DUCKS are you KIDDING?

Mothers Day on the way home, Tom asks me if we should stop and buy some ducks?
 I looked at him and said “WHAT? "

 

We had actually talked about a few chickens or ducks to help keep bugs down, naturally without pesticides. 

We had just planted a bunch of bamboo and I had been reading that they could help the bamboo and yard by eating the insects. We had only talked about it – up until Mothers day. We have no duck pen or food or had thought this out much? 

However....I got kind of tickled.. thinking about little ducklings. And so we turned into to Atwoods Home and Ranch store. We quickly started discussing the possibility of getting two ducks.

4 ducks later ...
and now on the way home,

we are the proud owners of  
Derk, Daisy, Darryl and Snow. 

A buff Orpington, 2 Khaki’s and a Pekin (white duck like the Aflac duck.)

They were so cute, all of 5 inches high, about 2 weeks old. 

We kept them in a cat carry cage at first, then a huge refrigerator box while they were small. 

Boy that was a MESS until we got the pen built!

 

Tom built a great duck pen and 
we had to work on introducing the rest of our animals 

to the new kids on the block. 

 Our Cat Jasper thinks she is the QUEEN of the place and she just ignored them. The 2 inherited cats from my mother, also ignored them. 

So we only had to worry about Bull the German Sheppard, and Boomer the rottweiler. We slowly... acclimate them by letting them smell from afar, then sniffing up close, then watching the ducks by leash, etc. Took about 4 weeks but we did it. Our family of 2 dogs, 3 cats and 4 ducks - all get along like a happy family. 

 

Who would of thunk???

  

The ducks have been a blessing. On days when I was too tired, I had to get up and take care of them. That made me move and stretch and motivated me on my OFF DAYS!
They were so little and had to be taken care of.

 AND they were so fun to watch.  
You know how everyone smiles when watching kittens and puppies and babies. WELL you can put DUCKs on that list. They are much funnier than chickens. 

Every day, twice a day,  I watch them, I  walk with them, feed them and laugh at them.

They are messy eaters, love water puddles of any size, eat bugs, follow you like a puppy, play in the water sprinkler like children, and each have a personality. 

I love them – they make great pets and are wonderful therapy for helping me heal!
Thank you Tom!