And, well, apparently the world is itching to know about duck eggs, because that simple post gets lots of views every week.

I love raising ducks and I’m always up for talking about them, so let’s do it… Let’s talk all things duck eggs.

Sidenote: don’t miss the conclusion… you need ot know the 3 Reasons You Should be Eating Duck Eggs.

Do duck eggs taste different?

When compared to chicken eggs, duck eggs have a larger yolk-to-white-ratio, which results in a richer, almost creamer taste.

Eating one duck egg would almost be like adding an extra yolk to your chicken egg (or eating a double yolker!).

In my experience–especially depending on how you cook them–duck eggs also tend to have a more “rubbery” texture (think over-easy eggs) than a chicken egg would if cooked the same way.

Why are duck eggs better for cooking?

Generally I prefer using duck eggs for baking and chicken eggs for frying or scrambling. It’s not that duck eggs aren’t good for eating straight up–they are–but my family tends to prefer the softer texture of scrambled chicken eggs versus the slightly rubbery texture of scrambled duck eggs.

Pro tip: If you scramble 1 duck egg in with 3-4 chicken eggs, you get more of a variety of nutrients and you won’t even notice the different texture of the duck egg.

On the flip side, duck eggs literally enhance baked goods.

The extra large, creamy yolk lends itself incredibly well to chewier cookies, more soft and tender muffins, higher rise on enhanced breads, and richer flavor in puddings, ice cream, or pound cakes.

Overall, duck eggs are a magic secret ingredient in any and all baked goods. I promise if you made the same cookie recipe side-by-side with chicken eggs and duck eggs, the result would be better with duck eggs.

BTW, whenever I scramble or fry an egg, duck egg or otherwise, this is my favorite seasoning to add. (Code “soulyrested” for 15% off, all the time.)

Why people don’t eat duck eggs?

At the end of the day, the main reason people consume way more chicken eggs than duck eggs is simply because it’s easier to raise chicken eggs commercially. Ducks are a bit more high maintenance and need more space and resources to raise compared to chickens. So with the rise of commercial farming, chicken eggs were king and remain so today.

But that’s not necessarily to say chicken eggs are better than duck eggs, they’re just what we’re more used to now.

Do duck eggs tastes like eggs?

Many folks are afraid of what they don’t know, but are surprised to find out that duck eggs do, in fact, taste like eggs!

When compared to a chicken egg, duck eggs do have a slightly different flavor, mostly based off of their diet. The flavor could be described as lightly gamey or grassy. (Keep reading for more thoughts on this.)

If you’ve only ever eaten commercially raised chicken eggs, the flavor of farm fresh duck eggs might be slightly different than what you’re used to–but if the flavor is very strong or off-putting, chances are your duck eggs are bad or were mishandled by your farmer.

How to substitute duck eggs for chicken eggs

Two duck eggs is about equal to 3 chicken eggs. So if your recipe calls for 3 large eggs, use 2 average duck eggs instead.

When baking with duck eggs, keep in mind that duck eggs tend to be about 30% larger than the average chicken egg. Even so, you can substitute duck eggs for chicken eggs 1-for-1 with these 3 tips:

1. Cook your baked goods at a slightly higher temperature (up your oven temperature 5-10 degrees).
2. Bake them for just a minute or two more than if you used chicken eggs in the recipe.
3. Add slightly less liquid to your recipe.

What are the disadvantages of duck eggs?

My family and I love duck eggs, but there are some downsides.

1. Some folks find that duck eggs don’t agree with their stomach. Strangely, sometimes people who have no issues eating chicken eggs will find themselves with a hefty stomach ache after consuming duck eggs. This could be due to an allergy, or could simply be the richness of the larger-yolked duck egg that their stomach isn’t used to.
2. Some duck eggs can taste slightly “fishy.” This would mostly be due to either diet or mishandling of the eggs. If ducks are kept near or on a pond and eat a diet similar to wild ducks, you might find the eggs taste a bit gamey. If eggs are kept in too warm of a temperature or not handled or cleaned properly, this flavor will intensify.
3. Duck eggs can be pricier if you’re purchasing them. This will just depend on availability in your area.
4. The eggshells on duck eggs tend to be much thicker and harder to crack, with a thicker membrane inside the eggshell than chicken eggs. The reason this is a downside is simply because you’re more likely to wind up with small pieces of eggshells in your scrambled eggs. Just something to watch for and be aware of.

