WEST KNOLL FARM
Our happy chickens lay healthy eggs!
Duck eggs are excellent for baking or scrambled.
Our ducks free range every afternoon.
With all my breeds of ducks I believe I will start having pages for all my breeding pens. Please check back late spring 2012 for more details and improvements.
It has been over 20 years since we last had ducks. I had forgotten what they were like to raise. Though cute, adorable and lovable, they are slobs! We started back in with ducks spring 2010.
Our chickens and ducks free range well together.
No worries, Jolie won't let anything happen. She doesn't even allow the hens to fuss!
Crap! Do horses eat duck?!
Hey! Horses draw bugs! Great!
This girl has already fallen in love. She follows him everywhere bobbing her head, agreeing with his every peep!
I have some blue Runner girls and quite a few fawn/white Runners girls, including Cimido. In Oct. 2010 I purchased a lovely black Runner drake to cross with these ladies and will be on the hunt for a handsome blue Runner drake to use, as well. Some of my ladies are not quality enough to breed but others are very pretty and I know the new drake will add to the conformation.
Runners were the first breed I owned back in the '80's and I still love the breed to this day.
George and Gracie came to live with us late summer 2010. They are really sweet large white Pekins. These are my only ducks that will not go out and free range, though the gate is open for them. They stay at the barn and monitor the pool conditions.
Rowan and Boris keep the girls safe by watching the sky and grounds.
For best tasting eggs and healthy ducks we let our flock free range on the farm after about 10 a.m. Most ducks lay their eggs during the night or very early morning but on occasion I find a duck egg dropped in an odd spot around the farm.
Terry is anxiously awaiting the arrival of black duck eggs from our Cayuga girls, winter 2011. And we did get some but they were only gray, spring 2011. We bought eggs and have hatched out a male for our girls. Maybe their kids will lay darker eggs.
Cimido (See my (hair) do) likes to show off her pretty crest. I will probably cross her with a black Runner drake to see what pretty babies I may get.
I picked up these 4 to help me get started. They are mixed breeds that I will be happy to add to the growing flock. Only about a month old and already quite large.
And look how fast they grow! A few weeks later they are getting so many feathers! A few are quacking, good sign those are girls.
I have several breeds growing up like Khaki Campbells, Cayuga, Magpie and of course, Runners!
Ducks are awesome to raise but incredibly messy! It is best to raise them on wire after a few weeks old for easier clean up and sanitation.
The 4 pictured above have grown into these four.
Quackers
as a baby.
George! Don't lose your head. Spring will come again soon.
It takes about 5 minutes for them to make any area totally dirty.
Langshans is quite puzzled by these odd chickens. He is keeping an eye on them!
The End
A duck egg with 2 chicken eggs.
Yummy!
Here is my little boy growing up. As of June 2011 he has turned into a goregous fella. Soon he will have his ladies to wander the farm with.
Below is photo of Mr. Handsome n Blue Girl's first baby! Introducing Blue Bonnet!! Hatched May 2011.
I took these wonderful shipping crates and turned them into coops! Check out my "Housing" page to see much more!
I was given Runner duck eggs to hatch from some one that went back to Scotland. I will miss Nikky being a Runner duck lover living close to share such beautiful animals with. These 4 are true beauties and I treasure them.
My Muscovy flock has bloomed! I mentioned to my friend, Debra that I wanted Muscovy and she fulfilled my wish! I have a great flock now!
The Muscovy love their grassy pen and choose to hang out a good bit in there near food bowls and thier coop.
New for January 2012!
Lavender Muscovy!
I was so thrilled to be able to add this gorgeous pair of Muscovy to my breeding plans. They are lovely birds! Very easy to handle and in such good feather! It took a long time for me to get it all arranged and worked out but they are here and I am so happy with them.
Let's hatch some duck eggs!
It is hard to beat the beauty of a Cayuga. In person they are even more astounding. A camera can not catch all the color and sheen when a Cayuga moves in the sunlight.
Lance
Lila
