Every day I am fascinated by how much the ducks are talking, maybe I should say quacking. But really, it seems like they talk to me, if only I could understand! I get the feeling they are yelling something like “Feed us goodies!” or “WE WANT WORMS!”

This is RINGO.  She has turned into a hen at 3 months.  I can tell because her head hasn’t turned green and she is the smallest of the bunch.  Ringo also has a really definite QUACK, which makes it obvious she is female.

This one could be a female, but I highly doubt it.  In the sunlight I am starting to see feathers that glow green.  That is for sure a drake.

This is Sonny, he’s a HUGE Rouen, maybe 5 lbs. right now.  He came with Cher, but I’m starting to think Cher might be a drake too!  Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  Too damn many drakes in this bunch??!!

Now THIS is what it looks like when you are so sad because what you thought was a hen has turned into a drake, OVERNIGHT!!  Those feathers change so darn fast.  Can you see the hints of green??  Darn it!!!

And finally, this is my FOR SURE drake, GEORGE.  He has already had his head turn green and his body turn beige.  He also sounds kinda like a bullfrog, not a quack like RINGO.  His bill is also green with a black bead at the tip, for sure male!!  SOOOOOO, this is what’s gonna happen tomorrow…………..

My adorable, what I thought were mostly hens, turned drakes, will be TRADED!  Thank goodness for www.craigslist.com  because without that my one poor hen, RINGO, would not be a happy duck :-0 

I found a farmer with Khaki Campbell hens!!  HOORAY!  So, I am trading George, the ultimate drake, for 3 hens AND, they are a year old and already LAYING, OMG!!! 

Say GOODBYE GEORGE, as tomorrow will arrive new hens.  Sad to see him go, but I just can’t wait for tomorrow.  I hope I can sleep tonight!

“Pool envy” was all I could think about when I saw the ducks looking in the neighbors yard today at their BIGGER pool.

Now they just sit and look at the pool, sometimes for a few hours……crazy ducks!

Ducks are NOT in the garden now. They look through the fence, drooling, just wishing they could get to the lettuce, swiss chard and especially the celery. I look at them and say, “Na..na..na..na..na..naahhhh!!! Sadly, I really do!!

So I guess I’ll just say darn it!  I have been hoping through this whole adventure for 7 hens.  I know, I know, how can I get 7 hens from a random batch of ducks??  The thing about duck gender is you really can’t tell until they are fully feathered OR you get eggs.  Unless you want to vent sex them, that’s a whole nuther experience, which I decided not to traumatize them with in this delicate stage of life.

That DARN dark head appeared overnight.  Really, they all looked identical until yesterday!  Dark head, light body, that’ a drake alright.  All I can hope for now is at least a couple of hens.  WE WANT EGGS!!!