What are the pros and cons of duck eggs?

Cons:

1. Some people may find duck eggs more rubbery than chicken eggs and not enjoy the texture.
2. In some instances, duck eggs are much more rich than chicken eggs and could lead to an upset stomach, or the richness just might not be your favorite.
3. In some cases, people who eat chicken eggs just fine might be slightly allergic to duck eggs which could be as simple as an inconvenient upset stomach, or, in rare cases, could actually lead to a more serious allergic reaction.

Pros:

1. Due to their large size and richness, and higher calories and protein content, you need to eat less duck eggs to keep you full.
2. In some cases, people who can’t tolerate chicken eggs may be able to eat duck eggs with no issues.
3. Some folks prefer the slightly gamier flavor of duck eggs over chicken eggs and see duck eggs as a tasty delicacy.

Is it OK to eat duck eggs every day?

Yes, you can eat ducks eggs every day.

Keep in mind that duck eggs are a bit higher in calories compared to chicken eggs. Here’s how they compare:

• The average chicken egg= 72 calories
• The average duck egg= 130 calories

They’re also a bit higher in fat than a chicken egg. But I see this as a good thing, since most of us are lacking in the good fats.

• More here about how lard and tallow are great choices.
• And remember we need the good fats if we want all the good vitamins and minerals. (source)

Bonus: duck eggs add more protein, antioxidants, and minerals to your plate as well. Huh, that’s pretty cool, right?

So yes, go ahead and eat duck eggs every day. You deserve it.

Can duck eggs be stored at room temperature?

Fresh-laid and unwashed duck eggs can be stored at room temperature, thanks to the bloom on the outside of the shell that seals the pores of the egg.

Ideally, it’s best to eat your fresh eggs within a few weeks for the best flavor and nutrition, but they can be kept for much longer than that.

Bonus: compared to chicken eggs, duck eggs should last even longer, thanks to their thicker shells and membranes that protect the egg inside from bacteria.

One caveat to storing duck eggs is that–even more so than chicken eggs–duck eggs tend to get dirty right after they’re laid. This is because ducks stay on the ground to lay their eggs, whereas chickens often jump up higher into a nesting box to lay their eggs, get the job done, then jump back down and resume their life.

Our ducks tend to lay their eggs before we let them out of their duck house every morning, then proceed to walk over them, and often do their business right next to or on them, which means the duck’s eggs are always dirtier than our chicken’s eggs.

Pro tip: When the eggs are unusually dirty, I will wash them right after bringing them into the house and then store them in the fridge. The ones that are relatively clean because they somehow escaped the duck’s carelessness get stored on the counter and washed before they’re used.

3 reasons you should be eating duck eggs

In the end, yes, there are pros and cons, and yes there are disadvantages of duck eggs compared to chicken eggs, but I whole-heartedly believe we all should be eating duck eggs, if we can. It comes down to 3 reasons:

1. Duck eggs are a magic secret ingredient in any and all baked goods.
2. The pros outweigh the cons.
3. They offer more good stuff to your diet that chicken eggs simply don’t have.

Details about Duck Eggs and other such things:

• Everything you need to know about duck eggs (part 1)
• Would I rather raise chickens or ducks?
• Training my dog to like my birds in 5 simple steps
• A huge mistake I made when incubating chicks
• Make lasagna noodles with fresh flour (great made with duck eggs!)

And be sure to Download my FREE Pantry Checklist and all the discounts on the best ingredients

Win a Grain Mill!

Enter to win a Classic Grain Mill & free access to Fresh Flour University!

Talk to me about Duck Eggs…

If you have questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me on ig to show me your duck egg delicacies @souly.rested.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31

The post Duck Eggs : why you need them in your kitchen first appeared on Souly Rested.

Everything You Need to Know About Duck Eggs

First, let’s get the obvious questions out of the way…

Can you eat duck eggs?

