Lame Ducks and Racist Puppies...

A few months ago I bought a small incubator at the auction for $6.00.  Since I had no fertile eggs to hatch in said incubator, I did what any die hard, weathered, experienced farm girl would do and I bought 12 duck eggs on Ebay.  'Cause that's what our forefathers would have done iffen they were needin' some ducks. 

Now I bid and won Six Muscovey duck eggs.  They look like this when they are full grown...



Funky huh?  Well what I got was FOUR Muscovey duck eggs and EIGHT Cayuga duck eggs because the seller didn't have SIX Muscovey duck eggs and instead gave me EIGHT Cayuga ducks eggs to make up for the two Muscoveys that he didn't have.  Got it?  So the potential was there for FOUR Muscovey ducks and EIGHT Cayuga ducks.  The Cayuga duck looks like this...

So that was fine.  Green ducks would be cool too.  Well I knew having never actually hatched eggs in an incubator that my hatch rate would very well likely not be more than 50%.  I was hoping for a boy and girl Muscovey and a boy and girl Cayuga.  So four ducks.  And low and behold only four ducks hatched.  Two Muscovey's and two Cayugas.  Which is probably a pretty good hatch rate for Ebay ducks.  I have no idea of their gender.  One of the Muscovey's did not make it, so now I have three ducks.  One Muscovey and two Cayugas.  Whatever...what the heck am I going to do with ducks anyway? 

Well in my infinite wisdom I have been feeding the ducks a grain that is too high in protein and has produced in the Muscovey duck a wing condition known as Angel Wing.  Her/His wings are floppy and growing out from the body instead of lying flat to the body.  So in consulting my ancient book of farmer's secrets (ie: I Googled it).  I learned that the ducks wings have to be taped close to the body for five to seven days which will result in proper blood flow and with the right diet the condition may be reversed.  Now ducks are not nice.  They are not friendly or cuddly and nice.  They are rude and snobby and don't like me at all.  They did not bond to me like they do on cartoons, they do not follow me around the yard and quack.  They run from me and will break thier necks against the fence when I try to pet them.  So I don't like ducks and if these ducks are all boys I will give them away or let Husband eat them.  HA! Take that you mean ducks.  If they are girls and lay eggs for me, then they can stay.  But I cannot let the duck's wings go wonky, so I followed the directions on the Google and taped her wings.  She LOVES me now let me tell you  Oh and did I mention that Muscovey ducks have claws at the ends of their cute little webbed feet.  Well they do.  And they're sharp.  I don't like ducks and well ducks don't like me. 

Here are the two Cayuga ducks under the Esperanza Family Hammock, which leads me to a whole different story...

The Esperanza Family Hammock is about four years old and one of my most favorite things.  Well it used to be.  I used to run out and take it down when it rained.  I don't anymore and it's a little gray and the wood has lost it's varnish.  Now let me think where did I get the Esperanza Family Hammock and why on earth do I call it that?  Ebay.  And I call it that because the description on Ebay said that it was hand woven by the Esperanza family of...ummm...South America somewhere?  We feel it is vital to not only name livestock purchased on Ebay but also all household items purchased therein.  Isn't it pretty? 

yeah....

We're not sure why Puppy has such intense disdain for the Esperanza Family. .    He also hates cobblers, haberdashers,  producers of furniture legs, people who tend to appreciate that garbage stay in the designated recepticals and goats, especially those of the Nigerian race.   

Sighs from the farm,

Lisa