2019 was a full year of six ducks. We made it through the winter, through a HUGE snowstorm that closed the schools. There was hail and lots of rain and flooding (the ducks don't mind excess water). There were sunny days in the garden as well.
After letting the ducks free range the entire backyard last year, we decided to keep them a bit more contained this year. They are SO hard on the lawn. Poop everywhere and they are constantly digging holes in the grass. They still had a lot of space in the garden and unfinished area. Like last year, we had quite a few eggs during the Spring and Summer months. Then, the girls really slowed down.
Between just getting a little burned out, having other things going on, there was some ducky drama that made this year challenging. The two males were generally two peas in a pod. Identical. I really couldn't tell them apart. They had the funniest way of doing a little head bob, then "sneeze" and they'd almost always do it in tandem. BUT ... there were also times they were trying to kill each other! I'm not sure if it was some mating dominance, but it would stress me out. They would fight, there was blood and feathers. I'd try to separate them but they'd go right back at it ... until they were over it and friends/brothers again. There was also some bullying of HandiQuack this year. I'm not sure why. The two males and Blackfoot would chase her off and not let her settle down with the crowd. I felt so bad for her. Much of the summer I ended up separating the flock, keeping HQ and ond of the other girls with her in one part of the fenced garden, with the other four on the other side. This caused much more stress and difficulty in caring for them. They finally seemed to work things out and I was able to keep all six ducks together again at the end of the year.
With Winter coming again, and quite a bit more on my plate, I knew I wasn't up to keeping up with and caring for the ducks any more. Grayson found a cute farm in Riverton that would accept animals and we took them out there. It looked like a cute place, with other ducks, chicken and geese, goats, sheep, a cow, pig and llamas. I know they probably won't be quite as spoiled as they were here at in the Blackham backyard, with the peas/tomatoes, mealworms, etc., but it looked like a nice place where they wouldn't be penned up all the time, and would be cared for. Good luck ducks!
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