I was surprised when a follower on instagram asked me this last week. In the end I think she was confused about what WAYS to eat them, but even so, I was surprised that duck eggs are seen as so unusual or foreign to many folks. In short, YES!! you can definitely eat (and LOVE) duck eggs.

Why are duck eggs not sold in stores?

I think the main reason you can’t find duck eggs in your local grocery store is simply supply and demand. Chicken eggs are the more common, well-known egg and they’re what folks expect to find at the store. Also, duck eggs are much larger and harder to use in recipes that are written with a standard-size chicken egg in mind.  So stores supply what their customers are wanting.

Why do chefs prefer duck eggs?

Duck eggs are higher in fat than chicken eggs, so their taste is a bolder, richer taste, which tends to shine in many dishes. No wonder chefs tend to prefer duck eggs over chicken eggs.

Are duck eggs good to eat?

Yes, duck eggs are good to eat. They’re good for you and they’re a very rich taste, making your baked goods extraordinary.

Now, I’ll share all the pros and cons on each topic surrounding duck eggs…

Duck eggs taste different than chicken eggs.

Folks love the richer flavor that duck eggs offer. (Sidenote:  Duck eggs are less watery than chicken eggs, so be careful when frying them, because an overcooked duck egg tends to be rubbery.)

Pro: Many people prefer the taste of duck eggs, describing them as “richer” tasting than chicken eggs. But if I’m scrambling duck eggs, I will always mix them in with chicken eggs. Then–when they’re mixed with the chicken eggs–I enjoy the slight different taste of the duck eggs.

Pro: I also love the taste of duck eggs in baking. But, there’s a “con” to that too… (See below.)

Con: I personally prefer the taste of chicken eggs. It might be more the consistency than the taste, actually. Duck eggs are more percentage of yolk to white and more “rubbery” for lack of a better word.

Duck eggs are bigger than chicken eggs.

Pro: You get more food per egg, for sure.

Con: While I love the richer taste duck eggs provide in baking, it’s a quandary often to know how many to add. When the recipe calls for 2 eggs, 2 duck eggs will be too much. If 3 eggs are called for? I may use 2 duck. But usually my solution is to snag an odd combination of eggs, like I may dig around my egg bin for 2 of my smallest chicken eggs (probably called “medium size” in the store-bought world) to combine with 1 duck egg if the recipe calls for 3 eggs total.

Con: The sheer fact that they’re larger also means you’ll be consuming more calories, fat, and cholesterol when you eat one duck egg compared to one chicken egg. (Read more on this below.)

Con: Of course, there’s one more “con” to their size… the larger the egg, the larger the surface area that your sweet ducks can waddle all over them and cover them in… you guessed it… duck poo. I have never once–never–pulled a clean egg out of our duck house. I sincerely don’t know how they manage to coat the eggs in poo. I mean it’s like they roll their eggs in their poo for sport every morning before we arrive on scene.

Con: I truly don’t know if this is true on all farms. In fact, it wasn’t true with our first flock of ducks. But our current flock eat a lot more than our chicken do. Our chicken garner a lot more nutrition by free ranging than our ducks do. The ducks often range as far and wide as the chicken do… often even all together for a large portion of the day… but for some reason the ducks rely more on the feed that we give them than the chicken ever do.

Duck eggs may be more allergy friendly. Or not.

Pro: I’ve read that eggs are one of the most common allergy problems for children. If a child (or adult) in your family faces this problem, you may be pleasantly surprised that duck eggs don’t cause any allergic reactions for him/her. There’s no guarantee, of course, but many people who are allergic to chicken eggs find that they can eat and enjoy duck eggs. *

Con: In our family, the allergy thing happens to be a con. One daughter is allergic to them.

* This is where I insert that legal language/mumbo jumbo that I am not a nutritionist or a doctor and I am not making any medical claims here, only stating what I’ve experienced myself.

