napinkerton
In the Brooder
First of all, I have to say what an incredibly helpful resource this forum has been! I began my chicken/duck endeavor a bit over a year ago now, and I've consulted the threads of this site countless times for help with questions ranging from "are all 5 of these "hens" actually roos?!" (answer:yep 
), to "how the heck do I reasonably manage this water-lovin' duck's bumblefoot?" (answer: patiently... 
). It's been an invaluable tool and learning space for me, so THANK YOU!!
As for me and my backyard flock, we're in the Monterey Bay area of California in a town called Watsonville, where I grew up. I lived the city life for a while, stretching my wings as a young adult, truly expecting (and longing) to love the hustle and bustle that surrounded me. It wasn't until I moved into an apartment with a tiny patio and I started gardening again that the urge to reconnect with the dirt, nature, and self-sufficiency took a firm hold.... and hasn't let go! Fast forward several years, I've managed to carve out my own little piece of paradise in my hometown, though it's taken a ton of hard work and is still a work in progress! About a year ago, I found a mother cat giving birth in the old chicken coop that was left behind by a past tenant, and - long story short - after relocating them all to their owner's home after 48 hours of taking care of them, I was in need of something to fill those baby-sized holes
So, I decided to expedite the "eventual" plan and head down to the feed store and get some chicks. And of course there were also ducks once I got there... so a couple ducklings too. Why not? I got four chicks, and two Pekin ducklings that day. They didn't have any sexed chicks, but my impulsivity took the reins and I was rewarded with 4 healthy and aggressive... roosters. A few weeks in, I could tell what was unfolding, so I went back down to the feed store to pick up three sexed chicks before the springtime concluded. One of which was ALSO a rooster.
On the duck front, a similar scenario was developing: the Pekins were sweet, wonderful birds who had a blast splashing in the bathtub and cuddling up to me when they were cold. But they grew FAST. And it was becoming clear that one was a drake (raspy vocals and whatnot). My memories of raising the two ducks we had when I was a kid are mostly of the poor female trying (usually unsuccessfully) to get away from the drake who was ALWAYS trying to mate her, so I got a bit concerned when my research (thanks BYC!) confirmed my instinct that more females are necessary to keep a drake (relatively) mellowed out. So... I did the only rational thing and got three more female ducks (Runners this time)! That brings us to a total of 5 ducks, and 2 hens (buff orpingtons) who are all about a year old (plus one floater hen who is actually my neighbor's but prefers living - and laying - over at my place).
And now, the REAL reason I'm finally signing up/introducing myself to the community: we have babies! Surprisingly, my chocolate Runner, Smalls, has been adamant since January that she is indeed "mother material". Any time all the girls happened to lay eggs in the same spot, Smalls would be setting them by morning, pulling bedding close and plucking her chest feathers out to line her new nest. It was heartbreaking to have to reach under her and squash her grand plan, but she usually got over it by the end of the day, especially with the distraction of a healthy handful of mealworms. Once April rolled around and brought some sunshine with it, I figured I'd let her give it a shot. I was hopeful, but honestly expected her to lose interested after a week or so, since Runners so rarely go broody. NOPE. That little duck sat on 7 eggs like a champ! I figured there may be some loss, as I vowed to stay as hands-off as I could manage (within reason), and I wasn't sure of the viability of all 7 eggs. I purposely didn't include any of the female Pekin's eggs since I had so much trouble with leg issues while they were growing up, and I also kept any of the fawn & white Runner's eggs out of the mix as she'd been having some shell hardness issues around that time. So, we had 2 eggs from Smalls (choc Runner), and 5 eggs from Sweets (blue Runner), all crossed with dad Mo (Pekin). And boy, are my hands full now! 6 out of 7 of those little ones hatched (one was not viable, but thankfully didn't explode in the nest), and only one had issues hatching (foot over head) that warranted any amount of assistance on my end (HUGE THANK YOU to BYC for help with that!). So, now I'm officially a Duck Lady.
And damn proud! These birds have taught me, challenged me, entertained me, and stretched my capacity to nurture and love in so many ways (non-mom here, is it obvious? haha!) - all while regularly providing a steady & delicious food source AND fertilizer for the garden! I'm excited to keep learning from you all and increasing my experience, so I can give these sweet/goofy/beautiful/hilarious animals the best life possible! Thanks for having us!
