New ducklings ship on Monday!

[CountryGirl1120]

So my new ducklings are supposed to ship on Monday from Metzer farms. I am beyond excited right now. When I first got ducks back in May I bought 6 from Tractor Supply, wouldnt you know all but 1 turned out to be boys. So the boys are going to freezer camp at the end of this month and I have 6 girls coming. 3 Welshies, 1 Blue Swedish, and 2 of their Golden Hybrid Layer. I cannot wait. I have always heard good things about duck eggs and primarily want them for baking since I am a baking machine in the colder fall and winter months.

I've also recently heard that they make good egg nog? Thoughts? Anyone want to share a decent recipe that they use their duck eggs for? I am hoping to find a decent recipe since my boyfriend loves egg nog and he helps out so much with the ducks and chickens it would be a nice way to pay him back when the females start laying.

 

[DuckGirl77]

Cool! I've never had Blue Swedish, but I can tell you Welshies and 300s are great! I like Welshies better, personally. Have fun!!!

Sorry, I don't have any egg nog recipes. I'll look around, though!

 

[DuckGirl77]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/731375/egg-nog-recipe#post_10278904
I'm gonna have to try this, too, when my ducks start laying!

 

[CountryGirl1120]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/731375/egg-nog-recipe#post_10278904
I'm gonna have to try this, too, when my ducks start laying!

Thank you! I've never had blue swedish either. Well then again I've only had the Khakis since this year started my journey with ducks. But I picked the ones I did based on them being calmer and not as high strung. My Khakis wont even let me near them without running the opposite direction and no amount of treat or handling as ducklings seems to be helping.

 

[ducksgomarching]

@CountryGirl1120 How old are your Khakis if you don't mind me asking? I just got a box full of ducklings on Thursday, so I'm interested hear if anyone else has to force the love, haha. This is my first time raising ducks and I am hoping they'll warm up to people a little more once they're old enough to get treats.

I haven't tried making egg nog yet, but brownies made with duck eggs are FABULOUS *drools*

 

[CountryGirl1120]

@CountryGirl1120 How old are your Khakis if you don't mind me asking? I just got a box full of ducklings on Thursday, so I'm interested hear if anyone else has to force the love, haha. This is my first time raising ducks and I am hoping they'll warm up to people a little more once they're old enough to get treats.

I haven't tried making egg nog yet, but brownies made with duck eggs are FABULOUS *drools*

Unfortunately I havent been able to bake anything with duck eggs yet as my one female out of the bunch isnt old enough to lay but I am looking forward to it. They are now about 3 months or so. I have tried giving them treats, handled them every day as ducklings and they still want nothing to do with me. I think some of it may be because I got them from my local Tractor Supply so they were already a couple days old by then if not older and knew that hands and people meant being taken away from everyone else. At the time when I got them I didnt know about Metzer and now that I do (depending on how the ducklings are when they show up) I will probably only ever order ducks from them.

Thats awesome that you got ducklings Thursday! Any kind besides Khakis? Pictures to help me with the waiting of my own ducklings? Please?

 

[DuckGirl77]

Thank you! I've never had blue swedish either. Well then again I've only had the Khakis since this year started my journey with ducks. But I picked the ones I did based on them being calmer and not as high strung. My Khakis wont even let me near them without running the opposite direction and no amount of treat or handling as ducklings seems to be helping.

Oh, that's too bad that your Khakis aren't good around people . My Khaki is pretty calm with people. I hope your Swedish will be friendly!

@CountryGirl1120 How old are your Khakis if you don't mind me asking? I just got a box full of ducklings on Thursday, so I'm interested hear if anyone else has to force the love, haha. This is my first time raising ducks and I am hoping they'll warm up to people a little more once they're old enough to get treats.

I haven't tried making egg nog yet, but brownies made with duck eggs are FABULOUS *drools*

Nice! I started giving mine peas when they were about a week old and some of mine, like my Khaki and Runner, are pretty friendly.
Oooh I can't wait to try my duck eggs in brownies! Now they just need to start laying!

 

[ducksgomarching]

Unfortunately I havent been able to bake anything with duck eggs yet as my one female out of the bunch isnt old enough to lay but I am looking forward to it. They are now about 3 months or so. I have tried giving them treats, handled them every day as ducklings and they still want nothing to do with me. I think some of it may be because I got them from my local Tractor Supply so they were already a couple days old by then if not older and knew that hands and people meant being taken away from everyone else. At the time when I got them I didnt know about Metzer and now that I do (depending on how the ducklings are when they show up) I will probably only ever order ducks from them.

Thats awesome that you got ducklings Thursday! Any kind besides Khakis? Pictures to help me with the waiting of my own ducklings? Please?

I don't have Khakis, I actually got a breed that's based mostly on Khakis called "Golden 300" from Metzer Apparently Khaki Campbells don't lay as well on large farms or something (?) and so the commercial farms bred some other types of duck into the line and produced a hybrid that 1) can be sexed at birth due to coloring, and 2) lay a metric heap-ton of eggs. I don't think they're too different from the Campbells though.

Also, BABY PICTURES! Always to share

Bath time!

Truffle the Chocolate Runner, Smudge the Cayuga, and Suga' the Fawn-and-white Runner

And here are the four Golden Girls, so far called Eenie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe because I can't think of better names yet, lol

 

[ducksgomarching]

And here are the four Golden Girls, so far called Eenie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe because I can't think of better names yet, lol

I am such a dork - I can't believe I only just now decided their names should be Bea, Betty, Rue, and Estelle XD

 

[CountryGirl1120]

I don't have Khakis, I actually got a breed that's based mostly on Khakis called "Golden 300" from Metzer Apparently Khaki Campbells don't lay as well on large farms or something (?) and so the commercial farms bred some other types of duck into the line and produced a hybrid that 1) can be sexed at birth due to coloring, and 2) lay a metric heap-ton of eggs. I don't think they're too different from the Campbells though.

Also, BABY PICTURES! Always to share

Bath time!

Truffle the Chocolate Runner, Smudge the Cayuga, and Suga' the Fawn-and-white Runner

And here are the four Golden Girls, so far called Eenie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe because I can't think of better names yet, lol

Oh my lord they are so cute! I have 2 of the golden hybrids coming (they were my boyfriends pick). I try to keep him included with the choosing of the ducks and such. He seems much happier when I get more when I include him. Little does he know I may be tricking him. Now I am going through withdrawals and want mine to be here. No phone call for me this morning so it looks like a tomorrow delivery. I love the names you picked for all the duckies! I have to admit I dont name any of my birds. I am one of those people that plans to use them after the laying period is done, so my chickens will be soup and other slow cooker meals since I know they get tougher the older they get. I've thought about naming the ducks however since I know they lay longer than chickens and I've also heard there is no good way to cook older duck slow enough to make it good to eat again.


DuckGirl77- I am kind of sad that they arent good around me. They were for the first day or two I had them as babies, let me hold them, were pretty calm and such and then one day it was like a switch flipped because all of a sudden they didnt want anything to do with bath time or being held. I tried treats in the tub for weeks, treats in the brooder, nothing warmed them up to me. So thats why I went with some calmer breeds this time around. Not to mention my daughter loves the ducks and I feel like she is slowly losing interest because these ones wont even let you near them.