A follower on instagram, maryrenee16, reached out to me recently and explained her allergy to duck eggs, which was quite severe…

“Very painful stomach cramps and eventually vomiting. I have never had a food allergy so I had no idea what was happening. I will say oddly my body knew it before my mind did. I would almost get sick just collecting the eggs or when I handled them for cooking. I thought I was just being a city girl and needed to put my big girl pants on. But we have chickens as well and I had never had that reaction to collecting or handling their eggs. So I dove deeper into what an egg allergy can look like. Once I eliminated the duck eggs from my diet, I was no longer getting sick. I just had no idea! They were so amazing to bake with- I even made ice cream with the duck eggs. It was soooo good!”

Ducks are productive in the winter. Kinda.

The big reason I wanted ducks was this amazing “fact” that I had heard that ducks are productive all winter long, laying eggs often during the long months that our chicken would be “dormant” in the egg category. (Yes, I know if I provide a source of heat in the coop the chicken would be more productive, but I just can’t justify that over my fear of a possible fire on the farm.)

Pro: Ducks are more “winter weather hardy” and can lay eggs during cold weather when chickens are too busy conserving body heat to lay many eggs.

Con: Sadly, in our experience over the past 4 years, with 3 different flocks of ducks, we get very little duck eggs in the winter months. We’ll be surprised with one duck egg here and there, maybe once or twice a week, throughout the winter, but that’s it.

Duck eggs pack more of a nutritional punch than chicken eggs.

Both size-wise and nutrient-wise, duck eggs come out on top. They offer a wide range of vitamins and minerals. In fact, you get almost an entire day’s worth of vitamin B12 in every duck egg, which is needed for red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and healthy nerve function. (More about bit B12 benefits here.)

pro:  Because duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, they offer more protein, omega-3, and vitamin D than a chicken egg. Even if they weren’t bigger than chicken eggs, duck eggs provide more nutrients than chicken eggs, ounce for ounce.

con: their yolks are larger. That means that the eggs are a more concentrated source of calories, fat, and cholesterol. Depending on their size, you could get twice as many calories and three times as much cholesterol from a duck egg.

Duck eggs vs. Chicken eggs? Bottom line: they’re both good for you.

Both chicken and duck eggs are loaded with antioxidants, which some research suggests could even reduce the risk for cancer.

Both chicken and duck eggs contain mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the good type of fats.

But I will say, Ducks give you a whole lot of entertainment in between the eggs…

More info for you:

Raising Chickens vs. Raising Ducks

Training Your Dog Around Free-Ranging Chickens and Ducks

Natural Egg Dying

Homesteading in Modern Times

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The post Everything you need to know about duck eggs first appeared on Souly Rested.

Are there pros and cons to each kind of bird? Absolutely. Most days, if I had to pick only one to have on the farm, I’d pick chickens. But once in a while, I’d pick ducks. I imagine most people who own both would tell you they have a favorite. More often than not, simply based on my conversations I’ve had with others who raise both chickens and ducks, I would venture to say that most people would choose chickens if forced to choose just one.

Go here to see the products I recommend for raising chicken.

But if you don’t have to choose, why on earth would you?

But there are such redeeming qualities to ducks… The larger, richer eggs for starters. And their ability to keep on laying those rich eggs most of the winter, long after our hens take their winter break. (Mind you, we choose to not heat our coop. Our hens would give us eggs longer into the winter months if they had a heat source.) But, the hands-down #1 reason I like having ducks around? Their stinkin’ cute waddles and adorable personalities. I mean honestly, who can resist waddling duck butts heading off across the field?

What I love the most about having ducks?

I mean, hello! Beatrice Potter moment here! Who doesn’t wanna have Jemima Puddle Duck tottering nearby? I honestly wonder if one day the ducks will come shuffling around a corner wearing blue bonnets and chatting about Sally Henny Penny. But, yeah, the sheer fact that their presence makes our New England homestead feel a little like a farm on the English country side makes me glad we have the room and ability to keep some ducks on our farm.

But a few moments that occurred one evening last week made me so happy. Sure, I know it just looks like a few birds in my back field, but this right here is a picture of male birds–Mr. Big Fat, my rooster, and Winchester, the drake–doing what male birds do so beautifully. They have amazing natural instincts to care for their ladies.

Eagle has always been one of Mr. Big Fat’s favorites, so I wasn’t surprised to see that she was the hen in the picture I had snapped. Eagle has quite a story of her own, part of which you could read about in this post.

