We have a couple of new additions here on the farm. Tractor Supply Company is currently having their “Chick Days.” I’ve been on the lookout for ducklings for months and this was my chance. Tractor Supply allows you to get a minimum of two ducklings. To order ducklings online from a hatchery, I would have to get a minimum of ten. I wouldn’t mind getting some more ducklings, I just couldn’t afford to get ten of them right now. This was perfect for us because it gave us the opportunity to just get a couple and see how we like them. We went into the store yesterday and bought two little yellow ducklings (most likely Pekins). They were the only ducklings they had. Pekins are the large white ducks typically raised for their meat. I do love duck meat. Eventually, I’d like to get some more Pekins and a few Rouens. Rouens are a duel purpose breed and look similar to a Mallard.
So far, I am loving these ducklings. Ducks are known for their ability to imprint. It’s obvious that these two little guys are already attached to us. We took them out of their brooder today and sat on the ground with them. Rather than running away, they actually stayed right with us and climbed up in our laps. They didn’t even avoid Farmboy, despite him repeatedly picking them up and flipping them over. These guys are only a few days old and hadn’t a chance to go swimming yet. We brought them inside and filled the tub up with a few inches of cool water. Farmboy couldn’t wait to get in the tub with them. They loved swimming around while Farmboy laughed and tried to imitate them swimming. I have a feeling he’s going to request the “babies” join him for his next bath. (which I wouldn’t recommend. Salmonilla can still be present in the water. It kind of defeats the purpose of trying to get the kids clean. Make sure kids wash their hands thoroughly after handling ducklings.)
My local Tractor Supply is having a chicken swap on Saturday. There is also a poultry show on Saturday in Inverness. I plan to go to both to look for some chickens for my breeding projects and to see if I can pick up a few more ducklings. Otherwise we may get a few more from Tractor Supply. These things are like potato chips.
Leave a comment