Answering calls from unknown callers is a gamble. Most frequently I am confronted with an automated voice desperately warning me about the expiration of the warranty for a truck I haven’t had in years. Sometimes I get calls from customers and that is a pleasant surprise. On a beautiful April day, a certain unknown caller yielded us 6 ducks. That was a fruitful call.
It was mid-morning when Terra received a call from an unknown number. Being the attentive person she is, she took the call. A person on the other end of the line asked if this was the number for Common Roots Urban Farm. Terra promptly responded with her usual, “Yep! That is us!”. Her chipper response was followed by an intrigued look that was a little confused. Then next thing I heard her say is, “You want to give us ducks?!”. I was now equally as inquisitive and waited for her to get off the phone, eager with anticipation.
This unknown caller turned out to be a teacher at McKinley High School. He had been raising ducklings for his students to tend to for a course he was teaching. With the fallout from the COVID-19 epidemic, he was left with ducks and no students. He approached us after googling farms in the area and we were more than happy to take in 6 new characters to our farm squad.
In a half an hour, he had come with the ducks. He had them in a large Rubbermaid container for transport. He told us they were Pekin ducks and that they were a versatile breed, known for their meat and their egg production. At this point, they were little yellow fledglings, not small enough to be ducklings, but not adults yet. The teacher was eager to get rid of the ducks, as he had been taking care of them in a room at his house, and was happy to see that they could have a nice life outside, hanging with the chickens.
We are finally beginning to see the signs of the sexes in the ducks. Males, or drakes, have curled tail feathers that distinguish themselves from the straight feathered female counterparts. We may have one or two in the bunch and that means that we may have to thin the flock come winter time…
Anywho, after having chickens for several years, it has been nice to see how personable and relaxed ducks can be around people. They have so much character and can be so cute playing in the pool or chasing each other around. Seems fun to be a duck.Feel free to stop on by and say hi to the ducks if you’re in the area!
Eat well and enjoy.
J&T
