Culling The Flock: Ducks and Rain Delays

Our adventure with ducks has been fun.  We have enjoyed them thoroughly; however, I have not enjoyed the incubating experience... which I think I have mentioned in an earlier post... pardon the repetition.  Just last week I had one of thirteen eggs hatch out.  ONE!!  Honestly, I was not wanting to deal with baby ducklings, but it is just depressing to me.  I waited a few days to dispose of the extra unhatched eggs and their were about eight fully developed eggs that just did not hatch out.  This is quite common.  They die just before they should hatch.  I don't understand it at all.  Maybe it is the water in the incubator running out.... some people say it is because they get disturbed in the last phase of incubating... I have to take the egg turner out and this time I waited until one was begining to hatch....whatever it is that makes them die I can not seem to figure it out.  In spite of all the unsuccessful hatches we have fifteen ducks.

Did you know that ducks eat a LOT.... way too much if you are buying feed.  I say it is as if they hold their heads back and open their mouths and you pour the feed in with a funnel.  They seriously eat a LOT.  In their defense they do grow really fast.  By about sixteen weeks ours have reached full size.  They seem to double in size weekly. 

Sweet baby ducklings (Pekins... they will grow to double the size of the black ones below)

Cayuga ducks enjoying a mud puddle.  This pictured does not show the beautiful green sheen on their heads and feathers.

A gorgeous young Pekin duck that was nearing full growth. 

So, now we need to cull the flock.  It has taken my husband a while to get to the point that he would kill them.  He has enjoyed them, but while he was on his Christmas vacation time he realized how much food they are consuming.  Finally, he is on board with killing them.  And now it rains... yes, and rains... and rains.... preventing the culling of the flock.  Funny!  Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks we can cull the flock.