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Raising Ducks
  • Home
  • Raising Ducks
    • Getting Started
      • Why ducks?
      • Duck Breed Guide
      • Planning The Flock
      • Starting the Flock
    • Accommodation
      • Duck Housing Basics
    • Feeding
      • Feeding Basics
      • How to Feed Ducklings
    • Eggs and Meat
      • Why aren’t my ducks laying eggs? 15 reasons
      • When do ducks start laying eggs?
      • When do ducks stop laying eggs?
      • What time of day do ducks lay eggs?
      • I Found a Hidden Nest! (How To Stop Your Duck From Hiding Her Eggs)
      • Can ducks lay 2+ eggs in one day? (You’ll be surprised!)
    • Breeding
      • When Should You Assist With Hatching?
      • Artificial Incubation vs. Natural Incubation
      • 10 Effective Ways To Sex Your Muscovy Duck (With Pictures)
    • Health
      • How to Care For and Treat a Sick Duck
      • List of Duck Diseases and Illnesses
      • When Do You Need a Vet?
    • Resources
      • Egg Incubators
      • Duck Coops and Runs
      • Duck Books
      • Review of “Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks”
      • Review of “The Small-Scale Poultry Flock”
      • Review of “Keeping Ducks and Geese”
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Category: Nutrition

Category: Nutrition

Home Archive for category "Nutrition"

Should My Duck Eat (fill in the blank)?

Should My Duck Eat (fill in the blank)?
Hannah Management / Nutrition July 12, 2016 August 20, 2020 4 Comments

I was walking around, looking at the duck flock, when suddenly I noticed one duck, Kiwi, running off with something in her mouth – something big and slimy.

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Feeding in a Nutshell

Feeding in a Nutshell
Hannah Nutrition August 18, 2015 August 20, 2020 2 Comments

Entire books have been written on the subject of feeding poultry. However, here’s a quick guide to feeding ducks – in just a few paragraphs.

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Ducks and Onions: Can Ducks Eat Onions?

Ducks and Onions: Can Ducks Eat Onions?
Hannah Nutrition July 28, 2015 August 20, 2020 Leave a comment

The scoop on feeding onions to your ducks: Is it okay or dangerous? Is it healthy for them?

Read more"Ducks and Onions: Can Ducks Eat Onions?"
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    • Planning The Flock
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    • Feeding Basics
    • How to Feed Ducklings
  • Eggs and Meat
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    • Artificial Incubation vs. Natural Incubation
  • Health
    • How to Care For and Treat a Sick Duck
    • List of Duck Diseases and Illnesses
    • When Do You Need a Vet?
  • Resources
    • Egg Incubators
    • Duck Coops and Runs
    • Duck Books
    • Review of “Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks”
    • Review of “The Small-Scale Poultry Flock”
    • Review of “Keeping Ducks and Geese”
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junglesidefarm

I love Elvie's blue eyes. 😍 There have been not I love Elvie's blue eyes. 😍 There have been noteworthy incidents regarding nearly all the animals lately--except the geese. The seven geese have just been their normal, stately selves, patrolling the yard and sailing across the pond with nary a fight or an inordinate screaming fit. Geese are capable of being very noisy and territorial, but I've barely noticed them for weeks, outside of feeding/watering them and enjoying watching them.

Farm life can get hectic, so I'm honestly glad there's one group of animals that we haven't had to worry about lately.

Sharing for #gooseflockfriday with Kirsten @hostilevalleyliving. 

#homesteading #homesteadinglife #countrylife #selfsufficient #geese #geeseofinstagram #geeseofig #instageese #backyardgeese #poultryofInstagram #poultry #backyardpoultry #simplehappycountrylife #backyardhomestead
I haven't been active for a while and somehow I ne I haven't been active for a while and somehow I never even got around to posting pics of the last batch of ducklings. So here they are! 😊 They're about 11 weeks old now and 12 of the 16 are females. 😱 

Things have (mostly) been going well on our little farm over the past couple months. 

We're flooded with okra. 
Most of our ten pullets have started laying, and it just so happens that the two noisiest egg song singers are the two which have chosen to lay on the front porch. 
Our puppy, Leo, is growing up. 
We bought two Bielefelder/Marans cockerels. 
One of the ewes has a skin condition I'm not really sure how to treat, but other than that the sheep are all happy and plump. 
The geese have been minding their own business and have caused so little trouble over the past few months that I've almost been forgetting they exist. 😅

