Enter the Quacken…
Hey Guys! Thanks for coming back for our second Daily Duckling! Last time I shared the story of my introduction into homesteading through my little harvest. Today I figured I’d share the story of how we stumbled into ducks in 2019. If you guys haven’t had a chance to check out the Intro pages, you may not know that I have a Human Remains Detection dog named Lily. She is my pride and joy, but she was having an issue with chasing animals when she was supposed to be working. We worked with several trainers, but it was getting to the point that we were at risk of having to discontinue her SAR training over it.
Desperate, I started researching off the wall ways of working through the issue. I stumbled across an article about desensitization and working on impulse control using objects that a dog was obsessed with. I couldn’t buy a squirrel, but I could work on the impulse control using ducks (another animal species she was struggling with). I spoke with my husband and we agreed that ducks could be an option. Now depending on which of us you ask, the conversation went a little differently. He left the conversation assuming we’d be talking about it again in a few weeks and that we’d do more research about ducks before purchasing anything for them, much less the ducks themselves. Unfortunately, I left the conversation with the understanding I was ok to purchase ducks at the feed store the next time I went (which of course was going to be the next day because as the animal person, I was excited).
The next day, I packed up the dog and we went to the local feed store. I had spent the night before while my dear husband was at work researching duck breeds and figuring out the *perfect* breed for us, along with figuring out the basics that we’d need for a small flock. I went to the feed store, with the trouble maker at my side, and went to purchase some ducks. I had previously worked with Khaki Campbell ducks, along with mallards and a few other breeds, so I planned on buying Khaki Campbells for their egg laying capabilities. Unfortunately, the feed store didn’t have any of the breeds I had planned on, but the nice poultry lady steered me towards the tank with the Fawn and White Indian Runners. With similar egg production and build as the Campbells, they were a good option. I chose to purchase three in case I lost one, and off I went with my little cardboard box full of precious cargo.
I didn’t realize the full effects of that one purchase. In addition to surprising a very confused husband when he got home and saw three little fluffy ducklings in our living room (and a very wound-up dog), that purchase also set me on the great adventure of getting further into homesteading. Next time I’ll finish the story of my husband’s very confused response to walking into a house with three ducklings in our living room, naming the girls, and how we ended up with the other two ducks, but in the meantime have a great day and remember that “Life’s Just Ducky”!