Yes, there are lots more ducklings on the way. This year I have been either stealing the babies or penning the mother and babies to keep them safe from the ravens. That means that all the ducklings hatched are going to be ducks on the farm - way too many! There are 19 eggs in this nest. A beautiful Khaki Campbell is sitting on the eggs. Khaki Campbells are not supposed to be sitters, but I guess I got lucky because I definitely do have some that hatch their young. 

So, If a dozen of these eggs hatch, and I think that because she is a small duck to hatch so many eggs. There is just not enough of her to cover the entire clutch. She is also going through the moult, or losing her old feathers and growing new ones for winter. Still, she is in the sitting pose and is decidedly going to hatch these eggs. I put a piece of a board over the nest and her to shade her from the sun and give her shelter from the rain. She built the nest in the hay feeder for the sheep, but the sheep are not eating this old hay, so she should be safe. 

What will I do with all the ducks? My goodness, there are already about 50 new ones and two more nest that I know of, no wait, three more, are going to hatch more babies. I am not allowed by law to sell the ducks, cleaned and frozen. I can sell them to some one who might want to have roast duck, but they would have to process them themselves and people are not much into that these days. I can only eat so much duck in a week! Birth control for ducks means penning the drakes away from the ducks so the eggs are not fertile and removing the eggs from the ducks as they lay them, if I find them, so they do not go broody. What a dilemma. Who would have thought I would ever be considering birth control for ducks at the Fat Ewe Farm? Hmmm...

Mamma Duck is a purebred Khaki Campbell. They were bred by a duck fancier who wanted duck eggs. That was around the second world war and the colour khaki was very in fashion so she also bred the ducks to be khaki coloured. They are flighty ducks for the first while, very nervous and will run all over themselves to get away from a human or other interference in their lives. They also are not known setters, in that they lay a lot of eggs but the instinct to make a nest and hatch their own babies was bred out of them. 

Fortunately, I had one Khaki Campbell duck who still had that instinct and she has passed it on to at least one of her daughters. This is not the original duck, but one of the offspring, who hid under the steel building and sat on her eggs for at least 28 days. I knew she was there, but her nest is not visible at all, so I also don't know what her hatch rate was. Usually, for ducks it is 100%. Every egg they lay hatches. 

Khaki Campbell ducks do not have much meat on their breasts so they cannot cover a lot of eggs. They make their nests quite deep and round and put the eggs all around the nest so that they touch, but none overlap. They visit the nest as they are laying their eggs and turn the already laid eggs at least once a day. When they feel they have adequate eggs, they begin to brood. 

Today Mamma Duck was out with her ten little ones bright and early. Most likely they hatched over a two to three day period and she remianed on the nest until she was sure there were no more. The babies can peep inside the shell and talk to their mothers to let them know to hang on for the slow ones.  But, the ravens were already watching and on patrol, too. Last year they had breakfast daily. 80 ducklings were hatched by 7 ducks all together in one shelter. They hung around together afterwards too, but with that number of ducklings, it was difficult to fend off prey. The ravens swooped down, picked one up and kept on flying. So, I locked up Mamma Duck and her ten little ducks. It must feel like jail to her I am sure, but she is safe and the babies are too. The ravens are so smart. They know that she is not accessible to them now and they will wait for the moment a baby escapes. Hopefully that won't happen. I picked some grass for Mamma Duck and gave the babies a tray of water. Mamma Duck cannot have much water to bathe at this stage because the babies can drown in deeper water. For a few weeks she will have to make do with what she gets and once in a couple of days I will give her a bucket of water for a few minutes so she can clean her eyes and sinuses (necessary for ducks) and remove the water so the babies do not drown. 

Thanks for your diligence Mamma Duck. It is a gift from the Creator, this hatching business and I am blessed to give you care while you care for your babies. I am. 

Khaki Campbell ducks are not known to go broody, and as a matter of fact, it is rare for one to do so. I am fortunate to have had one raise 8 ducklings last year and this year, one with 7. I locked her in a hoop shelter with her nest so she could bond with the babies. Sometimes the mommas just forget about them and the time spent with just her babies helps the bond become strong. After a week, I let them out. There is a threshold on the hoop shelter that was too large for the babies to climb out of, so I made steps of wood logs, which worked perfectly. It is late in the season for babies, with only a few days of summer left, but she is not alone. The Muscovy girls just hatched their ducklings, nine beautiful babies, and one mamma hen hatched a single. She went broody with just a few eggs, but only one was hers. There is another hen with 7 babies a week old and still another duck sitting on a nest and 3 more hens as well. 

These little ducklings appear to be Rouen and Ancona crosses. There is not a single pure Khaki there. The white drake is looking on and making some comment about the new additions to the farm and mamma duck is scolding him. The babies are swimming in a tote lid, but the water has become muddy from the other ducks. It will be interesting to see how these babies turn out. Welcome little ones!

