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He always wanted Ducks.

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My husband loves ducks. Ever since I’ve known him he said that one day he would love to have ducks. He does not like chickens, except to eat. So, one day back in April a few days before our 15th wedding anniversary I had gone to Tractor Supply to get a few things for the goats and came home with 2 baby ducklings. Yup, I was suckered in by all those cute ducklings. I ended up with Khaki Campbells, had no idea what to expect.

I bought everything they told me to; heat lamp, feeder, waterer, feed, special pro-biotics to help them grow up and be healthy. They peep when they are babies and they peeped all the way home, I felt terrible that they were in that little box with holes, probably scared to death. They were 4 days old and cute as can be.

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Growing so fast!

Now at that young of an age it is almost impossible to tell the sex. I was told they were most likely female but no guarantees. All of them were a beautiful light, mocha brown color but there was one that was darker, I chose that one and a lighter one.

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Getting their adult feathers.

My husband wasn’t too thrilled at first but then once he held them and watched them, he was in love. He takes the best care of them. And of course the darker one turned out to be a male, so we have Bonnie and Clyde. Once they were old enough we moved them outside. During the day they hang with the goats and at night we put them in their own house. The most amazing thing is how fast they grow.

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Having a swim in the garden.

*Note: We were very disappointed when they didn’t bond with us, we found out that in order for them to bond with humans it has to be within the first 48 hours of them hatching. They aren’t terrified of us but they don’t like to be held.

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Bonnie and Clyde, all grown up!

We were so excited when right on time Bonnie laid her first egg! We happened to be vacationing in Italy when I got a text from our petsitter with a photo of her egg. I was bummed we weren’t there but happy she is healthy and happy to be laying.

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Very first egg!

So, what to do with them? My husband and I were reluctant to eat them, I’m not sure why…but then I fried one up and took a bite. It was delicious but it still was a little creepy. I gave the rest to our dog. She loved it. After thinking about it, I thought how silly, they are perfect, organic, fresh eggs. So I made a frittata. It was so good and my husband ate it too. I also used them to make a birthday cake, they are supposed to be the best for baking  because they are denser. I will say they taste a bit more “eggy” than a chicken egg and they are thicker.

Now we have a fresh supply of eggs, she lays one a day in almost the exact same spot. Never have to buy eggs again.

Home at Last

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Getting ready for the big day was a lot of work and expensive…think long and hard before you decide to bring home any type of farm animal. Luckily I knew what I was getting into, volunteering at The Barnyard Sanctuary prepared me for the work involved and the expenses.

First I had to order a shed and luckily my husband is super handy and built the beautiful base. Next came the fencing, it must be goat proof or they’ll be running through your neighborhood!

I read everything I possibly could about raising goats to prepare for their arrival. My first trip to Tractor Supply was almost better than going shopping at my favorite mall. I bought all the essentials: thermometer, water buckets, hoof trimmers, minerals and of course treats!

The day we went to bring them home was one of the best days of my life. I was so excited and happy and not one bit nervous.

We brought them home in the back of our Jeep. We put down plastic and sheet and I sat with them. At one point on the ride home Cola tried to jump into the front seat with my husband!

We got them home and into their pen with no problems. They settled in nicely and were so curious about everything! My sweet sister Barbara was the first to meet them and brought them a welcome gift of carrots which they loved.

They cried when we left the pen and it broke my heart but I knew I couldn’t stay in there all day and night, it was like crate training a puppy. They would stop after a few minutes.  For about a week or so they would cry when we left the pen until they realized we would always be coming back. Our lives have changed forever since they have joined our family, for the better.

 

2 Baby Goats got my Goat!

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That’s right, two little baby goat cull boys stole my heart the second I laid eyes on them. If you read About me then you know I volunteer at a farm sanctuary. The sanctuary had rescued 10 baby goat cull boys that were being fostered and bottle fed until they were old enough to come to the sanctuary to be adopted out.

10 baby goat boys with a healthy appetite!

Now you ask what is a “cull” boy? The dairy industry is a cruel world. Females are impregnated again and again because without having babies they will not produce milk. So once the babies are born they are taken away from their mothers. The females are bottle fed only to grow up to lead the same sad life as their mothers. The male babies are taken away from their mothers, all put together and within a day or so after being born are shipped off to slaughter. Yes, to slaughter. This is true for cows, sheep and goats.

Now back to the good part. A fellow sanctuary worker had posted on Facebook a video and some photos of the new babies and I could not wait to meet them! So that Saturday when I got there I went right to their pen and it happened. All ten of them came running to the gate when they heard the chains and the first two around the corner were light colored while all the rest were dark brown. They came right to me and hung out with me while I cleaned their pen while the others went on to do their own thing.

My sweet Pepsi, saying Mom don’t go yet…

Week after week I would come on my usual Saturdays and there would be less of the babies until one Saturday when Tamala, the sanctuary owner told me that Pepsi and Cola (I named them that first day I saw them) were off to their forever home later that week. PANIC and HEARTBREAK! There were two others still there, why couldn’t they take them? I did it. I told her I would take them. I could not let them go.

Cola with his icky ear tag, saying the same thing as his brother, don’t go Mom…

I was terrified of what my husband would say but I just knew they were mine. Tamala said of course and that the other family would be happy to have the other two.

Hard to leave those faces but knowing they were coming home with me soon made it easier.

 

I bought them collars with their names…of course!

My husband wasn’t thrilled at first, we had just started an addition on our house and the where, how, when, etc…but a few weeks later we brought them home.

Coming home!

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