But the female duck is the main character of the story today. Lamie was always lame, from when we brought her home as a duckling with 2 other ladies and their drake. But as she grew, her disability became more pronounced. She tried oh-so-hard to keep up with the others, but she was always left behind. Her drake never cared to check on her or encourage her along, but was always fine with the fact that she was left behind and out of his range of protection. While she did become quite a loaner, even down to the fact that she was never able to lay eggs, she always seemed to be much happier when the others waddled back her way and she had some company.

This post gives you a rundown on 10 Fowl Facts you should know that I didn’t know when I first brought home our chickens. (You can pin that one here.)

This post explains how we trained our labradoodle to befriend our birds–maybe the most important accomplishment to date here on our farm. (That pin is here.)

And if you’re considering raising chicks, please read this post to avoid the horrible mistake I made that cost many sweet little lives. (This pin leads you to that mistake as one of a dozen I made that year.)

One day Lamie’s disability saved her life but left her totally empty.

The others had waddled off through the cow pasture one day, and they were carried off for a meal by a local fox. The drake, from the looks of the spewed feathers, had put up quite a battle for his ladies but had lost. It was tragic for us. I got the call during my long stay by my daughter’s side in the ICU, where she battled a rare and ugly neurological symptom during the worst, darkest summer of my life. Part of me had no energy to devote to feeling sad over the loss of a few farm critters, but another part of me was devastated at the news. Alone. Empty. Lame, in my own right.

So to have ducks waddling their cuteness around the homestead again feels extra good. You see, recently, a few new ducks came to live on our farm. But the evening I realized this I was elated…

While we were watching the sap boil, the chicken and ducks all came around. Well, first came Lassie. But our barn cat is always around…

Then I realized Lamie had a new lease on life.

Then came the ducks, the farthest we had seen them wander since moving in. And Lamie was with them! For the first time in a very long time Lamie has friends again. And she is like a new duck. They even patiently wait for her to keep up with them when they go on their wandering, waddling adventures. The new drake seems to be especially fond of Lamie. My heart leaped with happy when I saw this. That and the amazing aromatic maple steam that enveloped me, wow, I’m surprised I didn’t cry.

So, yeah, I’m often asked if I’d rather raise chicken or ducks. Yes.

Go here to see the products I recommend for raising your own.

If you’d like to meet our barn kittens, here’s a facebook live I shared recently over on my facebook page. Of course who wouldn’t? They’re stinkin adorable balls of just-born fluff.

If you already ARE a subscriber, just hop over to the Resource Library here and enter your personal password. (If you don’t remember your password, no fear, we always include a personalized reminder in every Thursday email, “Hard Work, Simple Joys.”)

The post Would you rather raise chickens or ducks? first appeared on Souly Rested.

I make mistakes. A lot of them. Sometimes I wear a brown belt with black shoes and don’t even notice.

Last week I went to a dentist appointment and didn’t notice I had duck poo smeared on my boots until I propped them up on the end of the long, vinyl dental chair. Truth.

Occasionally I stop at the grocery store for milk and drive home with 5 bags of groceries only to realize I forgot the milk. Since said store is 18 miles from our out-in-the-country homestead, everyone feels the brunt of that mistake for a few days. Scout, our holstein, is bred but not due to calf for many months, so no fresh milk on the farm yet…

My mistakes on the farm also turn out to be more costly than a fashion faux pas or a forgetful trip to the store. Egg, meat, and milk production can be affected dramatically. Plants can suffer beetle infestation and delicious vegetables or fruit never make it to the table. But last week, animals died. Because of my mistake. I’ve felt sick over it, and I wanted to  write about it hoping I can help others avoid making the same mistake I did.

Read here if you’d like to know the 3 Secrets Legit Homesteaders Might Not Tell You, but you really oughta know. Or just PIN IT for later.

Or hop over to this post if you’d like to know if I prefer raising chickens or ducks here on our homestead.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links.

