Windy city

The duck pen lost its roof yesterday. When I noticed all of it gone when I went over to say hello to them. I had to go and have a look under the pieces to see if Speedy or Young Boy was under there. Lucky for us there were no casualties and there was someone to put it together. Some of the tin also got blown away from the chicken pen, but they loved it as it let more sun in. The ducks don't like the wind much, they run around and then stand face on into the wind.

That baby girl is still chasing Mandy around. When I put Mandy to bed yesterday there was the baby girl standing at the entrance like she was a door bitch.

I think Speedy is going to start laying eggs soon, here is a nest I found of hers. No egg, but I'm sure I'll take a photo when she does. We ate my duck egg pasta yesterday and it was great.

I've decided that I'm going to make them earn their keep and make a little more pasta and sell it at our cafe. I've worked out the sign already. "Duck Egg pasta, brought to you by the Ducks of LBC which is sponsored by Hydrorancho as seen in www.hydrorancho.blogspot.com which is fed by the scraps from The Little Larder". I've got to pimp them out as I really want shirts made up. Those Hydrorancho shirts wont pay for themselves!

Sleepy time Joe

After hyping myself as the duck whisperer yesterday my reality came crashing down when I could get neither Mandy or Speedy to bed. When I finally did I took a photo. As you can see from the other duck on the ground they are up on the top bunk. Mandy was very nervous and I was particularly worried about him. He went to bed better tonight. Today I did notice something very strange - one of The Twins chasing Mandy today. I've never seed a female chase one of the boys. I think she must have a little built up anger after all of the (unwanted) mating the boy ducks put them through. I'm going to have to keep my eye on this situation.

Duck Whisperer

I couldn't get one good photo today. I think it was far too cold. I was so proud of Speedy last night, she went to bed all by herself. When I got to the pen to put Mandy to bed and get Speedy, there she was perched already. Although I think a lot had to do with the rain. So I told Speedy I was very proud of her, I ducked down to her eye line and we had a little chat. As I was putting Mandy to bed I picked him and and he started to try and get away. But then I stopped before we got to the pen and looked at him and told him, its either this or in the chicken pen. We stood for a few more seconds and then I walked him in with ease. Mandy and Speedy are bunk buddies and I think the best of friends.

Rainy days

The rain has well and truly set in. After sliding a car into grass I decided it was a much better idea to stay at home and play with the duckies. They weren't really into being photographed but I managed to snap a few without myself and the camera getting too wet. Speedy is out roaming the ranch with the ducks. She's the only chicken that doesn't mind getting wet. The water must runs off her feathers like the ducks. Next she'll be swimming.

The neighbour locked Mandy in with the rest of the ducks last night and I think there was little fighting. Lucky for Mandy, the neighbour is switched on and realised that Mandy didn't want to be in there and let him out. I ended up coming up and putting him to bed on his top bunk bed. Mandy is the first of the male ducks that has shed his feathers on his wings.

Fearless Speedy

Speedy the fearless chicken. The baby girls are so scared of her and she certainly isn't scared of them. At breakfast time I have to watch over them as she scares the three of the girls away. Here she is having a go at Beakers food. I keep waiting for the day when a boy has a go at her. It will Beaker is looking a little rough at the moment. Its just his muscovy red-ness, it covers all his head.

Baby Girl pasta

My second attempt at duck egg pasta was much more successful than last week. I got the ratio of flour to egg correct and had the eggs at room temperature.

The ducks are just chilling underneath the mango trees, I don't think they like all of this wind we are experiencing at the moment.

I saw Speedy peck Katcsa this morning, she even took a feather out. No wonder the girls are scared of her. Last night I got Speedy out of the tree, she was all cozied up to Young Boy, but I wasn't going to have a bar of it and so I got her down with a stick and penned her up with the ducks. But, I'm beginning to think it may be time that she starts sleeping with the chickens. Perhaps when we get our new chickens (we have 10 on order).

Mandy for president

I had quite the photo shoot with Mandy yesterday. The sun was just setting and Mandy was hungry for tomatoes so I could easily entice him. He is the only duck that answers to his name. Mandy has been winning the boy ducks over as well as me, often I see them all sitting together now. I think mating season is over and they have found their rankings within the group for the rest of the year. I personally can't wait to see Mandy back in the top duck spot again. So today I start the campaign of "Mandy for top duck in 08". Once that nail grows back of his (I estimate 6 months) he'll be ready to take his seat of top duck. Needless to say I'll be right there by his side.
Its not that I don't like Beaker or Tommy, its just umm Mandy is so photogenic.

Star Wars

I was so worried about Old Boy yesterday... I went over to put the chickens to bed and I noticed this huge lump on his chest. I had envisioned it being a huge cancer tumor or something. I don't know what it is about Old Boy but I always have him on deaths door (in my mind). I compared his chest to Young Boy and then to Speedy and he definitely had a lump.