I think the animals know things we do not. They know about approaching storms, impending earthquakes and when to hunker down because of the cold. I think they know that winter is not on its way for a while, because Mamma duck just hatched 6 little babies, and Mamma Hen, just hatched 12, plus there are three more ducks on nests and two more hens sitting. If it was too cold for these babies, the animals should not be trying to hatch eggs at this time. Last year, for sure, by the end of August I was not aware of any nests still being tended to, but this year, there were seven. 

The tomato plants are loaded with green tomatoes just beginning to show a hint of blush and the squash is full of tiny orbs ready to burst into full sized fruits. If only we had enough time, they could fulfill their growing in time. 

Judging by the animals, I am thinking we do have another month at least before winter comes and maybe even longer. Years back, there was not even snow until Halloween, so maybe this will be one of those years. I could still get some painting outside done after the sheep and goat feeders are built. Fingers are crossed….

The four Rouen mother ducks sat on three nests, two together on one and the other two on their own. They synchronized their nesting so that the ducklings would hatch at the same time and they did, 42 of them. Of course, the mother ducks had no idea whose belonged to whom so they are trying to take care of them all. Already 10 have been lost to various episodes, some to the geese when they got too close, some left behind and they got cold and expired and who knows why the others did not make it. I guess that is why they have so many. 
But today, the mother duck with the white on her had a tiff with the other mother ducks and she picked up one of the ducklings repeatedly and threw it down, the same one. It was a little yellow duckling, so it will be white and the only white duck on the farm is the white Khaki Campbell, so it is safe to assume that it is at least cross bred Khaki. I watched the whole thing from the window of the skid steer with a huge bale of hay on it, so was powerless to help the little duckling. Finally the disagreement ended and the little duckling tottered a bit, but was able to walk. 
The last thing Robbie and I did tonight was to close the sheep pen and there was a duckling peeping. Robbie found it and sure enough, it was the little yellow duckling that had been so badly mistreated before. He was weak and cold and alone. I picked him up and cuddled him in the palm of my hand to warm him, but it is not looking good. He is in the porch in a Rubbermaid tote with a hot water bottle to snuggle up to and a bunch of wool to simulate another duckling. I fried and egg for him and gave him some pellets, but he showed no sign of wanting to drink or eat, so I left him huddled in the corner next to the hot water bottle. I am going to heat it again for him before I retire and hope he will make it through the night, though with that very rough treatment it does not appear he will pull through. Poor little duckey. 

The ducklings and goslings hatched in the incubator earlier in spring are now almost full grown adults. It is possible to tell the difference between the sexes too. The male ducks have a distinct green tinge to their bills, while the females have plain orange, brown or mottled bills, depending on the breed or cross. The males will also develop a curl in their tail feathers fairly soon, but for now, they can be sexed. There are about half and half it appears. Most of these girls will stay on the farm since their moms are now three years old and their laying will decrease considerably next year and the subsequent years. The Khaki Campbell ducks will lay from early in the spring, even with snow on the ground and freezing temperatures, right through until the late fall, and possibly the start of winter. The other ducks, Saxony, Rouen and Ancona, will lay more sporadically now until fall. The only gosling hatched from the farm is a very large gander, mostly grey in colour. He is already protecting his flock. The white Chinese gosling belongs to a friend and was a sole hatchling, so has come to live on the farm for now. The poor fellow has a genetic defect resulting in dropped wings, called angel wing. Since he was fed just the same as the rest of the ducklings and the three other goslings, it was not likely a deficiency that caused the problem, because no others display any abnormalities at all. Well, that is not entirely so. One Rouen was hatched with wry neck, a twist in the neck that inhibits proper eating and drinking and is very tiresome. Although I was advised to do away with him, he has been given the chance to survive and do his best to keep up with the flock. 

The pure white Sebastopols are becoming quite stunning with their fluffy feathers. The goose comes to me and tells me stories. I picked her up today and she protested loudly bringing the gander over to investigate. Then she calmed down and laid her beautiful head on my arm. Ah, the goslings and ducklings are wonderful creatures. They really are. 

Gosh ducklings and goslings are cute! The last of the hatch was out today, with just a few goose eggs to go. The eggs were collected early in spring when the temperatures were still very low and although they were likely fertile, they were not viable. The ducks laid in their shelter and the chickens in their nesting boxes, but the geese were laying outside in makeshift nests. Unfortunately, most of the eggs got chilled and only two geese out of 50 eggs hatched. There are four geese setting now though, and each has a dozen or more eggs, so most likely, many of those eggs will hatch. The geese adults all care for and protect the young goslings. Last year, the gaggle raised 5 mom hatched little gaffers and they all went into the freezer. This year, if the eggs all hatch, which is not likely, but possible, there will be more than 40 goslings. It will be more difficult to protect the babies from arial predators, particularly the ravens. I am not sure how to handle that, not wanting to lose the young ones, but at the same time, wanting to allow the gaggle to look after and raise their babies. Only Robbie, the border collie, chases the ravens off. The other livestock guardian dogs do not much bother with them, unfortunately. 

