#duckcare

I was wondering which members of the Foxhaven clan to introduce next and I came upon an article advising against giving bunnies, ducklings or chicks for Easter gifts to children. Most will end up in a rescue or animal shelter, or released in the wild. Many may end up dying due to lack of proper care or euthanized. This does not teach empathy or responsibility to children, and is a high price to pay for a few days of enjoyment. Moreover, these are domesticated species, and will not survive long in the wild.

So, with all those thoughts rambling in my mind and heavy on my heart, I decided to introduce my ducks, my Welsh Harlequins, my “ducky girls”. They were not bought on a whim, but after thoughtful research into their care, the habitat they’d need to thrive and our lifestyle & needs. Here are a few facts about the breed:  

The Welsh Harlequin originated in 1949 bred by Leslie Bonnet, a Welsh duck breeder.

They are lightweight, averaging around 5 pounds.

Harlequins are primarily raised for their wonderful practical attributes. They are highly adaptable, outstanding layers producing 240-330 white shelled eggs yearly and are active foragers.

 Docile in temperament.

Lifespan of 9 to 12 years; can be productive egg layers for 8+ years.

Cold hardy breed.

On the ‘watch’ list of the Livestock Conservatory

We wanted ducks that were friendly, foraged and would produce a good quantity of eggs. We also wanted to raise ducklings and experience the imprinting process. As they grew, we would use them, too, to teach our smooth collie, Rose, how to herd. (More about that in later posts.)

So our research continued into care and habitat. A great resource and primer is Fresh Eggs Daily with Lisa Steele. She includes a wealth of knowledge and resources, including everything from care of ducklings to building duck coops.

We have a darling coop made by Urban Coop Company and secured it in a pen giving adequate room for the girls to waddle about safe from predators. A dog kennel and a dog house with straw would also do the trick, as long as it is secure top, sides and bottom from raccoons, foxes, and the like. They are typically let outside in a fenced yard for the majority of day to forage and swim in their little pool and then only when we are home. In the winter we moved the coop to a secured side porch enclosure. It worked wonderfully. The evidence of happy & secure ducks was in the eggs. The three girls laid an egg a day consistently  -- that is 21 eggs a week -- until the stress of our move to Westcliffe caused them to stop laying until recently.

Let’s meet the girls!

Hello. I am little Mary. I am brave. I was the first duckling to navigate the ramp to our pool and sundeck. I don’t mind being picked up, as long as you move slow. We are prey, you see, and hard-wired to evade or hide in order to survive. We are pretty clumsy and slow. That makes us really vulnerable. Believe it or not, dogs are our number one predator. Ouch, onto brighter thoughts…. I have remained the smallest of my sisters, but I think the cutest with my browner plumage. I loved the wildflowers and roses at our first home in Evergreen, but love the herbs that were planted in tubs around our coop this summer in Westcliffe. Ducks love greens, but surprisingly can’t have some things, like iceberg lettuce and limited spinach. We get something green every day!  I especially love swiss chard and peas, even the frozen kind. We now have a whole front yard to peck in all day and are tucked in at night in our secure coop and pen. There are some blinking lights that sort of disturbed me at first, but mom assured us it was for our protection and would scare predators away, so we could rest easy.

I’m next! My name is Skye and I LOVE water! Ducks drink a lot of water, up to 4 cups a day each. We also need to dip our heads in to rinse our eyes, since we don’t have tears.  Water is needed to keep our feather and beaks in the best condition, too. Preening after a good splash is awesome! Some folks say we create a muddy mess, but that is just natural for us. There are lots of things you can do, if you are a neat freak, like my mom. We don’t need a large pond, just a wading pool to splash in to keep us thriving and our mucous membranes moist. Elevating the pool, using a baby pool or plastic child’s sandbox you change out daily are good things for us ducks and for you human caretakers, too. Just know that nothing beats watching us frolic and swim! You could go quackers with glee!

Saving the biggest and brightest for last! I am Beatrice. I am the biggest of my sisters, and the best layer. I did have a problem early on with a my vent, but was cured in a short time. That is why we ducks need to be checked regularly, even to have our nails trimmed. Just flip us gently on our backs; we don’t mind as long as you are careful. We are otherwise fairly easy to care for. I like to snuggle at night in my shavings and straw, tuck my head and dream of tender green sprouts. We do NOT require a heat source, just need a cozy secure area and a break from the wind AND a coop or little house with ventilation, too. You see, we give lots of moisture when we breathe that can actually lead to frostbite in the winter without ventilation.  A few extra steps will give us good winter care, too. Mom utilized straw bales and heavy duty secured tarps on the sides of our kennel that our coop is in to keep us safe. The straw bales will be used this summer for her straw bale garden…and treats galore for us! (See later posts about this adventure.)

That’s my girls, who bring me joy and lovely eggs. The eggs are higher in protein and fat content making them prized for baking. They also have more iron and B-12 than chicken eggs. They are larger and their shell is harder too. Poached, scrambled or in a quiche, are go-to favorites. One of my favorite recipes is for sponge cake.