Love Connection?

Back in April we picked up our ducklings - and now they are pretty much all grown up. At what point do we stop calling them ducklings anyway?

A couple two three weeks ago we moved the girl Magpies closer to the chicken enclosure and the hooligans became aware that the 7 girls were here to stay - as if they didn't know it before. So once I figured out that they were kinda sorta interested in them I suggested that we let them co-exist in the same space. It was touch and go for the first week or so. Neither were in any great hurry to make friends.

Well, it has taken a couple of weeks, but I do believe that the girls and the hooligans are okay with being with each other and have figured out who is in charge - that would be Lenny, just by his size really, but we know that Shell-Bell is the one in charge.

THEN last week I was observing the ducks and Lenny together and was noticing that there was one duck hanging close to Shelly. Tom had already mentioned that Phylis (she has a crazy feather tuft) and Shell had been pal-ing around together. However this is the first time that I saw them together.

After a minute or two I watched as Shelly started to pick on Phyllis and kind of attack her. I wasn't really understanding what was happening until I saw him trying to mount her...

WHAAAAT?! She is only three months old!! I don't believe he was successful, but they do hang around each other. A LOT.

It must be her crazy feather tuft on her head.

Since then I have noticed that she will follow him around and not hang with the rest of the ducks. Not all the time, but more often than not. Even when it appears that he is ignoring her she'll stay near both him and Lenny. It's almost like Lenny is their chaperone.

Lenny, Shelly & Phyllis from L to R

This makes me happy, I'm glad that there has been a connection and that maybe in time there will be others being accepted by our little Romeo.

We have some time until the ducks start laying eggs. I think what I read was as early as 6 months, which would be October. If they don't lay at all, that would be fine with me. I'll have extra time to figure out a proper little area for them to lay eggs in. Maybe one day we'll have ducklings!

Farm Life is the BEST Life!