What the Duck?
As if we needed more animals on our property...we "adopted" two ducks. In other words, one of our daughter's college friends bought two ducks, and as they grew, rather quickly, thought they would be happier here.
Here they are...at first we were told they were Black Runner Ducks, but we quickly realized they were not. They are Cayugas. (There will be a picture of them a bit older later)
This of course led to more ducks. I mean, they are kind of like potato chips, once you have one, or two, ya want more! But trust me....we've stopped.
When we added to our"adopted" ducklings we tried getting mating pairs and added a few extra females for good measure, and eggs of course.
I'll do a separate post at a later date showing them young and then all grown up, but for now...here's a few pics of our flock...
Aside from the Rouen and the crested with their little puff on top, they all kind of look similar, but as they are growing they are becoming more and more identifiable.
So for those of us counting, we went from none, to adopting two, to twenty one. Insanity at its best folks!
This, of course, lead to another pen, another shelter...and, I might add, a super happy husband. No seriously, OK maybe not about having to build yet another structure, but he loves the ducks! We all do, they are so stinking cute!
(I'll post about the structure later, the permanent one is still a work in progress.)
Even our barn cats like them. I think Max is wanting a tummy rub in this picture. Or, he's trying to lure them in for a snack, it could go either way. Kidding! He loves them to!
But...they are SUPER messy!
WAIT WHAAAAT?
You mean owning ducks is not all cute little feathery butts, quacks and peeps? OH HEEELLLLL NO! Let's just say, it is a good thing they are so cute. I hear they taste like chicken. KIDDING, again, seriously, I am the only woman in the country that saves baby barn mice from the barn cats, you really think I'd eat the whittle duckies! Shame on you!
They love the water and apparently love making it as muddy as possible, and I might add, within the first few hours of changing it. Between the poop, the mud, and their constant need to wash their beaks off after eating...the pool becomes a mess quickly! Not to mention, man they smell worse than chickens! For some reason, I thought they'd be cleaner.
Yes, yes, I read up on them first.
In a few weeks the Cayugas needed to be moved to a bigger area. So we created a temporary pen within the chicken coop separate from the chickens until we can get the big area finished.
Our new ducklings, which we got about a month after the Cayugas, were quickly growing out of their brooder and ready to move to the temporary pen as well. Which, I wasn't too upset about. Cleaning out the brooder twice a day was starting to become a bit of a chore. Each day they seemed to poop more and more!
When the new bunch were old enough we gave them a little pool to play in and would let them run around the yard for a few minutes several times a day.
But it was time to move them. So in a few weeks, we moved them to the temporary pen within the chicken coop, but still separate from the chickens so no one was injured. (Don't mind the orange construction fencing, ya know, it's the country and it is temporary)
Everyone was getting along pretty well. The Cayugas would chase away the little ones whenever they got to obnoxious.
They would head over to one of the water stations we set up (so there was less fighting at the big water station) and see how many of them wold fit at once...
They were enjoying the new space and the constant access to the pool...
And so it began...mud fest! I'll spare ya those pics, mainly because I didn't take a lot. I mean I can't keep up with my "Facebook reality" if I showed the nasty pool now could I?!
However, if you look closely at this picture of my husband hand feeding the Cayugas below, in the upper right corner of the pic, you'll see what I mean. THAT folks is after filling the pool the DAY BEFORE.
Perhaps all of the splashing has something to do with it.
The new area is over grass so it won't be quite as bad. This area has been destroyed by the chickens (that's a whole other post!) but I imagine it won't take long to make that a muddy mess as well.
Overall, they really are pretty darn messy. But even with mess they cause, it is totally worth it watching them interact and waddle around. The newest ones are starting to quack and that is just adorable!
My husband is looking forward to the duck eggs (I think he wants an even bigger omelet) and I look forward to watching them all grow up.
They sure are unique...their feet are like dinosaurs!
I have to say, they do eat the bugs, and we have a lot of bugs in the country! We pick them up a lot so they are also super friendly.
I will put up another post soon that shows the new area for them, and I'll try and put together a side by side of the ducklings and what they look like all grown up.
