Our Ducks

This page will be changing a lot.  We have really gotten interested in raising ducks.  We haven't had a lot of lucks with the hens sitting on their eggs, so we bring a few in each spring and incubate them in the house.  What a great experience! There is nothing like shining a flashlight into a duck egg and seeing the little guy moving around in there.  Plus, the begin peeping about 2 days before they hatch - so your little egg is bouncing around in the incubator and talking to you.  It's really fun.  We have a collection of types - mainly Rouens (that look a lot like Mallards) and Indian Runners.  Indian Runners are a different sort of duck.  They look like bowling pins on legs. I order the eggs from a woman in Wimberley and hatch them in the classroom with my kids.  Her ducks are show quality and a beautiful mixture of colors. All the ducks have been raised by Honkher the goose.

These are adult Indian Runner Ducks. Aren't the hilarious looking? Ours don't seem to have quite the bubbly personality of our other ducks. Maybe they are just too cool for the rest of them. I have a dozen eggs on their way to me now!	This was one of our baby Runners - Black cat.  They were born on July 4th 2005. He stood the straightest of them all. I wish I could interest Robin in showing ducks at the fair. I think these would win.
Isn't this sweet? They are one day old and sleeping under the brooder light together.	They really become part of the family. They followed Charlie all over the living room.
They hatch 28 days after putting them in the incubator. If you put them in at the same time you have a very busy day when they all hatch! Here's the whole crew.	Here are those same ducks as adults.  Some will eat out of our hands - others think we are axe murderers. :)
We also hatched some guineas.  The babies are called keets and are adorable. The adults are the ugliest thing in the world - so ugly they are cute. :)	Adult guinea
Here's a link to our new crop of Spring 2007 ducklings and goslings.	A gorgeous wood duck and his mate visit our pond each Spring.  We've got a nest box for them, but so far no luck with babies.