What Are the Duckies Up To?

If you aren’t up to speed on our ducky adventure you should read this post!! We have changed a few, small things since we last talked about the ducks.

(Today was the 1st day I found more than a single egg in the morning!!!)

The Aviary

Almost 2 weeks ago we decided to start letting the ducks out to free range. We had been holding off in order to train the dogs to leave them be but we decided it was time to take the plunge. It went really well at first but then Iris started getting out early in the morning. We worked on tightening up the coop which stopped the escaping but then she would wait until I let them out, run into the woods and try to lay an egg. I came to the conclusion that she must feel safer laying in the woods so we needed to up our nesting box game! At first I thought we would try to create a secluded covered area using some wood. Then I saw the Rubbermaid totes that we have piled ready to go to the dumb and thought those would be perfect. Cut out an opening, flipped upside down, put something heavy on top so they don’t flip it and out hay inside! We already had everything so it was a free solution. Since then she has reliably laid in the nesting box! Definitely a win.

(The ladies new nesting box)

I also had secure the roosting bars better. Somehow they managed to make it fall every single evening. A little bit of wire wrapped around the branch and the zip tie fixed that issue. I also added oyster shells for calcium.

Today I put on the first deep bedding layer. It probably doesn’t matter for our area but I figure it can’t hurt and it might generate a little extra heat for the duckies. It does get chilly here at night. Plus it will be fun to experiment with that bedding method for the future.

(Two layers of bedding so far, I either replace or cover with a new layer once a month or so. They keep it pretty clean)

The Ducks

I already mentioned that we have started free ranging. It was way past time and they seem to be enjoying it. One amazing thing about muscovies is that they like to eat grass, no need to buy a mower just yet! There is nothing like walking around your house a seeing a duck out the window. I imagine this will be even more enjoyable when we have more poultry. The only real drawback is that they like to get on top of our carport, shed and even the house. We could minimize or completely eliminate this by clipping one wing but I would like them to be able to get away from the dogs when necessary.

(They are so happy and saving money on our food bill)

One other huge landmark with the ducks, we finally have more than one laying hen!!! Two of our ducklings that we got as babies are laying. One thing we did not realize when we were planning our homestead was just how long it takes to get animals to production. Six months is a loooooooong time.

(The egg on the right is from our 1st laying hen, the left is the first egg from a new layer. Quite the size difference though I have no idea why they are different colors)

6 Months Later

So after 6 months of duck ownership would I recommend to others? Most definitely. My opinion may change once we get chickens but muscovies are PERFECT for a first time poultry owner. They are crazy low maintenance. I spend at most 10 mins a day taking care of them. They are quiet, no quaking or crowing. They also mow your lawn, eat flying bugs including mosquitoes! Plus if you are looking to sell eggs, duck eggs go for more than chicken eggs in most areas!