So…our little LuLu ( Lucy if it is a girl, Luis if it is a boy ) is trying so hard to quack right now. At a month old, Steve thinks (or is hoping) it is a girl. I however, am still a little on the fence. Call me the optimistic pessimist. In case you didn’t know, females quack while males tend to have a low raspy hiss. This is one of the first signs of the sex of our bird. The males also tend to start getting more colorful in their feet and bills by the fourth week. Hard to believe it has been a month with our LuLu.

Since LuLu is an only duckling, I made her a snuggle buddy for her to bond with.    From what we have read, it is important to give them something to feel safe with as if it were with the mother or a sibling, since they are flock birds. I made LuLu’s friend from a willow branch, hot glue, chicken, duck  and  turkey feathers.  Every week I make it a little bigger so it grows with LuLu. The boys have also been making their presence known. We are hoping a slow introDUCKtion (sorry I couldn’t help myself) will help them to acclimate to each other easier. Until LuLu is a full grown, we have to wait to merge all three ducks to give her a fighting chance. A female has a better chance of being accepted by the boys than a male for obvious reasons.

On the first day of August, our little farm and LuLu did have a few visitors.    The Imagination Center of Archbold, Ohio, graced our humble micro farm with a visit. LuLu was a hit of course, in all of her cuteness. Kids crack me up! One little boy was calling us out for not having a cow. “I thought you where a farm! Where is your cow?”. Another kid couldn’t wait to go home and tell her parents she had been bit by a duck. It was  from a three week old duckling. A clothes pin has more pressure. They also grab more than they bite and vibrate. It is actually quite comical to watch someone who has never fed a duck before experience it for the first time. FYI… it doesn’t hurt.  We are always happy to have the little ones here appreciating our many critters (and all of their quirks).
WellsKept Farm would like to give special thanks to Renee Tufts for setting up this adventure. It made our day!

-Sara