're great fun to watch.

chocolate runner ducklings eager to get out of the shipping box and into the brooder

ducklings sexed as females got a white leg band, males got a black band

and here they are in action...