The New Kids on the Block

[MugsyM]

Five new girls on the mix....

 

[PMD PerformanceHorses]

They're so cute

 

[MugsyM]

Trying to keep up with a ratio is just impossible. I was just raising Pekins then I couldn't find any last year. I had 1, just one drake. I found 5 unknowns and I wound up with an Indian Runner, two Khaki Campbells and two Rouens. And then a brooder I swear has been sitting for a year hatched... I thought 2 but she had one hidden and there were 3. It's my first batch with drakes and there were 2 and one female. I lost the female Khaki in such a horrible way I am in tears just thinking about it. The Rouen named Roy is now Roxie. I am totally tone deaf. Until the drake feathers pop out I just guess and not very well. The other night we were giving everybody oatmeal treats and one of my female Pekins disappeared. No idea where she went. I had just found the 3 female Runners, FINALLY found somebody willing to give up a female. I just asked if they had any Campbells and they thought they did but it turned out they were Gold 300. They mix with Campbells and Runners so hopefully I have enough to keep everybody safe. They drive me crazy when the hormones kick in. I just can't look out the window. So far they have been getting along pretty good. My Campbell, KC, has one of the Pekins he chases off all the time. I haven't been able to catch a good view to figure out which one it is. The new Pekins are Beavis and Butthead and their sister is Dot. And my ratio is off again but 17 will have to be enough until spring. I am hunkered down until spring comes back.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Trying to keep up with a ratio is just impossible. I was just raising Pekins then I couldn't find any last year. I had 1, just one drake. I found 5 unknowns and I wound up with an Indian Runner, two Khaki Campbells and two Rouens. And then a brooder I swear has been sitting for a year hatched... I thought 2 but she had one hidden and there were 3. It's my first batch with drakes and there were 2 and one female. I lost the female Khaki in such a horrible way I am in tears just thinking about it. The Rouen named Roy is now Roxie. I am totally tone deaf. Until the drake feathers pop out I just guess and not very well. The other night we were giving everybody oatmeal treats and one of my female Pekins disappeared. No idea where she went. I had just found the 3 female Runners, FINALLY found somebody willing to give up a female. I just asked if they had any Campbells and they thought they did but it turned out they were Gold 300. They mix with Campbells and Runners so hopefully I have enough to keep everybody safe. They drive me crazy when the hormones kick in. I just can't look out the window. So far they have been getting along pretty good. My Campbell, KC, has one of the Pekins he chases off all the time. I haven't been able to catch a good view to figure out which one it is. The new Pekins are Beavis and Butthead and their sister is Dot. And my ratio is off again but 17 will have to be enough until spring. I am hunkered down until spring comes back.

Are your ducks inside fencing? Asking becasue you said about one being killed another taken? Very sorry for your loss. It is very heartbreaking to lose them.

 

[MugsyM]

I have 3 pens now with 5 Igloos. The entire pen area is fenced. I let them free range during the day. We haven't lost any when we weren't around. We were in the backyard and 2 buzzards came down from the trees and attacked my female Campbell. It was just horrible. The girl we lost the other night was the second night the new kids were here. It was cold and I had made some oatmeal and was feeding them in the driveway. They were all there, in their groups eating oatmeal. I was right in the middle of them. There wasn't any noise or commotion around the group. When I went to take them in I did my head count and one was gone. I went back to where we were but not sure where I was going to look. I have a huge security light on that lights that whole area up. No sign of her so I thought she would show up later but she's just gone .. without a sign. I have a pitbull and he watches for everything. At night he will sit on his chair or on his bed and watch the houses out the window. He will raise the roof off the house if he sees anything. He was with me and he never made a peep so the duck would have had to have just walked off. This is the first year we have lost any in a long time. I have my elders, teenagers, grandchildren and the new kids.

I had told you about the one that went lame. I know that it was probably just coincidence but I started giving her a bunch of mealworms every day. One day she came waddling out of the house. She still walks strange but she's walking on her feet and not her wings. She comes out every day now, walks to wherever the group is hanging around and sits out there with them. She walks with me, taking baby steps, back to her bed every night. I can't imagine the mealworms helped but they sure seemed to.