Feeling Ducky in the Morning

The first chore on the morning list each day involves a trip to the
duck pond.

Each morning, at sunrise, I open the duck hut door

and 18 sweet ducks file out and onto the pond.

It is definitely the favorite time of day for them.

And for me, there is nothing like their enthusiasm to get me going.

I thought I would record this daily ritual and share it with you....
(change the setting in the lower right corner from 360 to 720
for a clearer picture....the lighting was dim....at sunrise.)

We have had great luck keeping this last batch of ducks alive.

This past May 1st, I picked up 17 day old ducklings from

our local feed store, brought them home, and cared for them

until they were big enough to bring to the pond.

Since then, we have lovingly herded them

(often by canoe)

into this hut each night for safe keeping.
The hut has fresh bedding, feed and fresh water.
Unfortunately, they feel the need to poop all over the inside...
(just one more stall to muck!)

Each and every morning, we go back down and open the door

allowing them access to the pond once again.

Two aerators keep the pond from freezing in this harsh winter weather

We provide them with fresh feed and scratch daily.

For this they give us eggs and hours of entertainment.
Hope you enjoyed another glimpse into early morning
on the farm!