Yes, it’s official, Spring is here. After a very cold start to the beginning of the year, we have finally had a few warmer days and the Daffs finally decided it was warm enough to open up.

The official start to Spring and the clocks going forward also brings with it some renewed enthusiasm for me in the garden and in the field where my birds are kept. I have my first batch of chicks outside (under a heat lamp only at night) now that they are fully feathered and it won’t be long before my Abacot Ranger ducklings follow them.

This year, I have hatched 8 Abacot ducklings from the ducks I imported from Germany last year. I am hoping that they will be fairly uniform in type and I will be able to breed from some of them next year. I have arranged to swap a pair of ducks with Chris and Mike Ashton later on in the year since they also imported a pair of Abacot ducks from a different blood line. With this in mind, I hope to be able to introduce some new blood and introduce some vigour into my line.

I am looking forward to seeing the ducklings markings as they develop and if any are good enough, I might try my luck at the British Waterfowl Association show in November.

Ducklings are always messy after a few weeks in a brooding box so this year, I have decided to experiment with a wire floor over part of their brooding area. I will cut a hole in the existing box and staple some mesh to the floor, placing a large plastic garden plant tray underneath to catch the water and mess that falls through. Their food and water can go over this side of the box so at least they can have a bath without flooding themselves out. It always surprises me how moderately priced ducks are from breeders when they are far more work than chickens and eat much more food!