I just felt the need to share some updates with like minded people. Especially other first time poultry raisers. This is still my first year and every little thing that happens excites me. Well except for one. A fox found our property and started picking off my free range ducks. We lost about 8 of them to him and a few of our chickens. Now my babies are all cooped up in seperate areas in the coop. The ducks I let out for about an hour every morning for some pool time. I kinda feel like a warden. But they are extremely cooperative. After their morning splash and some sunning on the lawn they shuffle themselves back into the coop without me having to lift a hand. Looking in their eyes I can tell we're on the same page.
My ducklings are also amazing me as they get older. One of my khaki drakes has developed a drake feather on his hiney and declared himself leader of the flock. I haven't seen him try to mount anyone yet but I have seen him chase around some of the other males to establish a pecking order. My lone Muscovy drake is now 9 weeks old and such a cutie pie! He has become more confident and will waltz right up to me whistling and wagging his tail weathers expecting a treat. He even lets me pet him, at least until the corn runs out
His behavoir has definitely made all the other ducks more people freindly as well. Which is cool!
My hens, who were itching to hatch something, hatched about 3 nests of guinea eggs and we now have 20 keets running around thinking they are chickens. they are about 2 weeks old and adorable. I gotta enjoy it now cause I know what they look like as they get older. Now two more of my hens are sitting on nest in their boxes and two guinea hens went broody and are protecting two nests on the floor of the coop. I really do love these birds. they keep me happy.
My ducklings are also amazing me as they get older. One of my khaki drakes has developed a drake feather on his hiney and declared himself leader of the flock. I haven't seen him try to mount anyone yet but I have seen him chase around some of the other males to establish a pecking order. My lone Muscovy drake is now 9 weeks old and such a cutie pie! He has become more confident and will waltz right up to me whistling and wagging his tail weathers expecting a treat. He even lets me pet him, at least until the corn runs out
His behavoir has definitely made all the other ducks more people freindly as well. Which is cool!My hens, who were itching to hatch something, hatched about 3 nests of guinea eggs and we now have 20 keets running around thinking they are chickens. they are about 2 weeks old and adorable. I gotta enjoy it now cause I know what they look like as they get older. Now two more of my hens are sitting on nest in their boxes and two guinea hens went broody and are protecting two nests on the floor of the coop. I really do love these birds. they keep me happy.