I thought we were doing everything right with our now 8-week-old chicks that we incubated this spring. This is our second year of incubating and assimilating chicks into our flock. (Read this post to find out 10 Foul Facts I learned from my chicken the first week we were brand-new chicken owners.) We kept them under a brooding light until they were old enough to venture outside for brief intervals, always keeping them corralled under our watchful eyes. Then we’d gather them back in their box and situate them once again under their warm light.

We introduced them safely to the other adult chickens, placing them in a large pen in the midst of where the chicken were free ranging. After days of doing that, we carried their pen into the coop and let them sleep there for many nights, behind the safe wire cage.

Then we set them free around the coop for just a brief time for many evenings in a row, knowing all the chickens would soon be coming in to roost for the night. They would file right by and around the new chicks and right up to their roosting spots. This allowed the older hens to get “acquainted” with the young ones at a time that they had no interest in harming them.

I knew drakes sometimes try to mate with hens, so I kept a close eye on how the male duck interacted with the chicks. He kept to himself, with his 3 ducks, and showed no interest in the chicks at all.

Here are the 10 things I think everyone oughta know about chicken.

But I had no idea that my rooster could be a threat to the well-being of my sweet new chickens.

So I was clueless when I stepped in the coop one morning last week and saw my favorite young hen dead in the corner. My first thought was that a predator had entered in the night, but I realized that made no sense since all the others were fine, but then I noticed they weren’t fine at all. Six of my eight chicks were acting painfully lethargic, barely lifting their heads and not hoping outside when I shooed them to do so. They let me pick them up without any resistance and felt almost limp in my hands.

Before I even had time to run to the computer and research what causes such odd behavior I realized that Mr. Big Fat–my rooster who was named by my daughters, in honor of his inflated self-image, not his actual size–was the source of the problem.

Big Fat grabbed the neck of one of the two surviving young girls and jumped on her to mate before I could stop him.

If you haven’t seen a rooster doing his manly business, you may not know why this would be a problem. I’d seen it hundreds of times–truly walking around the homestead with free-ranging chicken and ducks can get kinda “R”-rated sometimes. So I was immediately mad when I saw the full-size male mount the little, fragile hen who was half his size. His beak sank into her little neck, holding her in place while he hopped on her back and dug his sharp spurs into her, holding on viciously while balancing his cloaca, trying to meet with hers. (“Cloaca” is the official name for both the roosters’ and the hens’ “vents.” Semen exits a rooster’s cloaca and enters a hen’s cloaca to fertilize the eggs.) The vicious balancing act was futile because she was way too small for his cloaca to ever be able to meet with hers.

If that was a little more than you cared to know, sorry, but it’s safe to keep reading. No more chicken anatomy will be mentioned in this post. Promise. If, on the other hand, you’d like to know more about the birds and the bees, chicken style, hop over to this post on the Frugal chicken. If you want to understand the fertilization process of an egg, I think this post from Natural Chicken Keeping is a great resource.

After I witnessed Big Fat carelessly, and pointlessly, hurting her, my pretty little hen seemed okay at first. But his savage act caused terminal internal damage. Within minutes, she looked lethargic like the others had that I had just left in the coop. She was spitting up; then she laid down, convulsed a little, and died by my side within 10 minutes of Big Fat’s pathetic, meaningless act.

The others all died as well, except for one that had eluded the rooster’s lousy attempt at charm. I scooped her up and quarantined her to safety. In a short while I noticed the Roo heading for one of the four youngest chicks on our farm, the babies who hatched by a broody hen a few weeks after our incubated chicks.

In the first 3 or 4 weeks of their life, the momma hen (“Missy”) kept her chicks right by her side, even clucking to them, directing each one to climb in close under her wings if she perceived possible danger nearby.

But the last few weeks, they’d grown (doubled in size since this picture) and she’d given them complete independence. So Missy wasn’t around when Mr. Big Fat started sauntering over to one of the little ones. Thankfully, I was. And they too are tucked away safely now.

