We’ve added stock of a different kind on the farm that we’ve not had here in a long time or never.
First to arrive were two Swedish Black ducks that were supposed to be mallard ducks. Our granddaughter fell in love with them right off at Tractor Supply.
Pablo and Gwen were Victoria’s first real farm animals, I believe. She’ll correct me if I am wrong. They’re laying on her butt while she’s reading a book at our house.
Like all babies they grow so fast and boy did they!
But they were still captivated by their mommie!! Wherever she went they went and she took them for walks every day.
Victoria’s boyfriend, Cody, built them a nice hutch which we kept close to the pond but had it shielded from predators.
Duckling hutch
Hutch with shade and close to the pond.
They kept growing.
Papa told her they weren’t mallard ducks and she did the research to find out what kind of duck they were. In the meantime and while she thought they were mallard ducks, Papa told her that mallard ducks would migrate in the fall unless they grew up with domestic ducks. She was devastated and talked him into letting her have a couple white ducks to grow up with and he relented. She came home with seven white ducklings. Pablo and Gwen were jealous and soon taught them they were the head-honchos on this farm!!
Here’s the gaggle of ducks (or is that for geese?)! We also inherited another duck from a lady that got one for Easter and kept it in her home (after full-grown) and finally decided a full-grown duck did not belong in the house. Her name is Fiona and she is full-grown compared to these and they all live happily together on the pond.
Then we decided to raise rabbits and I bought two female lops from a friend of ours and a un-related buck. We’ve had them since the first week of April and they were bred a few days before I picked them up.
This is Cleome.
This is Marigold.
This is our buck, Sebastian!
On May 8th, Cleome had three little ones but one did not make it. It was a three weeks before Marigold introduced her little ones to me and we thought she had seven but today after weaning them from their mama’s we found out she had eight. They are all now in their big playpen together and giving mom’s a much needed rest so they can gain back some weight and grown their beautiful coats back. Here are the two litters combined and they have been eating fresh grass, rabbit grain, apples and carrots for a week now.
The hutch has an enclosed room with hay for them to eat or stay warm in.
We have two solid black ones.
They have plenty of feed and I pull grass for them three times a day and more if they eat it up.
There only two that look-alike and they’re both solid black.
They really seem to like their new nest and have been playing and running all afternoon.
I can’t tell if this little solid white one is enjoying his new nest or if he’s eating his nest but it is content!
One of the white ones have black dots on both eyes and one has a black streak down it’s back.
This shows their play area and where they eat and get their water. I need to get them a couple salt blocks since the weather is heating up. They’re hutch gets more shade than their mother’s hutches.
We used chicken wire on the sides of the play area and a tighter wire on the floor.
So, we have 10 ducks, 13 rabbits, 29 chickens and about 75 head of cows and calves on the farm currently. Today one of my older hens decided to go broody and set so I foresee baby chicks in a few weeks to add to the menagerie!
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