The Ducks Are Back!

 

I really missed them!  They are not back because I missed them but because they just would not acclimate to their new home.  Perhaps with time, they would have, but after a week they still were not trying to integrate with the other ducks and they refused to go to the pond again.  That was one of my main reasons for rehoming them was so they could free range and enjoy the great outdoors and even a pond if possible.  They kept coming back up to the house area where they had some pens and wanted to go into the pens.

They were raised as cage ducks and I guess they just felt safer in a caged area.  Kinda sad, but let me know that they are not that unhappy here in their cage if that is what they are used to and seem to prefer.  I'm happy to have them back and I am enjoying their antics and quacking again.  I so missed the quacking!!  It was just too quiet with them gone.  Don't get me wrong, they are not noisy, but they do quack at times and I just love that sound!

Welcome home Rosie and Rowdy!!

Rosie's First Egg!

She did it! Rosie laid her first egg about a week ago.  We were so excited! She has laid an egg every day since.  I heard that ducks are much more reliable layers and I can say she is.  Especially in the hot, hot temperatures we have been experiencing this week.  Most of my hens are saying no way (egg production has been down) because it is just so hot (heat index of 105 today!). Since she is a Pekin duck, she may not lay a lot of eggs per year, but when she is laying she should be pretty consistent with daily eggs.

I can't believe how big both ducks have gotten.  Rowdy has matured really nicely and his colors are more and more gorgeous every day.  He is getting his green feathers in on his head and neck and he is absolutely stunning.  They aren't fully in yet, but the progress is fun to watch.  He is still so timid and such a scardy cat, but so enamored and protective over Rosie.  It is really quite cute.

I must say, that even though they are so messy with their water, I have enjoyed the ducks very much and can now understand why some prefer them to chickens.  They really are taking all the weather changes much better than most of the chickens and their eggs are super yummy!