), to "how the heck do I reasonably manage this water-lovin' duck's bumblefoot?" (answer: patiently... ). It's been an invaluable tool and learning space for me, so THANK YOU!!As for me and my backyard flock, we're in the Monterey Bay area of California in a town called Watsonville, where I grew up. I lived the city life for a while, stretching my wings as a young adult, truly expecting (and longing) to love the hustle and bustle that surrounded me. It wasn't until I moved into an apartment with a tiny patio and I started gardening again that the urge to reconnect with the dirt, nature, and self-sufficiency took a firm hold.... and hasn't let go! Fast forward several years, I've managed to carve out my own little piece of paradise in my hometown, though it's taken a ton of hard work and is still a work in progress! About a year ago, I found a mother cat giving birth in the old chicken coop that was left behind by a past tenant, and - long story short - after relocating them all to their owner's home after 48 hours of taking care of them, I was in need of something to fill those baby-sized holes
So, I decided to expedite the "eventual" plan and head down to the feed store and get some chicks. And of course there were also ducks once I got there... so a couple ducklings too. Why not? I got four chicks, and two Pekin ducklings that day. They didn't have any sexed chicks, but my impulsivity took the reins and I was rewarded with 4 healthy and aggressive... roosters. A few weeks in, I could tell what was unfolding, so I went back down to the feed store to pick up three sexed chicks before the springtime concluded. One of which was ALSO a rooster.On the duck front, a similar scenario was developing: the Pekins were sweet, wonderful birds who had a blast splashing in the bathtub and cuddling up to me when they were cold. But they grew FAST. And it was becoming clear that one was a drake (raspy vocals and whatnot). My memories of raising the two ducks we had when I was a kid are mostly of the poor female trying (usually unsuccessfully) to get away from the drake who was ALWAYS trying to mate her, so I got a bit concerned when my research (thanks BYC!) confirmed my instinct that more females are necessary to keep a drake (relatively) mellowed out. So... I did the only rational thing and got three more female ducks (Runners this time)! That brings us to a total of 5 ducks, and 2 hens (buff orpingtons) who are all about a year old (plus one floater hen who is actually my neighbor's but prefers living - and laying - over at my place).
And now, the REAL reason I'm finally signing up/introducing myself to the community: we have babies! Surprisingly, my chocolate Runner, Smalls, has been adamant since January that she is indeed "mother material". Any time all the girls happened to lay eggs in the same spot, Smalls would be setting them by morning, pulling bedding close and plucking her chest feathers out to line her new nest. It was heartbreaking to have to reach under her and squash her grand plan, but she usually got over it by the end of the day, especially with the distraction of a healthy handful of mealworms. Once April rolled around and brought some sunshine with it, I figured I'd let her give it a shot. I was hopeful, but honestly expected her to lose interested after a week or so, since Runners so rarely go broody. NOPE. That little duck sat on 7 eggs like a champ! I figured there may be some loss, as I vowed to stay as hands-off as I could manage (within reason), and I wasn't sure of the viability of all 7 eggs. I purposely didn't include any of the female Pekin's eggs since I had so much trouble with leg issues while they were growing up, and I also kept any of the fawn & white Runner's eggs out of the mix as she'd been having some shell hardness issues around that time. So, we had 2 eggs from Smalls (choc Runner), and 5 eggs from Sweets (blue Runner), all crossed with dad Mo (Pekin). And boy, are my hands full now! 6 out of 7 of those little ones hatched (one was not viable, but thankfully didn't explode in the nest), and only one had issues hatching (foot over head) that warranted any amount of assistance on my end (HUGE THANK YOU to BYC for help with that!). So, now I'm officially a Duck Lady.
And damn proud! These birds have taught me, challenged me, entertained me, and stretched my capacity to nurture and love in so many ways (non-mom here, is it obvious? haha!) - all while regularly providing a steady & delicious food source AND fertilizer for the garden! I'm excited to keep learning from you all and increasing my experience, so I can give these sweet/goofy/beautiful/hilarious animals the best life possible! Thanks for having us!
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Glad you joined.
we are so glad to have you here! 
We are glad you joined this flock!
I have so few good pics of the chickens since they are so much quicker than the ducks, but I'll try to get some soon! 
