Breezee BarnsOk, so for some reason while I was growing up, I just never had a liking for ducks or ducklings. I do not really know why I just did not like them. Plus, we knew nothing about how to care for ducks. Well, one of the promises we made to one of our daughters was she could have ducks if we moved to the farm. And that worked well for her since Papa wanted to bring ducks to the farm. So, guess what? We held up to our end of the bargain.
Towards the end of May last year, I ordered our daughter three ducklings for her birthday. The breed of ducks that I was looking for were friendly and calm. For my daughter, I decided on Buff ducklings. Not only did she get ducklings, so did Papa. He was dead set on Mallard ducks, so I went with Rouen Ducklings. I ordered six ducklings for him.
Prior to the arrival of the ducks, research was needed. Each girl was given a particular thing to research, such as what foods they could eat, keeping them safe, etc. They had to report back what they learned, so we could have a plan in place before these new additions arrived.
Ducklings Arrive
June 2nd, 2022, we got our first shipment of ducklings!!! They were our Buff ducklings two females, one male! On my gosh, their little chirps were so cute to hear. Since they were for our daughter, she got to open the box. Boy did she make an impression on them. They got use to her voice and would go crazy when they heard her.
Our second shipment of baby ducks arrived on June 4th! These were the Rouen ducklings four female, two males. Unfortunately, when we opened the box, we found that the two males had died (the shipment was delayed by a day). My daughter took it upon herself to add the four females to her little group and they all blended into a family. As for the two who did not make it, I did contact the company for replacements. For us to get the two replaced, we had to order two more ducklings to ship, so four new ducklings were on their way.
Then on June 15th, 2022, our four newest duck hatchlings arrived! Once again, we had a little box with the cutest little chirps coming from inside. Our daughter did not waste any time adding the four little ones to the seven we already had. It was crazy to see the size difference between all the ducklings in just a few weeks.
These feathery friends became our daily entertainment. The female from the last bunch was the smallest compared to the rest. Boy, she may be small, but she was the loudest of the bunch. She would just stand in the middle of the tank and chirp as loud as she could. She loved letting us know she was there!
Look at How They Have Grown
Even today, she lets us know she is there. As we walk up to check on them, she is always the first to start talking to us…..Wawawawa. She sounds like Penguin from the old Batman and Robin TV show in the 1960’s. We moved the ducklings out to the coop towards the end of June. They just grew so fast that they needed a bigger space. We built an enclosure outside the coop so they could have a safe place to be during the day. Their days consist of lots playtime in the water and laying in the shade. They all get so excited when they see the water is getting changed or filled. Even if we spray them with water, they go crazy!
As the weather got colder, we had to research what to do. Ducks love water and love to throw it everywhere. We tried to let them have it in the coop and that was a total bust. The coop became a hot mess and none of us wanted to keep cleaning up after them each day. We looked at ways to keep the water heated outside and couldn’t find a good solution. So for now, the girls refill their tub each day if they go outside. On the days we can’t let them out, we do put a special water bowl in the coop to decrease the mess.
Our Full Grown Ducks
Today, these ducks are fully grown. Our Rouen males have green heads with colorful wings while the females have colorful wings. They continue to bring a smile to our faces as we watch their excitement each day they are let out of the coop. The moment the door opens, they just come a running out flapping their wings. They love their water and can not get to it fast enough each morning. The ducks also love eating lettuce from our hands and some like to think they are chickens!
Not only have these ducks been entertaining, our females have also been laying eggs. Our first duck egg was found December 30th, 2022. By January 14 we got four duck eggs a day. Currently, our seven females lay an egg each day. Yes, seven eggs a day. We can hardly keep up with them. Even though chicken eggs were hard to find, we were thriving with duck eggs.
These ducks have become a part of our daily lives. We check on them every morning and evening. We feed and water them daily. The coop gets cleaned every couple of weeks especially when the weather is warmer. Having ducks isn’t an easy task, but their personalities are worth it, just ask my daughter.
Where did we buy our ducklings from?
With everything that is going on, having a few ducks around is not a bad idea. If you are curious to where we purchased our little flock from here is the website.