#modernminihomestead @modernminihomestead #hobbyfarming #homesteading #ducksmakegreatpets #ducksofig #ducklover#muscovyduck #muscovy #ducklings #babyducks #babyanimals #babyanimallife#animalbabies #farmlife #farmliving #iamamodernfarmer#onthefarm
And we've got ducklings! 😊 We had to make the i And we've got ducklings! 😊 We had to make the initial pip for all of these due to too low humidity (we think), but so far they've all been able to zip themselves! Six of them have hatched and have been returned to their mom (if you didn't see from my stories, we had to take the eggs and put them into an incubator due to ants swarming into the safety holes we made). Three more eggs are zipping and I suspect they'll all hatch very soon, probably this morning. The first six all seem strong and healthy. Whew! I was worried they'd be weak since they couldn't pip. But nope, they seem to have endless energy. They were running all over the incubator, knocking the other eggs around, until we gave them back to Coffee. 
#ducklings #muscovyducklings #babyanimals #babyducks #hatchingeggs #hatching #hatchday #hatching2020 #muscovies #hobbyfarming #homesteading #cutebabies #FarmFreshHappiness @wayward_badger_farm @the.indigo.hen @blackroanfarm
Sylvie. She tends to stay out of sight and mind he Sylvie. She tends to stay out of sight and mind her own business, so she doesn't get photographed often. She has such a unique eye--half blue, half brown! ❤️ #ducks #muscovy #muscovyduck #hobbyfarming #homesteading #backyardducks #backyardbirds #farm #farmlife #ducklove #ducksmakegreatpets
Leo is such a happy puppy. It's too early to know Leo is such a happy puppy. It's too early to know much about his personality since he's so young (and everything can change at adolescence), but he is totally different from our other dog, Nora. I think he's quite smart, as he has barely had any training yet but seems to start understanding new concepts in less than 15 repetitions. We're working on Come, Sit, Wait (impulse control), Okay, No, Yes, and his name. I don't think he's as smart as Nora, though. He's probably more stubborn and less willing to please than Nora, but he definitely doesn't seem as sensitive and easily frustrated as her (Nora will totally give up if she can't figure out what you want from her within like four tries). Nora has some anxiety issues, but he seems totally comfortable with new people and new experiences (so far). As for the animals, he hasn't shown much interest in them yet. I'm not sure what to do to make him interact with them more. He's nervous about the sheep since they keep trying to headbutt him and have succeeded a few times, unfortunately. He doesn't really pay attention to the birds. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. 😆

Sharing for #farmpupfriday with @parallel45farm.

#puppiesofinstagram #farmlifebestlife #farmdogsofinstagram #farmdogs #farmpuppy #greatpyreneesmix #puppytraining #lifeonthefarm
I love mornings like this and I love waking up ear I love mornings like this and I love waking up early to witness them. I love looking at my sheep on green grass on a cool, fresh, sunny morning. 
This is a #throwback to March, since it's dry season right now and the pasture doesn't look anywhere near this green right now. But the greenness will return eventually! 😄 
Sharing for the brand new hashtag #FarmFreshHappiness with @wayward_badger_farm, @the.indigo.hen, and @blackroanfarm!

#smallfarmcharm #pastureraised #pasturedmeat #sheepofInstagram #sheep #sheeplove #hobbyfarming #rurallife
This is Leo, our new puppy! 😊😍 He's part Gre This is Leo, our new puppy! 😊😍 He's part Great Pyrenees and part German Shepherd. I'm hoping he will be able to help protect the poultry and property and be a companion for our other dog, Nora.

#dogsofinstagram #germanshepherdmix #greatpyreneesmix #farmdogs #farmdogsofinstagram #farmpuppy #livestockguardiandog #lifeonthefarm #puppyoftheday
The social dynamics of the goose flock have always The social dynamics of the goose flock have always intrigued me. Not only does each goose have a list of who they like, who they tolerate, and who they hate, but these relationships also change over time.
.
For a long time, the geese have had to be separated into two pens for the night because there was always somebody who hated somebody else too much.
.
Last year, we thought the geese would get along after we got rid of Izzy, who was constantly bullying Charles. Gideon was mean to Charles as well, but he's actually a happy-go-lucky guy who doesn't hate anyone and is just easily influenced. Once Izzy was gone, Gideon spontaneously decided he liked Charles. I mean...just think about that. Geese respond to peer pressure. 😲🤯
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However, they still didn't all get along, because Finley (one of our two females) made the mistake of trying to share Charlotte's nest. Charlotte did not take kindly to that. Thus, Charlotte's "husband" Charles did not take kindly to it either. And thus Gabriel, Charles' best friend, decided Finley was an evil thief. By the end of the day, the entire gaggle, aside from Elvie, hated poor Finley.
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So Elvie and Finley started sharing a pen, while the rest slept in the main goose pen. Then Gideon developed a friendly bond with Elvie and decided he didn't mind Finley after all.
.
Surprise, surprise. Out of nowhere, a couple weeks ago, Gabriel decided he not only didn't hate Finley, but he liked her, maybe even loved her. After weeks of having to lay her eggs alone, she finally had someone to guard her and help her. Of course, even Charles had to soften his hatred by that point.
.
I think Charlotte still hates Finley, and Indy doesn't have an opinion, but this week, for the first time in over two years, the geese have finally decided they all get along well enough to sleep together in one pen. 😁👏
.
Sharing for #gooseflockfriday with @hostilevalleyliving.
.

