Moose Manor Waterfowl

I know that I'm biased but I believe I have the most entertaining characters of the waterfowl world living in my barnyard. I do enjoy watching them run around acting silly, all the while honking, splashing, quacking, and hunting for bugs. I think it's hilarious that the ducks and geese are so much bigger than the chickens but still allow those bossy hens to bully them. I keep saying to my big ol' American geese "you outweigh that chicken by 15 pounds... don't let her push you around!" LOL!

I have a bit of variety in my waterfowl. I currently raise 27 splashy little goofballs; there are 6 different types, many of them are on the American Livestock Conservancy's priority endangered list. Some of the birds are raised specifically to produce meat and some only for eggs, a few for both.

Today I have:

  • French White Production Muscovy
  • Welsh Harlequin
  • Indian Runners
  • Black Cayuga
  • Khaki Campbells
  • Holderread American Lavender-Ice Geese.
I also have a few mixed breed ducks recently adopted to supply eggs while I'm breeding my purebred stock in the spring.

I attempt to have as much sustainability as possible by raising high quality breeding stock to produce more birds for my barnyard. We all have to start somewhere and once in a while new stock has to be introduced. I sometimes order my new ducks as hatching eggs to put in my incubator and sometimes as day-old unmedicated ducklings from a certified hatchery. My preferred hatchery for heritage breeds is Holderread Waterfowl Farm & Preservation Center. For my Muscovy I like the high quality birds sold at J.M. Hatchery.

From time to time I have ducklings for sale, twice a year I have duck meat for sale, and now I should always have a ready supply of duck eggs for sale.

The photos below are of the birds I currently have in my barnyard, they were all taken this in the last 12 months. I have new additions and will be adding photos of them soon.

20100801_6278.JPG
20101113_10302.JPG

"Henry" Holderread American Lavender-ice Goose "Henry" & "Rusty" watching over their duck flock

2011.04.17%20BigBoy3.jpg
20110424_0812.JPG

"Big Boy" Muscovy Drake (15+ lbs)

2011.04.17%20ShadowLookUp.jpg
2011.04.17%20Shadow.jpg

"Shadow" Holderread Black Cayuga drake

%5C%5CHQS-FS-T-003%5CUsers%5CDEKee%5CHome%5CMy%20Pictures%5CDucks%5C20100620_2226.JPG
20101031_9789.JPG

"Duck Dogers" Welsh Harlequin drake


20100817_6862.JPG
20100817_6974.JPG

"Duckman" Holderread Black Runner drake


20100817_6877.JPG
20110212_0735_.JPG

"ReRun" Holderread Penciled Runner hen "Cindy Lou" & "Daisy Lou" Metzer Fawn & White hens


2011.04.17%20Blush2.jpg
20101031_9703.JPG

"Blush" my only Welsh Harlequin Hen

20101031_9658.JPG

"Darkwing Duck" Holderread Black Cayuga hen


20100627_3510.JPG
20100620_2091.JPG

Muscovy Juvenile Hen Muscovy evening stroll


20110212_0750_.JPG
20110212_0878_.JPG

"Little Miss Faith" my sweet lone Khaki Campbell girl


2011.04.17%20Spot_SwedishxCayuga.jpg
20100905_8589.JPG

"Spot" a cutie pie Ancona girl (lookit those feet!)


20100905_8596.JPG

"Houdini Duck" Black Swedish is quite excitable but a reliable layer of very round bluish eggs
  • Love
Reactions: Madhouse Pullet