Anyone have ducklings available for a photo shoot in NC/SC?

[FenDruadin]

I am looking to either purchase or "rent" two or three very cute ducklings for a photo shoot. I have sold a duck article to a national magazine that has just been pushed back to March/April. Given the change in publication date, I'd like to give them some "Easter"-friendly photographic material. So I am looking for some photogenic ducklings to be the stars in an Easter-themed photo shoot.

If I purchase the ducklings, they will have a good home here with my 20+ Runners & magpies. I would raise them indoors this winter and integrate them with the flock when they are fully feathered. My birds are all very well cared for with free range access during the day, secure pens at night on clean dry bedding, regular feedings of Purina feed (supplemented with niacin when they are young), and 24/7 access to fresh water (as fresh as it can be when ducks have access to it, lol). I read books, attend these boards, and study my ducks in order to always provide the best care I can to my birds.

Alternately, I'd be willing to pay you a reasonable fee (up to and including your reasonable purchase price) to borrow the ducklings for a few days while I complete the shoot, and then return them. I would need a few days to increase the odds of getting good lighting conditions for the outdoor portions of the shoot.

I could hatch ducklings myself, but I need to get the photos completed asap & don't have time to wait for a hatch. I would need to purchase the ducklings this week in order to meet my deadline, and I'd like them to be under two weeks of age, the younger the better. For the sake of photos, light colored or multi-colored ducklings are best. Bright yellow or yellow with dark markings is ideal.

Thanks!

 

[treldib]

Maybe a trip to the local feed store would be in order?

 

[gofasterstripe]

Get intouch with Dipsy and see if she is selling her babies she just hatched out.

 

[FenDruadin]

Thanks, guys! I'm in touch with Dipsy, and it looks like it's going to work out, so yay!

Just some details to work out.

 

[gofasterstripe]

Quote:
You borrowing or buying, eithewr way them babies are cute

 

[FenDruadin]

Looks like I'm going to be borrowing, but not from Dipsy after all (unfortunately!!). They are ADORABLE, but she is a 2 1/2 hour trip for me each direction, and I've located someone near here with muscovy babies that I can be borrow. Much easier solution for me. I am sorry I won't be getting my hands on any of those gorgeous babies of Dipsy's though.

 

[gofasterstripe]

Quote:
Yeah I thought that would be a helluva drive for you, when I went and got my ducks from her it took me 1 1/2 hours...and thats not including my back seat driver of a DH who got me lost!!
When are you going to be thinning out your female runners. Give me a shout when you do, I might have to come and see what you are selling and bring home 1....or 2... or a few more than I really need

 

[FenDruadin]

Weelllllll... it's interesting you should ask that.

Because I'm seriously considering selling my three fawn/white hens.

I really can't make up my mind. Help!

I am debating giving up my pied blue (tuxedo blue) project for now, and focusing instead on laying productivity and stance. I'm not ready to give up my magpies... in fact, I may eventually switch to magpies instead of Runners if this group continues to produce well AND if they hatch pretty babies (i.e., if they produce a fair number of nicely marked babies). So that leaves tuxedoes at the bottom of the list, and the fawn/whites are only in the mix for the sake of furthering the tuxedo line so...

Would you want them if I decided to sell them? What would be a fair price at this time of year (with the prospect of feeding them all winter and potentially low production--I know for a fact they are producing very little at present)?

You know, the idea is actually appealing at the moment, because if I *do* decide to go back into the tuxedo line--I could purchase offspring from Finn & the fawn/white runners... hmmm.... What do you think?

 

[gofasterstripe]

Funny you should say BLUE...hmmm I would come up when my Dh is at work

then he cant come with me and ask all the way up there...so how many are you picking up.
As for price, its up to you and as for feeding them, apart from the drakes, at the moment im feeding 21 girls and only 9 are laying, but 5 are babies and I have to be fair and say the rest are all this years babies who havent started laying yet. Whats a few more mouths between friends. darn they are the only tings paying their way round this little farm here, everything else just eats and gets fat, people say my boxer has a small head...NOPE shes just fat, plus even my mini mule has cellulite on her butt!!
Edited to say, would you sell 2 of each.. blue and F&W

 

[FenDruadin]

Yes, maybe, hmm, let me sleep on it. I could sell two fawn/white hens and two tuxedo blues, maybe. Just to be clear, though, the tuxedo blues are NOT a standard blue. They are what happens when you mix standard blue with fawn/white--you get a blue duck with a white chest and sometimes some white on the head. I really have to think this through, though--I had actually just purchased a couple tuxedos from a friend not too long ago in order to expand that line, but now I'm considering discontinuing it... but I haven't brought myself to it yet...

I have three total fawn/whites, but I think the guy who is loaning me muscovies would like one of them as his "rent" for the ducklings, lol. So selling you the remaining two would actually work out quite nicely...

But I really have to think on this! It's so hard to part with any of them! lol