Metzer gals, and blue belle

 Rosie

 Blue Belle, Ella, and Rosie

Blue Belle, Aurora, Ella (in the back), Rosie

The anconas are getting big, and the metzer girls are getting feathers.

they grow up too fast, you'd think I would get used to seeing it, but I'm gonna miss having smelly babies around when all my girls are grown up. (oh, and my boy, Ren.;) The anconas are now 2 weeks old, and the metzer gals are one month, while Blue belle is 2 1/2 months.

Opal, lavender girl

 Posie, Blue, or Lillac girl

 Ren, Chocolate Boy

 Posie again

 Yara, black girl.

I'll get some pictures of the older girls up soon-I've got to upload them still.

My Anconas have hatched, and I've made my picks.

My first Ancona baby pipped on day 26 of incubation, and my last hatched out on the 29th day of incubation. I had nine go into lock down, but lost two, so I have seven happy, and healthy ducklings. I ended up with one black, one chocolate, two blue, two lavender, and one unknown. The last duckling I can't yet tell what color it'll be. Even my blue, and lavender babies may be mixed up. I'm still learning!


Here are some pictures of the ones I am going to keep. (4- 3 girls, 1 boy.)

hatch day... a day early?!

Well, I checked my eggs lastnight, and found one pip. On day 26! It was nearly day 27, so I suppose it's not all that early; but I got up again this morning and I have 3 pips now. yay! 


It looks like one of them pipped on the wrong side (didn't actually pip, just tried to pip) and hit a blood vessel, so I don't see that one being able to make it. My other 3 are pretty talkative though. I hear them cheeping!

Also, in other news, it looks like I'll be keeping my Welsh Harlequin boy after all. Some BYC (www.Backyardchickens.com) members have talked me into it. WH boys are pretty calm, and people friendly, from what I've read, and heard. Not to forget, they're definitely gorgeous drakes; so if i'm going to keep a drake, I may as well keep one that I not only already own, and like, but one that I believe will grow up to be a protective leader of his flock, and is good looking enough to give me pretty, fertile, WH eggs to hatch someday. :)

Last Egg Candling.

Tonight was the last time I candle my Ancona eggs before adding water, and putting them into lock down for the next 3 or 4 days until they hatch. I have nine, and I was just checking one last time to see how many were still developing, and growing. There was one I was a little unsure about because I thought I could see a blood ring, but we saw movement from the duckling. So all nine are in the bator, and now I can't open the lid at all. It'll be a waiting game from here on out. 

Part of me is excited that it's happening; the other part is wondering, how did this past month go by so quickly? I'll make sure to post pictures, of pipping, zipping, and hatching ducklings.

Tomorrow I plan on cleaning everything I can get my hands on to stay occupied, or I'll go crazy before there's really any action. It's only going to be the first day of lock down. I really need to stay away from the bator, or else I'll just look for pips too early.

bye all!

Ducks, meet the bloggers; Bloggers, meet my ducks.

Hi all,


I assume that the best way to start off my Blog would be to introduce all the ducks that I'll be talking about. Each one has his, or her own personality, and I love them all. When I first got started on raising ducks, my Dad hoped that I would get over it in a month or so; obviously that hasn't happened, it wasn't just a phase! I love spending time with them, and watching them grow up. Ducks are kind of an accomplishment for me, because although I thought they were adorable, I really didn't know how to care for them, and to be honest I was a little afraid of them. 


I can't get enough of them now, and I'm glad I got started on them. I know they'll be a life time hobby for me. So, come on in, and meet the flock!




These are my two Harlequin girls; the one laying down is Aurora, and she's the feisty one of group most of the time. she's more skittish than the other ducklings, but I've been working with her and she seems to be calming down a little. In my opinion she is my prettiest duck. She's a gold phase Harlequin. She's also too smart for her own good. She constantly keeps me on my toes; just today I couldn't catch her to put her in the pool with the rest, so what does she do? she climbed onto a box and from there jumped into the pool.

The gal standing up is Prim; I feel like she's the mother hen of the group. she's more quiet, and reserved than the others; but still friendly, and willing to spend time with everyone. I'll post more as I get to know her personally. Prim is a Silver Phase Welsh Harlequin.

This is my seven week old Blue Swedish; Blue Belle. I raised her on her own, she's had very little interaction with other ducks because I had two Drakes when she was growing up, and they were too rowdy for her to hang out with. She's been pretty lonely because of that, but now that we have more ducklings, she's learning how to behave as a flock member, instead of a single lady. :)

 Isn't she pretty? She was a social bug as a baby, but has become less social when I started putting her in the duck pen out in the pasture, instead of living in the house. My ducklings are teaching her to be more trusting however.

These are my two Buff girls. Ella, and Rosie. they're by far my most friendly, and social ducklings. Ella, is slightly more friendly than Rosie, but most of the time it isn't a big difference. I love that they pop up when I come into the brooder room. Instead of running away from my hands, they come running towards me to nibble on my fingers, or poke at my sparkly nail polish.

Last but not least, my Welshie boy. He doesn't have a name because I don't think I'll be keeping him; Right now I'm planning on keeping an all female flock, I believe this will lessen the stress, and just make my flock calmer in that they don't have to deal with a hormonal male when he gets to that age. However, he is a sweetie. I love him to pieces; he's the quietest little guy ever, not to mention a cuddly boy. I can pick him up and within seconds he is sleeping against my chest.

Blue Belle is still learning how to share the bucket, and pool of water. She isn't used to having the babies around, let alone sharing what is hers. ha ha! I think she's doing pretty good so far though, and as the babies get bigger, she'll gain more respect for them.