Duckling Days/The Kids Are Alright

My wife says our backyard smells like a farm.  This made me smile and say “Isn’t it cool!”  It is cool.  I love every funky, nose turning smell back there.  Of course, we try very hard to reduce and even stop all the weird smells.  Sometimes the stank just gets the best of you. 

I don’t know if it’s the heat, or the fact that they’re still babies, but ducklings drink so much freaking water.  I count at least two gallons a day.  Like I said it could just be the heat.  It has been insanely hot here.  That comes as no surprise to anyone.  

So we have six grey runner ducklings.  They are about two months old and growing fast.  Almost all of them have started to get their feathers.  Watching them get bigger reminds me of when our chicks, not so many months ago, were going through their growing pains.  Small pieces of baby down were slowly being replaced with small tough feathers.  Tiny chirps were morphing into deeper clucks.  In the ducklings’ case, sharp quacks. 

I never though when I was younger that I would ever want to raise and keep any form of farm animal.  Growing up in the city, livestock wasn’t a word that even crossed over our tongues, let alone sprouted up in our brains.  Now, still living in that same city, on the same side of town, I am the proud father of four chickens and six ducklings.  Let’s not forget the two dogs and two cats.  If I get my way, we might have a goat next year!  Well, I can dream can’t I?

A huge plus to owning, and raising backyard poultry is that it’s teaching my kids valuable life lessons.  They are learning at a very early age how to care for another living being.  They are learning how important water and food is.  Knowing that if it came down to it, they could, with minimal effort, grow or raise their own food.  They are learning basic sustainability and survival methods.  My children have been right next to me every step of this adventure.  I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

The images at the top of the page are two books that I cannot live without.  Do your self a favor, and buy them, read them and learn from them.  No matter how much I know they will always be on my go-to shelf.

Real quick!  Check out this awesome blog on keeping backyard chickens!

The Boise Backyard Chicken Egg-sperience!

So.  Good.