Vintage Home and Farm

These ducks are so cute that it's worth sharing a video of them splashing and swimming in their little blue pool. Joining them are their two favorite hens, Simon and Garfunkel, who hang out with them every day and watch curiously from the sidelines. The duck's names are Big Duck, Cheese and Quackers. We're not sure yet, but we think we might have accidentally gotten a male and female pair (the two gray ones, which are Khaki Cambell ducks).  The duck with the poof of feathers on it's head might be a male.  We had ordered all females, but sometimes this happens.  If we do have a male, no worries, we've decided it would be pretty awesome to let them nest on their eggs and see if we will have ducklings some day!

Look how big the ducks have gotten! They were born in early April and so they are about 13 weeks old now. We've been enjoying their antics as they swim around in the little blue pool, ducking their heads and shaking their tails as ducks will do. Adding ducks to the coop has resulted in a huge water mess every day and likely due to this we have begun to see more flies than ever before. Most of the flies swarm around in the duck pen. To get control of the situation, we decided to try using Black Flag Fly Paper. I've never used fly paper before as we've never had this many flies, but I was encouraged by Black Flag's claim that "once they land, they never leave." Intending to hang the fly paper from the rafters in the duck pen, I grabbed a couple of thumb tacks from the cork board and took the fly paper outside. Sometimes things just don't work out as planned. Once in the duck pen, I unwound the fly trap and it immediately got stuck to my hair, arm, and shirt...

Friends have asked us what our goals are for raising ducks and whether it's any harder to raise ducks versus chickens. Our goals in raising ducks are simple; we're interested in having duck eggs and we also want the opportunity to get closer to ducks and interact with them. Raising ducks allows us to get to know these birds better. In doing so, we've found that there are definitely a few differences in raising ducks versus chickens. At just over two months old, our cute baby ducklings have grown up to be adorable, mature-looking ducks.  The ducks have moved three times, beginning with a metal feeding trough with heat lamp when they were tiny little ducklings, to an outdoor covered coop, to an indoor/outdoor space that now features a small blue swimming pool.  Joining the ducks along the way are two Barred Rock chicks that we raised alongside them.   In the adjacent pen are ten chickens who are very curious about the ducks but none-to-friendly to the smaller chicks. ...

Like most everyone else, we've been hunkering down at home and doing our best not to catch and spread COVID-19 in our community.  Daily phone calls and texts with family and friends are a lifeline and help us stay connected.  My sister reminded me yesterday that I was overdue in posting a farm update - so here it is!  We've been spending a significant amount of time working in the yard and garden -- an activity that just about everyone I know has been indulging in as well.  Right now across the country, I have a feeling that perhaps a few million people have planted vegetable seeds and have been spending time baking bread and other treats, too.  Something about this time we are in has caused my family to want to listen to jazz and swing music, especially from the 1920s through 1940s.  Take a listen!   I am feeling a strong connection to the past, to my grandmother's and great grandmother's eras.  While listening, I like to imagine how often this m...

Aren't ducklings cute?  We couldn't resist.  On Thursday my daughter helped me clean out the giant metal feeding trough that will serve as their new "home".  We washed it out and then set it in the sunroom on the back of the house to dry.  This morning I put several inches of pine shavings inside it, cleaned out a water container and food dish for them, and installed the heat lamp.  Then I went to Airport Garden Nursery as soon as they opened.  There was already a line of people waiting in their cars.   The nursery is considered an essential business here in Washington and so it remains open during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It was quite a challenge to continue social distancing while the mad rush was going on to get these birdies.  I clearly wasn't the only one looking to purchase chicks and ducks.  A bit worried they'd run out before it was my turn, I nonetheless waited patiently in my vehicle until my number was called.  Then, ...