Now that's the life

[WillsC]

At least for 14 weeks 2 sets of ducklings, both pics taken today. The first picture those just hatched Wednesday, the other set hatched Sunday. You can see how fast the bright yellow fades away.

[Hershell]

Aww! What they tase like hu?

[cis4elk]

I don't remeber, are they some sort of muscovy? Do they lay eggs year round?

[WillsC]

Yep Muscovies. Meat has same texture as beef and they lay for about 10 months here in Florida. In colder climates they would probably lay for 7 months I am guessing?

[figherder]

Nice. They look very happy. Just hangin under the fig tree waiting for fruit to fall. .

[greenfig]

Yummy! Figs and ducks ripen at the same time! Not an American Dream but close enough

[Hershell]

The ducks I got from Wills walk around the pond to get to the other side. Poor ducks don't even know how to swim.

[Charitup]

Hershell put them on your back and swim them across a few times. You have to train them man.

[Chrisk]

That's because they don't live long enough to learn how to swim! The end up in a pan way to soon!!

[Hershell]

May be I shoudnt laugh! I can't swim eather.

[PA Figs]

wow like beef? Is it a safe assumption they are healthier than beef though?

[WillsC]

Yes healthier, here is a picture, looks like beef doesn't it?

[ako1974]

Looks like beef, but I'm guessing it doesn't taste like it. Duck is a fantastic meat.

[PA Figs]

wow that looks excellent!

[Taverna78]

You eat your pet! Patso ! Ahaha if I ever come visit I leave my dog at home! Ahah! We have duck mallard in our ponds but very few survive as baby.. I have a big hawk that I have been caring for past 4 year (herbie) and he mostly takes them out along with rabbits. Although the big bass in pond eat baby duck too... I show you herbie..... Last summer I sit in driveway looking at pond and he scare the #**# out of me. Baby rabbit was eating my flower in flower bed and I not see it but herbie did I feed him hot dog , and left over steak. He sit on my balcony a lot.

[Charitup]

Turtles love to grab a duck by the leg pull them under and never see them again.

[Hershell]

Turtles don't last long in the ponds except for the vegetarian turtles. They help keep the weeds out so they get a safe pond to live in. We had one soft shell yesterday.

[Hershell]

They're in a hurry to get to the other side of the pond.

[Hershell]

What is wrong with this picture?

[Darkman]

Hershell they took one look at your place and figured with everything you are growing they were just supposed to be gator bait.

They ain't going in!

[Hershell]

Dumb ducks, they're suppose to be in the water looking on the bank! I want a refund! Or a duck therapist.

[WillsC]

Hershell,

I'm sorry you are having trouble with my ducks. Because of this grave issue you are having I have decided to give you 100 X your money back. My check for $0.00 is in the mail

[Hershell]

That's the point. I got exactly what I paid for.

[Darkman]

Are they not edible?

Maybe if you have Danny AKA "The Duck Whisperer" talk to them and explain the alternatives while you are preparing the rotisserie in front of them........

[Taverna78]

Haha! You can borrow my therapist.. She's a flipping "quack"

[jmaler]

I see your fig tree loves duck poop. My fig loves chicken poop. My few hens roam the garden from January til planting time.

[cis4elk]

Wills, do your ducks go in the water? Or is it just a muscovy thing?

[WillsC]

Calvin,

While I live on a lake they can't get to it due to a fence I put up.......alligators and ducks are a bad combination, well good for the gators I suppose. The ducks have cement mixing tubs for water and to bathe in but as far as swimming they don't get the opportunity. Scovies are more of a terrestrial critter anyway very unlike say a Mallard.

[cis4elk]

Hmm, thanks!

[Gina]

Maybe Hershell's new ducks just don't know how to swim yet.

[Hershell]

Yet another problem. I was on the tractor and saw a crow fly in the front door of the greenhouse after it was harassing the ducks. Then it landed on a bale if potting mix that the ducks were nesting in. I made it to the door before he could fly back out. There is bird netting on the sides to keep mocking birds out. You don't want to see a picture of the crow. He was too smart for his own good. How would he know there were eggs 20 feet inside the greenhouse or was he just lucky. I have never saw one close to the greenhouse before. I guess the moral to the story is don't be stupid after harassing ducks.

[Darkman]

What do you think they are doing when they sit in top of trees. Very observant the crows are.

[Hershell]

I realize that they are one of the most intelligent birds but the ducks made the nest two days ago. It only had four eggs in it.

[Darkman]

Do you think he was trying to chase the ducks away so he could get at the nest? Maybe they can smell the nest/eggs!

[andreas-patras]

Wills when i was in FL i had a lakefront condo.
one of the things i hated was those large grey herons that would fly in and eat the baby ducks.
do you have that problem?

[WillsC]

Andreas,

Hmm now are you talking about the blue herons or the sandhill cranes? In either event no, I have only ever lost 1 duckling and it was a poor sickly lame thing I did not have the heart to put down. One day it was lagging behind its mother and the rest of the ducklings and a hawk did the job I was reluctant to do. Other than that the ducklings only real enemy are snakes and that is only when they are still in the shell The mother ducks are quite protective and can fend off anything up to and including a raccoon and fox. I did have a problem with a large bobcat some weeks back that cost me 4 adult females that were sitting on nests.....they are so devoted that they would not leave their nests and it cost them their lives. That problem has been solved.

[drphil69]

I had no idea there are bobcats in FL. I always thought they were western.

[dobemom]

We have bobcats in the rural areas of CT, but ours are fairly small. They are more widespread than you'd think. I also had a mated pair of eastern timber wolves running the back property line outside my dog fence about a month ago. I know...everyone says they see wolves and they are usually wrong, but I was a wolf keeper at the Beardsley Zoo for a while and I was as shocked as anyone to see them.

[andreas-patras]

Wills

you made me do a google search. lol (i always thought they were called herons, but yes, i am talking about the blue herons and thanks to you i now know something new.) there were other birds that would come and take long dives, but they would take fish, so that was not a problem.Those herons would sit on the other side of the lake and spot a target... they only went for the little ones that were still yellow.
the mother ducks would come and lay their eggs by my bedroom door... as they tried to get comfortable on their eggs they would hit the glass on the bedroom door with their beaks, scared the crap out of me some nights until i found out it was them.