I didn’t even consider locking up Big Fat instead, because he’s needed around the homestead. As angry as I was with him, there are truly important reasons to have a rooster. in fact, we always have a rooster around for two reasons. The first is unnecessary now until next spring… fertilization of the eggs; we incubate new chicks every spring. The other reason though is a daily need that is also rather ironic, given the problem we’re having with Big Fat… protection of the hens. Even though he doesn’t seem to have any qualms about killing them himself with his irrational, insatiable sex drive, he’s crazy protective of them against natural predators. Since they free-range around our very rural property, his aggressive, protective nature has saved their lives many times. We’ve witnessed him puff up and make crazy angry calls to safeguard his women from chicken hawks that nest in our woods. I’m sure he’s also helped them avoid consumption by fox, raccoon, and maybe even coyote. He also does a great job of directing their activity and keeping them in generally “safe” areas, not letting them venture too far from the coop. In the two years we’ve owned free-ranging chicken, we’ve only lost one hen to a predator. And that was one day that the rooster was penned up and his ladies were roaming without him. So, yes, there are definitely many good reasons to have a rooster.

I’ve talked with many other homesteaders–locally and on-line– in the last week about my problem. I’ve come to the conclusion that typically 8 weeks is a safe time to assimilate new chicks with older flocks and typically roosters are, well, wiser sexually than good ole Mr. Big Fat. So I’m not giving up on roosters, just maybe Big Fat.

In my numerous discussions I’ve held with other homesteaders this past week about rooster rituals, I’ve learned that the two roosters we’ve owned over the past two years were both atypical roosters. Our first was extremely aggressive toward people, including young children. He wasn’t around long. Our second rooster, Mr. Big Fat, while he is very friendly towards people, is not the suave Don Juan that most roosters are. You see, Big Fat runs right on up to his hens and attacks them from behind, having his pleasure whenever he wants. Most roosters are mush smoother, kinder “courters” of their hens. A rooster typically does a dance for his lady and then only has his way with her if she is in agreement and bows down for him, welcoming him to hop on her back. A hen who was too young would ignore his dance, if indeed he even attempted to woo her.

I’m thankful we do have one young rooster who we’re hoping will take on his responsibilities in a wiser, kinder way than Mr. Big Fat, and then we’ll decide what Big Fat’s fate is. For now, our young hens are safe, separated from the rooster.

And I’ve learned–the hard way–an important secret to keeping my young chicks safe: A homesteader needs to understand each rooster’s temperament before introducing him to young hens.

But I’m certain I’ll still forget the milk and mismatch my belt and shoes every now and then.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. II Corinthians 12:9

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But training my dog to like my birds? For that I do deserve some credit.

As I type tonight, my labradoodle is a black-and-gray-streaked crescent curled at my feet. His long nose wraps across his front paw to lie down parallel with my right foot, and his back paw nestles behind my left foot. While enjoying the glow of the fire beyond the computer screen, I realize I can’t imagine my life without him.

He’s always at my feet. By my side. An innate part of my day. An innate part of the farm.

So training him to be bird-friendly was absolutely necessary when we decided to raise free-ranging birds on our homestead.

Bixby was a two-year-old, great big puppy when we moved to Restful Falls Farm… when we packed up our suburban life, out of our house that was 1 of 22 on a tiny cul-de-sac, on a tiny, pie-shaped, 1/5th-of-an-acre lot… when we moved 400 miles north and sprawled out on 14 acres that meet up with the lake and stretch along the curving rocky river and up the gradual wooded slope behind our home.

We used to attach a long lead rope to his collar whenever we let him out into our narrow strip of backyard, behind our brick ranch. Now we open any door of our 215-yr-old red cape, and he has free range of fields, marsh, river bank, and sun-streamed woods.

Sign up for my Resource Library for our recipe for our homemade peanut butter dog bones–our dogs’ favorite dog treats ever. Just click below, sign up, and you’ll soon have treats on hand that will make your pup wanna please you and–hopefully–leave your birds alone.

And order your dog’s favorite training treats at my favorite online dog food store and take 15% off your order–every order, anytime–with coupon code RESTED15.

The only problem was when we brought home some hens that Bixby saw as a challenging chase and a savory snack. (Last spring, I shared my step-by-step directions on how I succeeded in training my dog to like my birds.) A few months later we added our precious, waddling fowl.

I honestly was a little worried about adding the second type of free-ranging bird. It had taken pretty detailed, daily training for more than a month before Bixby was safe to leave unattended around the chicken. I really didn’t feel up to going through the whole process again only a few months later.

