0 Comments
I learned on Facebook recently that Boondockers has decided NOT to have another hatching for the season. This was my last opportunity to get ducklings until next spring. I'm disappointed but at least I know now exactly where to go and will be set up and ready for the little buggers. I'll take one more picture of their run after I clean it up for the season so you can see how far I got. My focus turns to school now, as it is just around the corner!
As a little girl, I had found a catalog that contained within it all that was "duck" in nature. Duck figurines, duck planters, duck books, duck linens...anything and everything you could imagine pertaining to ducks! Flipping through the pages of the catalog, to my mother (with the delight only a toddler could have with such a catalog) I exclaimed, "Ducks! Ducks! Ducks!" To this my mother jokingly replied, "No ducks!" For one reason or other, this had stuck with my mother for years, becoming a family inside joke (she even bought me a duck planter when I got a little older that contained a small cactus). Anytime we'd see ducks, Mom would usually say "No ducks!" Well...I have no ducks. Plans to purchase the 5 little ducklings this Wednesday fell through. A blessing in disguise really as now I have more time to work on my duck run and I can shop for what I really want...baby, baby ducks that will imprint on ME. I have learned a great deal through this tribulation too! I'm happy to know I CAN have male ducks in my flock, particularly if the female to male ratio is appropriate to minimize competitive behavior. So long as fertilized eggs are collected and not incubated, no surprise ducklings (which was my concern about having males in my flock in the first place)! I have been in contact with Boondockers Farm and will likely get hatchlings mid to late August. If not...my journey will be prolonged to next spring. Below chronicles the work on the run I've accomplished this week. My pond is filled with water, though I don't have a pic of it yet! Acquiring stock has infused new life and motivation into me and developing my duck run. That last two days have proven especially fruitful in getting the yard ready for my ducklings' arrival next Wednesday! It's official! I have FINALLY found some local Ancona ducklings! The five little dears hatched just last Saturday (July 6th) and I will be able to pick them up next Wednesday evening. I can't wait to get them home and start playing "Mama Duck"! Oodles of posts and pictures to come upon their arrival...check back soon!
Well, finding stock for my small flock of ducks is proving quite the challenge. I have researched numerous hatcheries and thought I had found one in Missouri...only to discover they have a minimum shipping weight of 4 pounds when I went to order my babies. That would mean I'd have to order at least 20 ducklings! That is not a small flock for our little yard. The need for so many is to keep the little ones warm on their trip. While it sounds cruel and dangerous to mail order ducklings, many sources have reassured me that it's the most humane way to transport them short of customers just picking them up at the hatchery. Very low mortality rate and a fun surprise for postal staff.
Thankfully, Ben found a couple of local hatcheries...one of which will sex the ducklings, which I really need to have done. I can't go straight run (a mix of males and females) because I'm not looking to breed ducks. Hopefully some more research and I'll have my ducklings found. I was shooting to have them by Memorial Day Weekend, but I doubt that will happen now. Sigh. Last weekend I got my grass planters put together. Ben and I had some scrap railing sleeves from building our deck that I cut shorter to varying lengths. I then stapled wire mesh to the bottom of each piece and then glued pieces together to create different designs. I chose four different types of grass...hopefully the ducks will enjoy them! The whole purpose behind the planters is so the ducks can eat down the grass, remove the planters from their run (rotating in other planters), allow the grass to revive and put it back in the run again...a constant rotation should keep both ducks and grasses happy and thriving. At least that's how I envision it happening! (Click pictures to enlarge)
This is the future site of my duck enclosure. Thus far I have been able to remove some retaining wall blocks that once made a "flower bed" (never got around to putting flowers in it!). This is just south of our big beautiful deck my husband and I finished last summer. Rainy weather has kept me from getting any further than this and I am discouraged about getting much more done before spring break is over. Oh well...good things come to those who wait. Eventually the dog house seen in the upper left corner will be turned around and converted into the ducks' night enclosure. As some friends and family are aware, I have been researching and looking into getting some ducks for our small, but charming yard in North Bend. After much deliberation, I have decided to purchase 3-4 ancona ducklings! There is much to be done in preparation for the arrival of the newest members of our family. Follow my blog to stay abreast of the latest duck developments! |
Archives
February 2020
My InspirationMy References |