Ducklings or Bust

Duckies snuggled on my shoulder. 

I'll be honest. The minute I saw a tub filled with baby ducks bobbing to and fro on Youtube, I was sold. There was no way that I was not going to raise some ducklings of my own. It took a while for Mark to catch on. Maybe... umm... two years. In fact, this year, he finally gave a tentative approval only after duckling season was almost over.

The first day home on the ride in the car. 

Either way, a mother duck such as myself knows the way to her ducklings even if they are not technically hers yet. We settled on one of the few breeds we could still find. Anconas are a beautiful duck, with Dalmatian-like spots and a friendly disposition. We found them on Craigslist from a family who had incubated them from their own ducks' eggs. They were between 2 and 4 days old and they seemed to know who I was and that I was an ally within 20 minutes of our time together. By the end of the same day they were following me wherever I went. I am, without a shadow of a doubt, in love with these four quackers. Don't get me wrong, chickens are great and chicks are adorable, but my ducklings know who I am. They want me around and there is something much more satisfying about that then a chick who will tolerate being held after some coaxing.

Did I get ducklings only to snuggle them? Well... no. It turns out duck eggs are quite delicious. They are full of omega-3s, go great in baked goods, keep longer than chicken eggs, and have more nutrients. Since ducks can live happily in the same yard as chickens, I was excited to try it out.

"Hey! You! I love you!!"

So far, they are as absolutely adorable as you'd expect. They love swimming and it feels like they double in size every day. I'll keep you posted as they grow and we get the first of our eggs. I know you'll love them as much as I do!

Learning to swim. 

Asleep. 

Awake.