While we are enamored of our Muscovies, we love duck eggs and the girls, being seasonal layers, have stopped laying entirely. We’d been researching duck laying breeds and had narrowed the possible choices down to Indian Runner, Khaki Campbell, or Welsh Harlequin…but the front-runner was the Runner, with its upright posture and penchant (surprise, surprise!) for running upright. What’s cuter than that?
A couple of days ago, we just happened upon an opportunity to take home 9 adorable Pekin/Indian Runner ducklings…and their parents! The September chicks were ready to move to an outdoor run, so we moved them out of the tractor to a larger run near the adult chicken coop. The duck family was then installed in the tractor, along with a small coop we’ve used previously for broody ducks and their ducklings.
As with any change, the ducks were confused and anxious at first and ran away from us. We understand – they don’t know us yet. They also didn’t eat the fermented feed we put out for them last night, but they scarfed it down today. Our Muscovies have eaten it since they were ducklings and eagerly tuck into their fermented “porridge” twice a day…so eagerly that they often end up wearing some!
The ducklings are adorable, of course, and we’re looking forward to watching them grow into fawn and white-colored adults. And maybe, in a few months, they’ll gift us with some big, delicious eggs.
Thanks again to J for the ducks! We’ll take good care of them.