On things that grow fast...

In mid-July, Belle, a Muscovy duck, presented me with my first ever ducklings.  They were the size of golf balls, a myriad of colors and just impossibly cute.  11 weeks later the girl ducklings are large and the boys ENORMOUS! Each of them is beautiful, sleek and fat and healthy looking. They eat so many bugs that my yard is virtually a no bug zone.  They also polish off 50 lb. bags of feed in no time. And poop?  A LOT.  Next year my lawn will be LUSH.  It is a bit difficult to believe that any animal can grow this big, so fast.

The ducks sleep at night in a tight flock, with the resident rabbit hanging out nearby.  During the day they roam the meadow snapping up flies, spiders and anything that moves. They take frequent breaks to splash in the blue kiddy pool, poke through the compost pile looking for treats, or follow me about the place, hoping I'll suddenly drop a scoop of duck food in their direction! 

In May I began with two ducks- one drake, one hen.  I added a second hen in June.  Now I have 22 ducks waddling about, perching on the picnic table, cadging for treats.  They are beauty and comedy in feathered packages.   I never knew I needed ducks, but am so glad to have them!