In response to such a nice comment asking about the ducks, here is a ducky update:
In short, the ducks are doing very very well. Great even! Winter has been unusually slow in coming, only a couple of mornings where I had to crack the ice on their water bucket with my heel. I did have to turn the outdoor hose off, so twice a day I haul a bucket of water from the kitchen sink out to them. They very much seem to enjoy hunting bugs and worms in the fallen leaves. This week the temps started to drop a bit, and I noticed a couple starting to appear a bit more svelte than preferred so they have been super excited with the added scratch grain and crushed peanut rations in the morning. With the early darkness, I’m down to only 2 eggs in the morning now.
Zora and I have been practicing our herding class exercises and the ducks have been tolerant subjects. Moving where the dog and I ask, or sometimes not lol. Gets them some exercise.
Today I had them in their pen up at the front of the house so to put them away as darkness fell they have to go up 3 steps and across our deck. They are all very adept at getting up and down the steps now. And they know when it’s bedtime, all I have to do is open the gate, call them, “Here Cheep Cheeps!” and they come flapping. Cheep Cheeps is from when they were little baby ducklings and made cheep cheep noises. Yea, now all they do is quack or in Spot’s case croak.
Oh they are really cute and pretty!! Glad to hear they are doing well! Is Spot the only male? It’s so funny that you and your dog are practising herding skills on them! Actually I think ducks are pretty good in being herded, better than chickens! 😉
Yes spot is the only drake. 5 hens and spot. Ducks, well certain breeds of ducks especially, are used in herding trials. Herding competitions have sub categories for herding sheep/goats, cattle, and ducks/geese. One of the many reasons I chose to get ducks over chickens was because ducks can be herded.
I see! Yes I can understand that ducks are ideal that way – I suppose cattle or horses are a bit big for keeping in your backyard. And geese can be quite nasty! How do the ducks like being herded?