Two goose eggs pipped, that is the baby broke through the shell, but they have been in the shells too long now, and likely will die in the shell. It is usually not a good idea to liberate the hatchlings either, since they often die shortly after, especially if they are stuck to the shell or membrane and bleed from being released. There are a dozen more goose eggs still in the incubator due in a few days. Then hatching is pretty much over for this year. A hundred chicks and about 25 ducklings, plus 5 turkeys made it, and so far, just two little goslings. They are all living in the granary aka brooder house with two heat lamps (in case one light burns out in the night or anything else ). During the day, if it is good weather, the granary door is open with a wire cover in place to keep cats and ravens out, so the birds can get some fresh air and see outside. In a few weeks they will be transferred to separate pens, one for the waterfowl and the other for the chicks and turkeys. There they will remain until they are well on their way to adult hood and have gained the ability to fend off predators and watch for themselves, usually about at four months old. The males will be sent off to the processor at five months, and the females sold as laying hens or kept for breeding stock and laying hens for the farm. Then next year, the cycle will go on. That is the way of the hatch. 

There are over 100 chicks, 4 turkey poults and about 20 ducklings in the brooder so far. Tomorrow the ducklings need to be separated because they use up all the water and make such a big mess, it just isn't fair to the chicks. The turkey poults do not know how to eat or drink on their own and that is something, when the turkey mother hatches her eggs, she teaches the babies to do. Otherwise, they must learn on their own from watching the chicks or if they are by themselves, their human caretaker must show them by giving them the food and taking them to the water and dipping their beaks into it. It is so much easier when the mothers hatch their babies and care for them, and the babies are so much smarter. Last year, I carefully observed newly hatched chicks. The mothers took them around the barn yard, showing them what food was good, how to drink water and when they got cold, she called them to her and brooded them right where they were. In the first week, the young ones cannot regulate their own temperature yet, and need to be very warm, so the mother broods them very often, but they also are out and about and running over and under grasses and straw. Humans tend to coddle the chicks, not giving them straw, thinking it will cause their legs to splay, but in the real world, they are everywhere. The better mothers watch their babies closely and defend them fiercely. No one dare get too close or she will rush at the intruder and peck hard and scratch and puff herself up to appear a ferocious as she is acting. Human raised chicks miss all that fun. These babies will live in the granary brooder for a month, then be transferred to a hoop coop with a heat lamp in the corner. There they can experience the sunshine and fresh air and learn how to cope with the wind. Some will be kept to breed next year, but most, if not sold, will be put into the freezer for delicious meals in the winter. Their lives are honoured though, and they are loved and appreciated very much. Thank you little feathered friends, thank you so much. 

The first hatch is underway. The cost of keeping birds is much less than buying hay for sheep and goats, and the eggs, chicks and adult bird sales far outweigh their upkeep. That is not so with the other animals on the farm, but at least something breaks even!
The incubators are not mine, but belong to two different friends. I am splitting the hatch with one friend and the other gets his pick of the birds, so it is a win win situation for me and for them. About 40 mixed duck eggs, Rouen, Saxony, Ancona and Khaki Campbell, plus Muscovy, and 15 Standard Bronze turkey eggs, 18 mixed geese, Tufted Toulouse/Embden/Pomeranian, and chicken, Ameraucana/Partridge and white Chantecler and a few others plus bantams are all in the incubator with the chicks due on April 26 and the waterfowl on May 3 and 5. Muscovy ducks take the longest to hatch, followed by the geese then ducks and chicks the shortest, at 21 days. Some of the hatch has been presold already. About the same time, or a bit later, the farm will be receiving an order from Performance Poultry with specialty birds so there will be waterfowl and chick brooders set up and ready to go. Three separate hatches will be made, with approximately 80 eggs per hatch. After that, if there is still interest, the hatch will be set by order only. Unclaimed birds will be raised and either sent to the processors or kept for layers or for sale as adult birds. In the summer the feed bill is very low because the birds free range and basically feed themselves. This year, the numbers of adult birds are too high for the small farm yard, so they will out to pasture with the sheep so the dogs can also watch over them. With the new fencing, it will be easier to pasture the birds. The fliers go where they wish anyhow, so basically it is the ducks and geese and a few of the chickens that will need supplemental grazing. The benefits of raising the birds are many from fresh pastured eggs to bug control to delicious dinners. And to think that when I began this venture three years ago, I had a terrible bird phobia and could not touch a bird, not even a newly hatched chick, let alone go in a coop. Now I can, though the odd time, I still get prickles on the back of my neck when the birds fly by my head. I actually like them now, especially the comical ducks. They are my favourites, hands down. The egg pictured is from a Standard Bronze turkey, and I even like them.