I then heard him crowing and wheezing, he sounded like Darth Vader. I could go on and on comparing the chickens to Star War characters (Speedy - Yoda, Young Boy - Luke Skywalker) but that could be a little bit much, even for me.

But when I got up this morning to let the chickens out his lump was gone. I have a feeling Old Boy just ate too much and the lump was the sack where they digest their food with the pebbles. I will continue to keep a close eye on him.

Mandy

I think this is my favourite photo I've taken of Mandy. I've had a guest here at Hydrorancho that gets up earlier than me. He's very polite and lets the animals out and feeds them. The ducks love it too as they are let out of the pen at 7am. By the time I was up they'd already had a swim and were chilling on the straw. Mandy is definitely making headway with the ducks as tonight he was allowed in the pen. I still don't trust Beaker and Tommy so I put him up on the top bunk.

Wednesday

The boys seem to be getting along a little better at the moment. They even let Mandy sit under the tree with them this morning . It almost looked like Mandy had infiltrated the Tommy/Beaker alliance but its far too early to tell.
We have a few guests with us at Hydrorancho at the moment, so the babies have been getting lots of attention. Here Tommy checking out some bananas.

Best in show

After much thought I've decided that I could show Speedy at the Ekka as she is the prettiest chicken. I'm not sure if they need to be pedigree (or even if they have pedigree chickens) nor what sort of breed she is (aside from being from Hydrorancho and a game bird), but surely she'd win. Obviously we'd have to work a little on her posing, but with those green/blue/black feathers she'd come away with blue ribbon for sure.

Roosters

I think we have a new rooster. The only surviving chick that belonged to the two hens. I think this chicken looks like Old Boy.
Young Boy has been crowing his head off since the roosters starting fighting about two weeks ago.

Winter

Mandy is my favourite boy duck (at the moment). I took this photo of him yesterday and I think his face (the red stuff) is quite dry. It appears the change of season affects us all. Mandy's nail on his foot is growing back, I had a look at it yesterday. I think it will take another 6 months before it's back to normal and then he will go for leadership of the group.

Fighting

There was all sorts of fighting going on yesterday afternoon. As I was putting the animals to bed I noticed there was an extra black hen. I think this is one of the many that disappeared to lay eggs and we assumed that she was killed during snake fest. She was one angry hen as she was fighting with Speedy. I ushered her into the pen with Old Boy and the other chickens and then she started going at the hens in there. Psycho bitch. I ended up getting her out of the pen and then Young Boy chased her down to the neighbours house. I wonder if I'll see her today.

Then Katcsa had a go at Young Boy. Mainly the ducks just snort but Young Boy backed down. I took this photo right in the midde of the action.

I let Old Boy out of the pen this morning and Young Boy is locked up in the duck house. I thought the chickens had cabin fever so I let them out. The roosters are fighting in-between the fence still. Old Boy is a little bloody all ready. This is what they have looked like for the past week or so. Taunting each other through the fence.

Wednesday

Everyone is outside relaxing under the tractor. I forgot to get baby girls eggs today so later tonight when I get her off them, I'll take them then. I made the duck egg pasta, it was a it of an ordeal, lots of flour and dough. I think I'll need to work on the four to egg ratio a little better for next time. Our neighbour told me that his three chickens and the mother got eaten by a fox at about midnight last night. It was very lucky I got baby girl off the eggs. She'd be such a target for the fox, although all they ever eat is the head. The fox certainly didn't get Young Boy as he was up at about 5am crowing.

Nesting

I felt terrible tonight, i had to go and get the baby girl off her eggs and pen her up. She was pretty easy to get off (once I'd climbed under the shed). But it was after, when I locked her up she started whimpering. Poor little baby girl. I'm just not ready for babies just yet. As much as I love ducklings we just can't have any more ducks at the moment and I'd feel really bad giving away her ducklings once they'd hatched.

I found one of Katcsas' eggs today and it is huge. Quite possibly the largest duck egg I've ever scene. I bet it hurt. Tomorrow is duck egg pasta day.

Tuesday

I tried to have a little photo shoot with Young Boy the other day and well, he didn't really deliver the goods. At one stage he even turned away from the camera.

Mandy has been sleeping in with the chickens because I haven't been here to put them to bed. His nail appears to be growing back well. One of the baby girls is out nesting underneath the shed so I'm about to go and crawl around and get her. I'm going to make a pasta out of all of the duck eggs I've collected.

Old Boy is still penned and I'm sure he's got cabin fever. Here he is sunning himself, in jail.

