Peek - A - Boo

Pekin ducks 11 months old

It wasn't until I put the photos on the computer, that I noticed this particular image looked a little funny !!...... Our Pekin ducks were playing Peek-a-boo with me... !! (click on photo to enlarge image)

A great way to get the duck's attention and perhaps some fun photos along the way, is to feed them some of their favorite treats!!  Soon, you will be enjoying them all around you!! Another good idea, is to let your pets get used to the camera at an early age....(some may run away from the sight of the flash or clicking noises on the camera)

Ducks can be a lot of fun to have around.... They quack, waddle, swim and eat.  They have great personalities and are a lot of fun to watch....Taking care of a duck as a farm animal or pet can be a rewarding experience and is relatively easy....

Some treats you can feed to your ducks are: Romaine Lettuce (other dark lettuces, not iceberg), tomatoes, worms, night crawlers, cucumber, cracked corn, eggplant, peas, bell peppers, carrots, eggs (scrambled or hardboiled chopped with shells on), beans, feeder goldfish/minows/guppies, plain yogurt, mealworms, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, beets, asparagus 

Special Treats:  floating koi food (they love this stuff in their bath or pond, good protein), cottage cheese, apples (applesauce), bananas (no peel), marigolds, pansies, clover (from a florist or homegrown, no pesticides!), pears, peaches, cherries, grapes, melons (cantaloupe, watermelon), squash, pumpkin, pomegranate, turnips (cooked), raisins, zucchini, oatmeal (cooked), strawberries, rice (cooked, small amount) 

These Treats are No-Nos!!!!
Bread, crackers, spinach, onions, potatoes, avocados, seeds of any kind, chocolate, sugar, junk food of any kind, nuts, citrus (lemons, grapefruit, oranges, limes), popcorn

Happy Purr-Day to you!

(Here is the happy birthday song in cat!)
 

Meow meow meow meow meooooow
Meow meow meow meow meooooow
Meow Meeeeooooow meow meow meoo-ooow
Meow meow meow meow meooooow!

Happy 10th Birthday Philly aka Philly Velcro !! You are our ''Mr Magnificent Boy" and life would just not be the same without your sense of humour and wonderful personality.... we wish you another 10 purrrrr-fect healthy & fun-loving years with us!!

Love Skye, Misty, Lucky, the Fishies, Skittles, all the chickens & ducks and of course the loving hands that feed & pamper you ~~ Mommie and Daddie xoxo

As Promised "My Spring Snow Woman"

Continued from my last post The First Day of Spring

I did get out to create my Snow Woman and I can definitely tell you it brought "the kid out in me"...... and it was a lot of fun!!  I actually caught myself giggling at times... especially when I put the flip flops on her... LOL....Here are a couple of photos of her:

I don't think she will be stickin' around too long!! :-)

but for now, we will just enjoy her presence!

First Day of Spring !! (okay, if you say so) !!

Snow mixed with ice pellets ending early this afternoon then cloudy with 40 percent chance of rain showers or flurries. Snow and ice pellet amount 5 to 10 cm. Local blowing snow early this afternoon. Wind southeast 40 km/h gusting to 70 becoming south 30 gusting to 50 this afternoon. High plus 2

The official start to spring was at 8 am today!! This is what we opened our eyes to:

"the first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another"

All I can say is those little rodent groundhogs better hide a little longer, wherever they are for getting our hopes up and telling us we are going to have an early spring... haaaaaa

What little sign of daffodils we saw last week breaking ground, are now covered in snow!

But, guaranteed, spring is just around the corner.. why?? because the

''spring weight restrictions now in effect'' signs are everywhere!!

So, now I look forward to making a ''spring snow woman'' when this wind tames down a bit and I will dress her up in a colorful ''spring'' outfit and a pair of flip flops!!

HAPPY SPRING everyone!!

Proceed to part 2.... As Promised My Spring Snow Woman

Our Muscovy Ducks

 Muscovy hatchling 1 day old....

and if you think this is cute....

......

......

 Two Muscovy Hatchlings <3

"And let's just say that perhaps this may have not been the most appropriate shirt to wear on day one of this little duck's life"

A few facts:

• The adult males can weigh up to 10-15 lbs (4.5 6.8 kg). The male measures, on average, 31 inches or 79 cm

• Most of the females are 5-7 pounds (2.3 - 3.1 kg) but can, in rare instances, reach up to 10 lbs (4.5 kg). The female measures about 23.6 inches or 60 cm

• Muscovies also eat mosquito larva in the water....They make a huge difference when it comes to insect control.....They are excellent fly catchers!! (click on the photo below to see Donald in action)

Donald, our 3 yr old Male Muscovy catching flies!!

• They have webbed feet and strong sharp claws for grabbing tree branches and roosting.  Their tail is fairly short, flat and wide

• Male Muscovies have a dry hissing call - often ''wagging'' their tail and fluffing up the feathers on their crown at the same time and the females make quiet trilling ''pip'' sounds

• They do not swim much because their oil glands are under developed compared to most ducks.  Muscovy hens can set three times a year, and the egg clutches can vary from 8-21 eggs.  The eggs are incubated for 35 days.