The Family of Ducks

We have a family of ducks moved into our backyard recently; the mother duck has half a dozen of ducklings quacking happily in the garden...Today's post is all about this family of ducks, I've always love ducks whether feeding them in the parkland or having Peking Duck at the chinese restaurant! Since I can't have poultry in my backyard I thought I get some that's maintenance free!

Too many of us take ducks for granted but did you know that;

1. The duck's feet cannot feel cold even if it swims in icy cold water ? Well, the reason for this is because its feet has no nerves or blood vessels !!
2. The duck has water-proof feathers. There is a special gland that produces oil near the duck's tail which spreads and covers the outer coat of the duck's feathers, making it water-proof. Beneath the water-proof coat are fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm.
3. Ducks keep clean by preening themselves. They do this by putting their heads in funny positions and putting their beaks into their body. They preen themselves very often.
4. Ducks were once wild until they were domesticated by the Chinese many hundreds of years ago. There are still many different species of wild ducks. Most of the farm ducks are of a species called "Pekin". It is harder to tell a male from a female with the Pekin ducks because they look almost the same.
5. Ducks usually look for a mate or partner in winter. The males will attract the females with their colorful plumage or feathers. The females will then lead the males to their breeding ground in spring. The breeding ground will usually be the place where she was hatched. The female builds her nest with grass or reeds or even in a hole in a tree. The male will guard their territory by chasing away other couples. Once the female lays 5-12 eggs, she will start to sit on her eggs to keep it warm so that they can hatch into ducklings. The males on the other hand, will be with the other males. The mother duck will keep her brood of ducklings together to protect them from predators. The males don't look after the ducklings, good one dads!