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We’ve been working on a duck pond!
And you know what that means….
Ducks!
So I took another trip to the chicken farm where we got our babies. Not for eggs this time, but for a breeding pair of ducks. I’m not up for another round with the incubator just yet and we just broke the tractor in digging this pond out near the spring on our hill. It will take a bit for the pond to fill, so while that happens (and while the ducks adjust to their new surroundings) I need to keep my ducks with the chickens. My chickens are three months old now and I was afraid to put small ducks in with them. I was looking for three-month-old ducks.
There are plenty to choose from at the chicken farm. They have a lot of ducks.
And guineas and geese and…. Do you see that thing in the center of this picture?
It’s a Turken, or what they call in Europe a Transylvanian Naked Neck. But it’s all chicken despite its turkey-like bare neck.
I think it’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t want any of those.
I did wish I had some of these again.
They’ve always got babies at the chicken farm. But I wasn’t there for more chickens. I was there for ducks. And I brought these two home.
A three-month-old breeding pair. They’re a Blue Swedish cross. (I don’t know what they’re crossed with, just that they’re predominantly Blue Swedish. They like to mix it up at the chicken farm. I do, too, so that’s okay.)
The chickens were terribly curious.
There was a lot of clucking and crowing and quacking when they came out of the crate. But eventually the chicken yard settled down and they worked out the pecking order. I’m a little bit worried about one big bad brown rooster, my alpha male, who has tried to peck at them, so I’ve been keeping a close eye on them and at night I’m keeping the ducks in the crate. I’m not ready to leave them alone inside the chicken house with that big bad brown rooster yet. These ducks are used to being around chickens, but my chickens aren’t used to being around ducks. I’ll be careful till they are.
And so–I have ducks!!!!! Aren’t they pretty? (I bet they do synchronized swimming and baton-twirling, too.)
I’d like to get some more ducks, some white ones, who knows. I like variety! This is just the beginning. Our first farm ducks!
The rest of the farm creatures reacted along with the chickens. Dookie-the-farm-shih-tsu was quite excited for awhile.
Clover said, “I don’t care if you have ducks. But would you please–
–save me–
–from this–
–GIANT PUPPY!”
Coco: “What?”
***P.S. See the Charleston Daily Mail story!
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And I worry about the ducks and Spartacus.
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coco just loves everone – great pictures. I wonder too if she needs to be let out once in awhile and walked or alowed to roam. big dogs need the exercise.
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We raised pigs when I was a child growing up. Just wouldn’t have been a farm without them. We also had a milk cow.
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I think everyone should click on the newspaper story and read it through. In my opinion, the reporter did a very good job of capturing the experience of living on the farm as Suzanne relate it. (Except for the misprint spelling of McMinn – McGinn – at one point in the article. What’s that quote? “I don’t care what they say about me as long as they spell my name right” — isn’t that how it goes?)
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Your farm is coming along pretty nicely now, so when are you gonna get some cows and horses?
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You are getting quite a menagerie now at your place and I bet it is really interesting at your home…especially with Coco around to add her puppy antics. I think you are going to need horses pretty soon to add to your growing animal family…hmmm.
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Ha….poor Coco.
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gosh that had to be 45 years ago and its so clear a image!
anyway what are you going to do with them? are they decorative or eggative?
margiesbooboo
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And congrats on the ducks.
-Kim A.
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Will CoCo get out of the goat pen?? I would let her out daily. She is so sweet and cute. I see she loves her goat family.
Off to read the news article.
8:49
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I am canning quince preserves today. What are you cooking? I have a line on some gooseberries that will be ready next week. Love gooseberry preserves!
8:52
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I kinda like the nekked chicken. Out of the ordinary appeals to me. I march to a different beat. Can’t wait to see the ducks in their very own pond!
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Loved the story. She did a nice job. Congrats!
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What animal will be next to arrive on the farm?
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What farm animal is next? I don’t know. It will be a surprise–even to me! I do love sheep…..
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Coco is just wanting to play with the goats…they just don’t understand her yet.
Certainly enjoyed the newspaper article.
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I’d wait awhile on the sheep, though, they’re a massive amount of work.
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I enjoyed the article-you should use some of those pictures on facebook.
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Will you name the ducks?
and…Have you named the farm yet?
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I read the Daily Mail story, too, and wanted to say…
Welcome to the Neighborhood!
I, too, live in Walton and am a transplant from New York. Talk about culture shock, huh?!
We have two ponds, had four ducks (notice that’s past tense, thanks to a fox), have five dogs and a cat. Hopefully, our paths will cross some day.
…Mary
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I love the ducks and the photos especially Coco with Clover.
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The DUCKERS!!!! I love ducks. I had a pet duck named Wacky, when young – I won it in a contest and eventually gave it to my best friend and she eventually gave it to a duck farm. But, it was adorable and friendly! Those are the CUTEST ducks you picked! DONALD DUCK and DUCKIE!!! LOL
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Great article, nicely written!
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Conni
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The news story was GREAT! Hope you bought several copies!
:typing:
Blessings from Ohio…
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Great article too
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Do your ducks wag their tails? We have a duck pond in a park that we sometimes take bread to and there is this one addorable duck that comes up to you and wags it’s tail. I was just wondering if this is something many ducks do, or is it just this one? I wish I could take that tail wagging duck home with me.
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The ducks are pretty!
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Now that was a wonderful article about you, your family and your farm! :clap:
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you broke the tractor, oh dear…that has been quite an
adventure in itself.
that was a very good article in the charleston daily mail – very good photo also…
poor clover has a pesky friend – its a wonder she doesn’t
butt him away!
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Yes, what will the ducks be named? The turken bird for a moment looked like a small buzzard or something in the midst of the birds!
I had a big laugh over the Coco and Clover pics! LMAO I even had to call the bf in here to see them.
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Patty–we have a pretty good-sized meadow bottom along the road that’s cleared, and that’s where we’ll be building a barn and fencing more pasture. (Hopefully by next year.)
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I want ducks!!!
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I have wanted to find a bed and breakfast to stay at where they would let me help with (i.e. pet) the cows and goats. But a farm within driving distance would be even better! I wouldn’t even have to stay! Okay I guess my ideas are not for your benefit, they are for mine! Ha!!
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