Speedy and boyfriend

I spotted Speedy and her boyfriend (who wishes to remain anonymous) hanging out under the mandarin tree yesterday. Speedy's so funny, even though she's cold she still hangs out under the treed like a duck. Old Boy is still penned up, but appears to have recovered from the fighting from last week. I still can't let him out though as Young Boy will kill him.

Duck wars

While this may look like a ducks bottom, its actually Beaker's bite mark from Tommy. It looks like it's healing well. I haven't seen them fighting since this was happened so maybe they have sorted it out. The neighbour saw them fighting and said that they will kill each other, he suggested that we keep one male and eat the rest. I told him we can't kill Beaker and Mandy. I'm sure they will sort it out.
One of the Twins has lost all of her feathers from her wings. I was worried that she had been fighting with Katcsa and the other twin. But on closer inspection today I think she's pulled the feathers out so the new ones can grow. It looks like her wings have been clipped.

Thursday morning

I just saw Speedy chasing Young Boy around. She's such a funny chicken. She chases the female ducks, all of the chickens and now Young Boy. She's always up for a little sparing.


Beakers tail looks pretty bad and even more bloody this morning. I'm going to catch him later and put some antiseptic powder on it. I think he may have to spend the night in with the chickens.

Tommy boy

I returned home from town today to see about 15 large white duck feathers on the ground. It appeared the boys had been fighting again. I'm pretty sure it was Beaker and Tommy fighting to see who's the boss. Beaker lost the fight and lost most of his new tail feathers at the same time. Poor Beaker, he was second fiddle to Mandy when he was boss and now he's doing the same for Tommy. I took this photo of Tommy yesterday, he doesn't really like being photographed. At the moment he's looking the best out of all the boys.

Old Boys foot is looking better, I went and checked on him but he's got crazy eyes. His beak was all covered in mud from pecking at the ground. He came up really close to me and kept crowing. I told him he needed to have chill out and have a drink of water and get all that mud off his beak. This went on for a little while me saying "Have a drink and wash your beak" and then he'd crow.

I'm really not sure how this story will pan out. But he didn't wash his beak.

Old Boy wars

I went and checked on Old Boy and he is definitely limping. I had a close look at his beak and its quite chipped. I think his pecking days are over. I let the rest of the hens out of the pen to give Young Boy some company.

Monday

Speedy is so well trained she could be in the circus. Tonight I picked Speedy up out of the tree and I was just amazed how well she knows that when I tap he feet she steps onto my hand. Of course it would be good if Speedy went to bed on her own but then I wouldn't be able to pat her every night.

Old Boy and Young Boy are still at it between the fence. Its been three days now and while Old Boy has recovered from his facial injuries now he is limping. Its been suggested that the roosters are fighting and getting at each other between the fence or (which is the one I believe) he's tripped over while taunting Young Boy. Poor Old Boy, I'm really not sure what to do about this one.

1 year old

June marks the one year anniversary of the babies coming to Hydrorancho. I'm not sure how old they were when I got them but they arrived here early June.

As I write this they have discovered the neighbours house so they are all sitting down there.

Last year the neighbour got the six ducklings to keep his other duck George company. George had been hanging out with our chickens but longed the companionship of other ducks. I also think the neighbour planned to eat a few of the . Anyway someone here saw them we asked the neighbour if we could raise them for him until they were old enough to go and live at the damn with George. The deal was I'd get to keep two for my efforts.

As time went on it got harder to choose which two I was going to keep as I realised I wanted to keep them all. One day I broke it to the neighbour that I wanted to keep them all and that I was sorry. He understood and he said "they're your babies".

So much has happened in the past year at Hydrorancho. We lost George and Grey Bitch, Speedy joined the crew, the ducks have a new house, we've lost nearly all of our chickens to snakes and now we're faced with the prospect of having to kill a rooster.

Old Boy vs.Young Boy

I got home from town today and I saw my neighbour carrying Old Boy, so I went over and Old Boy was covered in blood and looking a little stunned. Him and Young Boy got into a fight and it seems that youth has prevailed and Young Boy had Old Boy penned down and was pecking him. The neighbour separated them and brought Old Boy up to me. There isn't a scratch on Young Boy.

I couldn't get a very good photo but as you can see, he was bloody. I'm in a little bit of a predicament now. Do we stew Young Boy and keep Old Boy, who no longer has an appetite for the ladies? Everyone bar Young Boy is penned up at the moment and it will stay like that for a week or so. I went over to check on Old Boy earlier and there was Young Boy on the other side of the fence taunting him. Then I saw Speedy over with Young Boy. I asked her what she was doing with this killer, she knew I wasn't impressed as she ran off. Poor Old Boy, just when he was looking so good. Its none stop here.

I woke up early this morning and went in search of the Goat but it had left Hydrorancho. I was so pleased it didn't go into the patch as I didn't think my duck-proof fence would hold up against a goat.