Until then...here's another video of the whittle duckies playin' in the hose water...awe!
Here they are...at first we were told they were Black Runner Ducks, but we quickly realized they were not. They are Cayugas. (There will be a picture of them a bit older later)
This of course led to more ducks. I mean, they are kind of like potato chips, once you have one, or two, ya want more! But trust me....we've stopped.
When we added to our"adopted" ducklings we tried getting mating pairs and added a few extra females for good measure, and eggs of course.
I'll do a separate post at a later date showing them young and then all grown up, but for now...here's a few pics of our flock...
 |
| Rouen Duck |
 |
| Rouen, Buff Orphington, White Layer, Chocolate Runner, Fawn and White Runner, Saxony, and White Crested (the ones with the puff on their heads) |
 |
Aren't they the cutest! |
This, of course, lead to another pen, another shelter...and, I might add, a super happy husband. No seriously, OK maybe not about having to build yet another structure, but he loves the ducks! We all do, they are so stinking cute!
(I'll post about the structure later, the permanent one is still a work in progress.)
Even our barn cats like them. I think Max is wanting a tummy rub in this picture. Or, he's trying to lure them in for a snack, it could go either way. Kidding! He loves them to!
But...they are SUPER messy!
WAIT WHAAAAT?
You mean owning ducks is not all cute little feathery butts, quacks and peeps? OH HEEELLLLL NO! Let's just say, it is a good thing they are so cute. I hear they taste like chicken. KIDDING, again, seriously, I am the only woman in the country that saves baby barn mice from the barn cats, you really think I'd eat the whittle duckies! Shame on you!
They love the water and apparently love making it as muddy as possible, and I might add, within the first few hours of changing it. Between the poop, the mud, and their constant need to wash their beaks off after eating...the pool becomes a mess quickly! Not to mention, man they smell worse than chickens! For some reason, I thought they'd be cleaner.
Yes, yes, I read up on them first.
In a few weeks the Cayugas needed to be moved to a bigger area. So we created a temporary pen within the chicken coop separate from the chickens until we can get the big area finished.
Our new ducklings, which we got about a month after the Cayugas, were quickly growing out of their brooder and ready to move to the temporary pen as well. Which, I wasn't too upset about. Cleaning out the brooder twice a day was starting to become a bit of a chore. Each day they seemed to poop more and more!
When the new bunch were old enough we gave them a little pool to play in and would let them run around the yard for a few minutes several times a day.
But it was time to move them. So in a few weeks, we moved them to the temporary pen within the chicken coop, but still separate from the chickens so no one was injured. (Don't mind the orange construction fencing, ya know, it's the country and it is temporary)
 |
| The Cayugas weren't sure what to think of all of their new friends. |
 |
| I think they are waiting in line for the pool |
They would head over to one of the water stations we set up (so there was less fighting at the big water station) and see how many of them wold fit at once...
They were enjoying the new space and the constant access to the pool...
And so it began...mud fest! I'll spare ya those pics, mainly because I didn't take a lot. I mean I can't keep up with my "Facebook reality" if I showed the nasty pool now could I?!
However, if you look closely at this picture of my husband hand feeding the Cayugas below, in the upper right corner of the pic, you'll see what I mean. THAT folks is after filling the pool the DAY BEFORE.
 |
| Chip and Dale all grown up (Cayuga) |
Perhaps all of the splashing has something to do with it.
The new area is over grass so it won't be quite as bad. This area has been destroyed by the chickens (that's a whole other post!) but I imagine it won't take long to make that a muddy mess as well.
Overall, they really are pretty darn messy. But even with mess they cause, it is totally worth it watching them interact and waddle around. The newest ones are starting to quack and that is just adorable!
My husband is looking forward to the duck eggs (I think he wants an even bigger omelet) and I look forward to watching them all grow up.
They sure are unique...their feet are like dinosaurs!
I have to say, they do eat the bugs, and we have a lot of bugs in the country! We pick them up a lot so they are also super friendly.
I will put up another post soon that shows the new area for them, and I'll try and put together a side by side of the ducklings and what they look like all grown up.
Until then...here's another video of the whittle duckies playin' in the hose water...awe!
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