But the baby ducklings were way too cute to resist, as was the thought of their delicious, rich, jumbo eggs. So we brought the yellow-down adorableness home.

It was pleasantly surprising how easy it was to do the first step in the training process without even needing to restrain Bixby on a leash. (Lupine leashes are hands-down my absolute favorite dog leashes, if you do need one.) Since he was accustomed to seeing us hold the bigger hens, I guess the small yellow birds were even less appealing.

. . . By the way, I would love to share with you my recipe for the best homemade training treats we’ve ever discovered, along with all the other resources in my Resource Library . . .

The ducklings didn’t free range for quite a few weeks, so he quickly got used to roaming near their cage but, for the most part, ignoring them. When they were ready to test out their free-ranging skills, we had to keep an eye on them anyway, so we sat nearby and closely monitored Bixby, keeping him in check simply with voice commands. So, like step one, step two was completed pretty easily without a leash. After a week or so with 1/2-hour sessions of letting the ducklings roam under our watchful eye, and Bixby under our ever present voice commands if he started to inch close to the ducks, Bix was ready to skip right on to step five.

For another week or so we continued to keep a close eye on him whenever he was in the vicinity of the ducklings, but the detailed training we went through with him and the hens most definitely paid off, two-fold, making him almost automatically duck-friendly as well and, I’m hoping, fowl-friendly with any feathered friend that we add to our menagerie. So here are the steps, in a nut-shell…

5 Simple Steps to Make Your Dog Fowl-Friendly

Every morning Bixby accompanies us on our chores, watches us let out the birds, fill their feed bowls, and replenish their water. Because he’s always at my feet. By my side. An innate part of my day. An innate part of the farm. And, thankfully, after some heartfelt training sessions, he defines himself as the birds’ watch dog, not their predator.

So, can you train a dog to be off leash around your ducklings? Yes, at least in our situation, with our labradoodle, yes. I realize all breeds are different. In fact, all dogs are different. But I hope our successful process works for you too.

I have all these training points laid out in an easy-to-read, printable page for you over in my Resource Library. You’re gonna need to refer to them often, so head on over there and print them and keep them in an obvious place in your home. For us, that’s the front of our fridge. (And yeah, I gave up long ago trying to keep the front of the fridge pretty.)

You’ll want to make sure everyone understands the training process so everyone is on the same page, giving your dog the same message. And, bonus, when you subscribe, snag a recipe for Bixby’s favorite homemade dog treats EVER!

You do need to subscribe to SoulyRested and then you’ll immediately be assigned a password to access a slew of info in my Resource Library.

Have you discovered your own successful techniques at training your dog to be bird-friendly? My post on how we trained Bixby to be chicken-friendly is one of my popular posts here on SoulyRested, and the reader comments are very insightful, so please add to the discussion here as well!

In all toil there is profit. Proverbs 14:23

Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of all the supplies I use and recommend for everything from gardening, to homeschooling, to nature journaling, to maple syrup making.

Meet Bixby & see him “perform” for his absolute favorite treats–>

Order your dog’s favorite training treats at my favorite online dog food store and take 15% off your order–every order, anytime–with coupon code RESTED15.

Bixby’s favorite items that we order at Raw Paws:

These chicken & potato treats are the ones in the video above that I give Bixby every day.

Venison Jerky Bites are awesome. I give him a whole one for an extra special treat or break them into 3 or 4 pieces for training.

Freeze Dried Chicken Necks–Oh my WORD he seriously loves these!

And I sprinkle this organic sea kelp on his breakfast every day. The trace minerals are super good for him and–bonus!–this gives him good breath (it really works!)

Remember to use coupon code RESTED15 and take 15% off your order–every order, anytime.

And here are more dog products I love:

You’ll love the doggie treats, toys, and training items Bixby and I share on this page.

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

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Just hover over this image for the Pinterest logo.–>

Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well.

Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of all the supplies I use and recommend for everything from gardening, to homeschooling, to chicken care, to nature journaling, to maple syrup making.

 

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

The post Training My Dog to Like My Birds in 5 simple steps first appeared on Souly Rested.