Its been raining at night and sunny during the day.
"April showers bring May flowers.."
The grass is greening up and the hens are all enjoying the lazy sunshine.
The 2 Silver Appleyard Drakes have been also enjoying the sunshine.
Spring time has made them so hormonal.
They have been mounting the hens and chasing morning doves.
Mavis is also looking good to them....
They are desperate for mates.
It got so bad here last week I went looking for a concubine for them.
When their little legs are all tuckered out from doing their springtime mating dances, they lay down among the growing daffodils.
These 2 brother ducks are a riot to watch and they are well trained to come when I call them.
I just point to the coop and they go in with no qualms, no matter what time it is.
When they aren't harassing hens or sunning themselves, they are swimming in the water filled ditches by the coop.
They keep themselves very very busy all day. Once the garden springs to life and the millions of bugs, slugs, snails, hornworms, beetles, snakes, mice and other pests migrate here, the boys will turn into Weapons of Mass Destruction and eliminate everything that crawls from all my gardens. They earn their keep, even if they don't lay eggs.
Right now, before the onslaught of bugs arrive, they are ruled by their raging hormones.
I can hardly wait for the 4 "guaranteed female" Silver Appleyard ducklings to arrive in a few weeks.
They will go right into the brooder in my bathroom for 3 weeks, then the laundry room pen for 2 more and them out to the Chicken Cabana until they are large enough to follow the flock.
This time next year we will be hatching eggs and properly propagating these rare Silver Appleyard ducks.
I can hardly wait.
And judging from the hormonal mis-adventures of the 2 bad boys, they can hardly wait either.
If you have too many garden pests to ignore, consider getting just 3 ducks. They do a lot of work and will eliminate 90% of all the bad bugs and will not scratch up your soil. They are much more hardy than hens and their eggs are bigger, denser and have much more flavor. Ducks come in assorted sizes, colors and quacking tones. Cheap entertainment and hard workers.
GOT DUCKS ?
What kind do you have
Or what kind would you get if you could ?
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yes! i love our ducks - i'm especially keen on little white ducks with blue eyes. and we have some runners - they are hilarious but they really can make a lot of mud with their flippity flippity feet. i named our female runner "Bossy Flossy" she has a lot to say but boy do i think she is grand.
ReplyDeleteI have three Khaki Campbells and a Pekin, all females... love them, but can't let them roam (they are in a large chickenyard) because of a poultry killing dog. (my own). I get four eggs a day from them.
ReplyDeletePretty photos nice post, I hope they didn't drive you quackers :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a quckingktastic week :-)
It would be neat to have ducks, but I have too many predators that live around my home.
ReplyDeletehttp://royalegacy.blogspot.com/2013/04/wordless-wednesday-spring-in-high.html
I am a big bird enthusiast so I am thrilled to see these beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteThose drakes are a delight
ReplyDeleteWe have 15 Muscovy ducks. The drakes are very randy right now! :)))) I would like some Runner ducks. Your drakes are very handsome.
ReplyDeleteLOL Hope the males will soon find the right females to enjoy!
ReplyDeletePoor boys! I'm glad you got them some girls for next year! ;)
ReplyDeleteThere are people with ducks around here but they all live where there are ponds. I'm not so sure they would do well on our little farm. I did get some duck eggs to bake with recently, what a difference!