Ducklings

[summer_jackel]

Cheeping in a bed of sawdust under a light:
tiny bills
new webbing
rich down.
In a week they will be ducks
and I will wish them
out of my house
making their messy, muddy joy outside,
where they belong
and can't be for another month.
For now, they are tenderness
delight, sweetness
and all the hope of spring.

Comments

[archteryx.livejournal.com]

What kind of ducklings are they? Your domestic ducks, or wild ones? What species? :)

(My vote for Cutest Duckling goes to Wood Ducks. They are tiny, they basically have to fall out of their nest -- sometimes from great heights -- and they peep. The male Wood Ducks peep back!)

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

They are domesticated ducks, black Indian Runners. I will try to get pics and post them tomorrow; the babies are just too sweet!

Waterfowl fanciers do have healthy captive populations of several wild ducks, but I wouldn't feel comfortable getting any stock unless I had more room. My birds are supposed to be practical egg-layers, too. But no duck is as splendid as a wild one, and the wood ducks are one of my favorite species, chicks or adults. So beautiful.

Have you seen the torrent duck? Now that is one serious waterfowl.

[saigh-allaidh.livejournal.com]

Yay! We're getting chicks tomorrow. I did have a dream we didn't get chicks, but ducklings. The hens were horrified and scared. Of course, we also didn't get 25 but hundreds. And hundreds. It was actually pretty scary

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

yikes, that does sound scary. Congrats on your chicks, though! My three Wyandotte chicks (2 silver, 1 gold) are just starting to feather, and I am looking forward to more eggs again.

fwiw, my ducks get along fine with the hens most of the time...if you ignore my late and lamented pervy old duck, who liked to mate with the chickens even with hens of his own species present. Of course, I try not to keep more than 8-9 total birds.

[saigh-allaidh.livejournal.com]

We're opting for a large flock eventually, but our goal is to be providing all our own eggs and chicken eventually, with enough more eggs to be able to sell some. Or have for trade for other things. ~;) Aiming for 98% local by 2012! Chocolate being at least one item that will keep us from being 100%. LOL

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

If I had enough land, I would definitely have that as a goal, too. Especially the fresh chicken part. Dear gods, but my rooster was the tastiest chicken I have ever eaten, and I want more. Plus, no torture and knowing exactly where your meat comes from = WIN.

I've considered getting 6 meat chicks and raising them up, but really, I wish I had more space. I'm planning on building rabbit hutches this summer and raising black satins for meat and fur...but _chicken_. Tastes so good.

You may want to consider adding a couple runner or khaki campbell hens to your flock, becuase duck eggs are a very tasty gourmet treat. And ducks are fun.

...yeah, I can't live without chocolate either.

[saigh-allaidh.livejournal.com]

The chicks are here! Pictures hopefully tonight...computer makes editing them unfun.

Ducks are an issue as we have a pond just big enough for one goose pair and one mallard pair (although several pairs of mergansers) and we found having domestic ducks keeps the wild ones away. My parents opted to stop raising ducks for this reason, I'm keeping with that too. Waiting to see the ducks, actually, they usually don't show up until the ducklings hatch while the Canada geese are apparent...the female on her nest and the male sometimes guarding, sometimes hanging with my horse.

[troubleagain.livejournal.com]

Peeeektures!