by Susan | Jul 7, 2019 | Ducks, On the Farm
Doodle, our littlest Blue Swedish duck has been broody for about three weeks now. We’ve watched her move her nest from one corner of the coop to another corner with the help of our “ducky cam.” We started noticing eggs that may have been pushed out...
by Susan | Jun 18, 2019 | Ducks, On the Farm
For the second year in a row, we have a broody chicken. And no rooster. Hannah took pity on chicky mama and tucked a few duck eggs under her with hopes that she can finally hatch a baby. What we’ll do if this works, I don’t know. Do the ducks stay with the chickens?...
by Susan | May 26, 2019 | Ducks, On the Farm
Once again our ducks have been wandering. Hannah discovered them where they shouldn’t have been. Our Pekin ducks typically didn’t wander far but these Welsh Blues are always looking for greener pastures. Or better ponds....
by Susan | Apr 21, 2019 | Ducks, On the Farm
Hannah’s family of Swedish Blue ducks have made it through their first winter at Downeast Thunder Farm. They didn’t stray far this winter, sticking close to their house much of the time. With the snow melt and spring rains, they been enjoying the driveway...
by Susan | Jul 6, 2018 | Ducks, On the Farm
The significance of Independence Day is singular for each of us. For me, the Fourth of July was freedom from livestock in the mudroom. The ducklings have officially moved into the ducky halfway house. The halfway house is a portable critter house on skids. Puddles,...
by Susan | Jun 22, 2018 | Ducks, On the Farm
Join us as the ducklings (Puddles, Murphy, and Doodle) have their first swim. And meet Mr. Duck (aka...
by Susan | Jun 17, 2018 | Ducks, On the Farm
Meet Murphy, Puddles, and Doodle, straight from California. I still amazes me that three ducklings can be shipped in a box across the country. These babies are one of Hannah’s summer projects. She’s determined to raise ducks that “will love...
by Susan | Jun 4, 2018 | Ducks, On the Farm
It was a rough winter at Downeast Thunder Farm. Not only did we lose a chicken to the local bobcat, but we lost two of our ducks as well. During the middle of the day something, perhaps a fox, absconded with Oscar the last of our original ducks (2011). Then it was...
by Susan | Nov 27, 2017 | Ducks, On the Farm
A new duck house has been on my “Honey Do” list for more than a year now. Peep, Squeak, and Oscar have been living in a makeshift house that was recycled from another project. The old house was never designed for ducks and was too big for our trio of...
by Susan | Apr 9, 2017 | Ducks, On the Farm
Today is a sad day. It started out lovely with ice out on the sunny side of the pond. The ducks, Dilly, Quackers, Peep and Squeak enjoyed a first spring dip in the pond while I enjoyed the view from my chair in the shade. Yet, when it was time to bring the ducks in...
by Susan | Mar 21, 2016 | Ducks, On the Farm
Given the unseasonable beautiful weather we’ve been blessed with as of late, the first full day of spring was a rude beginning. A month since we had any measurable snowfall and today’s Snow Day No. 4 feels like a step backward in the march towards spring....
by Susan | Mar 20, 2016 | Ducks, On the Farm
Ice out on the pond was last Sunday, March 13th. It seems that after two months of frozen water, the ducks had forgotten all about it. They are definitely creatures of habit. I was able to snatch up Dilly, our physically challenged duck, and drop her in. That’s...
by Susan | Apr 14, 2015 | Ducks
Arriving home from work this afternoon I marveled at what a week of warm weather has done. The pond is half melted, and the snow around one edge has disappeared. The ducks, however, had little interest in exploring the new found amusement. So I plucked a protesting...
by Susan | Apr 3, 2015 | Ducks, On the Farm
Today felt like Spring! Sixty and sunny, the ducks got some supervised play time outside their house. I guess you could call them puddle ducks as they were having a ball in the melting driveway. Splashing and preening, they were, feathers flying. What I can’t...
by Susan | Aug 3, 2014 | Ducks, On the Farm
Did you know that ducks are great complainers? Dilly is broody and unfortunately she’s made her nest by the pond and not in the duck house. She religiously sits on her eggs during the day. Come evening she’s not happy about being coaxed indoors. We were...
by Susan | Jul 14, 2014 | Ducks, On the Farm
We have another broody duck. Peep is sitting on a cluck of eggs in the duck house. Now Dilly has joined the hopeful building a nest near the pond. She’s become very serious about her efforts, sticking to her nest rain or shine. The problem is, it’s not...
by Susan | Jul 8, 2014 | Chickens, Ducks, On the Farm
Meet Peep. She’s a one-year-old Pekin duck, born in our incubator last spring. She is broody and seems to be doing a good job at sticking to her nest. The only problem is, we don’t need any more ducks! We have eight – three of them boys. That fact...
by Susan | Jan 31, 2014 | Ducks
Not long ago, Janet emailed and asked how the ducks were fairing this winter – that I hadn’t mentioned them lately. Well, Janet, winter is definitely not their favorite season, but our eight duckies are doing well. We got the ducks for eggs (although...
by Susan | Jun 22, 2013 | Ducks, On the Farm
The ducklings spent the last few days in a play yard outdoors becoming familiar with the other farm critters. Today, we introduced Peep and Squeak to the rest of flock. I expected the big ducks to chase off the babies, but for the most part the babies were ignored....
by Susan | Jun 14, 2013 | Ducks, On the Farm
Peep and Squeak are finally getting out of the brooder and experiencing the great outdoors. We put the big ducks in their run early and let the babies explore alone. We had to coax them into the pond. It’s a lot bigger than the bathtub! Then they began to loosen...