#geeseofinstagram #lifeonthefarm #geese #farmlife #homesteadinglife #ruralliving #petgeese #gooselove
Mitzi always looks so cool and collected. 😎 The Mitzi always looks so cool and collected. 😎 The sun might be brutal, the grass might be shriveling, the air might be smoky from distant fires gone rogue, the country might be in total lockdown, but Mitzi--and the other animals--just seem to take everything in stride and live on as happily as ever. Of course, they don't care nor know about lockdown. And who knows what they're feeling inside. But they're so stoic on the outside. They don't seem to complain. They seem to smile through everything. 
What if all people could be like that, too? 
Stay positive! 😄

#positivity #fortitude #farmstead #farmlife #farmliving #iamamodernfarmer #onthefarm #farmlifestyle #farmher #hobbyfarm #crazychickenlady #smallfarm #homesteadersofinstagram #backyardfarm #knowwhereyourfoodcomesfrom
#ducks #muscovy#muscovyduck #ducksmakegreatpets #ducksmakemehappy #ducksofinstagram #raisingducks
Today's eggs. The ducks are laying incredibly well Today's eggs. The ducks are laying incredibly well right now. I don't have the incredible egg rainbows some of you are lucky enough to have, but maybe someday I will. In the meantime, I think a plain, clean, white duck egg is still as beautiful as can be. And who doesn't love brown speckled eggs? 
#farmfresheegs #pastureraisedeggs #freerangeeggs #pastureraised #pasturedpoultry #eggs #duckeggs #growyourownfood #raiseyourownfood #knowwhereyourfoodcomesfrom #farmstead#farmlife #backyardpoultry #fresheggsdaily #chickeneggs #fresheggs #speckledeggs #farmtotable #homesteading #duckeggsdaily #modernhomestead #ducks #raisingducks
My face when people call my sheep goats. #sideeye My face when people call my sheep goats. #sideeye

I get it, though. Lily (pictured) and the others are hair sheep. Most people don't seem to know there's such a thing as a sheep without wool. There are multiple breeds of hair sheep, including Dorper, Katahdin, Barbados Blackbelly, Pelibuey, and St. Croix. Some hair sheep grow wool, but they shed it and thus don't need to be sheared. One of ours, Willow, grows a light coat of wool in winter and sheds it come spring, like wild sheep. Lily seems to grow some fuzzy hair in winter, but the other three adult sheep (Luna, Adele, and Augustus) don't seem to grow any wool or fuzz whatsoever. I haven't had them long though--we'll see what they do towards the end of this year.

Are there any uneducated comments you hear a lot from non-sheep people/non-duck people/non-chicken people/non-farmers?

#sheep #sheepstagram #sheepofInstagram #hairsheep #homesteading #hobbyfarming #hobbyfarm #farmlife #farmliving #iamamodernfarmer #onthefarm #farmlifestyle #farmher #homesteadersofinstagram #growyourownfood
It's #spreadthejoysaturday by @still_roost, and th It's #spreadthejoysaturday by @still_roost, and this week's theme for #❤️myfarm (with @the_red_barn_farm and @camoandfeathers) is #positivevibes, because we can all use more positivity! Even in these uncertain times, there is so much to be glad about! Here are some things I'm happy about and thankful for:

1. Coffee the duck is sitting on 18 eggs and will hopefully have ducklings next month. 🙂
2. The ducks are laying well, and our two pullets just started laying as well. 😊
3. Our breadnut trees are producing for the first time. 😀
4. Two of the ewes went in heat this week, so we might have lambs in mid-September. 😃
5. We are LOVING the sheep milk from Willow! 😋
6. We're starting our first real garden, aside from just a few plants in pots here and there. I just started seeds for okra, pepper, and squash. 😄
7. We're all healthy, happy, and staying positive! 😁

Would @growingsimply, @eagle.bend.farms, and @wayward_badger_farm like to play along for #❤️myfarm this Saturday?

#hobbyfarming #homesteading #onthefarm #farmstead #farmlife #farmliving#iamamodernfarmer #hobbyfarm #ducksmakegreatpets #ducksofig #ducks #muscovies #muscovyducks #ducksofinstagram
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Recent Posts

  • Why aren’t my ducks laying eggs? 15 reasons October 4, 2018
  • Aggressive Ducks: Why drakes attack and how to permanently stop aggression May 5, 2018
  • 10 Effective Ways To Sex Your Muscovy Duck (With Pictures) January 17, 2018
  • I Found a Hidden Nest! How To Stop Your Duck From Hiding Her Eggs December 18, 2017
  • Can ducks lay 2+ eggs in one day? (You’ll be surprised!) December 17, 2017

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Recent Posts

  • Why aren’t my ducks laying eggs? 15 reasons
  • Aggressive Ducks: Why drakes attack and how to permanently stop aggression
  • 10 Effective Ways To Sex Your Muscovy Duck (With Pictures)
  • I Found a Hidden Nest! How To Stop Your Duck From Hiding Her Eggs
  • Can ducks lay 2+ eggs in one day? (You’ll be surprised!)
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