Latest Addition to MuRefuge, Part I

On March 10 we, sans Shasta, her choice, drove to Salmon Creek Ranch to pick up our two
female Fawn and White Indian Runner (ducklings). They were hatched the day before at Metzer Farms and delivered by USPS. The owner put her ducklings into a brooder with heat lamps and left our two babies in the big box in which all the many ducklings were shipped. Upon our arrival to fetch our ducklings, she said, "I put them in the car to keep them warm." The out of doors temperature was in the high 50's and it was overcast. When our picked up our babies, they felt cold and immediately snuggled up to me before I put them in a very small cardboard box we brought to transport them to MuRefuge. Rudely we departed with the car heat turned up as high as possible and sped home. 

The transport cardboard box and babies sitting in our garage.

The two babies being transferred to their very warm new home.
The first week of a ducklings life the ideal temperature
for their surroundings is 95 degrees. 
The temperature can be decreased 5 degrees 
each week until they are fully feathered

The babies checking out their new home.
The reddish color is from the heat light which
gives red light which beneficial for their development.

The first few ensuing days we took the babies outside each midday briefly as we have
done in the past with our baby ducklings.

Standing in native bunch grass Red Fescue (Festuca rubra).
Do you notice the one on the left with her bill open?
Well, introspect, I am now aware that this is her
outward sign of her inner response to the cold trauma.

Just too cute . . . huh?