My 1st Flock (Ducks)

[Kholts]

Update:

The ducks are now 13 going on 14 weeks. I have 3 gals: Blue (Blue Swedish), Lil Miss (Saxony) & a Welsh Harlequin I just can’t seem to name haha. I also have 1 Drake named Gus (Ancona/I think Rouen).

Originally I was wanting an all female flock but due to my young boys & my husband the Drake must stay! Saturday morning I’ve arranged to go look at some females & will hopefully be bringing 2 more home in order to up my ratio. They should be some sort of mix between Welsh Harlequin, Rouen, Blue Swedish, Cayuga & possibly Appleyard. I’ll update with pictures of the new ones once they settle in.

Here are some updates pictures of the 4 I have now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Their beautiful!!

 

[Claires Poultry]

@Kholts Your ducks are adorable!

 

[Kholts]

Brought 2 new ducks home around the same age as my flock.

1 is an Appleyard looking duck but is not pure. The 2nd is what I think is mix of Cayuga and Rouen who happens to have a crest on the back of her head. Man is she NOISY. I’m hoping once she settles in & integrates with the flock she calms down.

I have them in the pen at the moment and my flock free ranging the yard. My flock came right up to the fence quacking away like mad and there’s a whole lot of posturing happening (coming from my flock). I’ll keep them separated for the next couple days then slowly give combined time free ranging and see how it goes.

I’ll post photos of the new gals as soon as I get some

 

[Miss Lydia]

Look forward to seeing them.

 

[happy duck]

They look so pretty! Also your ratio should be ok I have 3 girls and 1 guy and all seems good but I could never discourage you from getting more ducks!

 

[Kholts]

Update on the new members:

Thanks to the black crested (who I think I’ll name Wilma) the flock now gets locked in their coop at 8:30pm-8:00am. She seems to have an identity crisis and thinks she’s a freaking rooster quacking at sun up 5:20am as well as gets loud at sun down 8:30pm(I know the roosters don’t get loud during the evening). I live in a small hamlet and do have neighbours so obnoxious quacking at certain hours is not ideal. The other newby is as quiet as my original flock.

The flock is being rather persistent with trying to run the newcomers off except for my blue Swedish who has seemed to quickly accept the new ducks and even hangs around them more than her old friends. I’ve even caught her defending the newcomers from my surprisingly bossy Saxony female(I’m thinking she is lead duck) & the drake. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if Blue went broody come spring...I feel she has a motherly energy.

One question I had. I have caught the crested (Wilma) bobbing/nodding her head ALOT to the drake as well as the Saxony. Is she challenging them or trying to submit/ make friends? She’s a super odd duck...

This is the best photo I can get of the new ducks so far.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are pretty. Wilma is young? my young Runners love to quack for no known reason but they out grow it if you can be patient and promise eggs to neighbors. The head bobbing is her flirting and giving the drakes the come on.

 

[Kholts]

They are pretty. Wilma is young? my young Runners love to quack for no known reason but they out grow it if you can be patient and promise eggs to neighbors. The head bobbing is her flirting and giving the drakes the come on.

I believe her to be perhaps a couple weeks younger than the others including the other duck that came with her. She is quite a bit smaller looking than the rest. Estimated age: 12 weeks?

I noticed she does stand more straight than the others as well so I’m wondering if there isn’t runner in her somewhere. The lady I got her from had a lot of mixes so who knows what’s in her.

I thought it was a mating thing from what I was reading but it confuses me as she is doing it to my female Saxony as well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They will do it to each other too. Happy to see you kind of thing. She does look like she could have some Runner in her. My two loudest right now are my 4 month old Runner females my 10 week old Runner likes the sound of her Quack now too.