Delicious

Fawn and white Indian Runner ducks
living at MuRefuge, March, 2011.

Delicious and nutritious are duck eggs which I have preferred for years since I am "allergic" to chicken eggs. Soon after acquiring the 3/4 acres which we named MuRefuge I got baby ducks. Dwight built an enclosure for them to BE in at night protected from all the predators lurking about at night. I chose Indian Runners because they are the best egg layers of all duck breeds, usually providing an egg daily.

Almost every week after we have shopped at the Sunday Farmers Market we stop by our friend Ruby's house and pick up a dozen or two of her delicious, nutritious duck eggs from her Indian Runner ducks who are "friendly, docile and active ducks". They are low maintenance foragers who at MuRefuge completely cleared out the slug and snail population.

The most recent "treasures"
from Ruby are pictured above.

Now that I have begun this post ostensibly about "duck eggs" I find myself reminiscing about ducks . . . specifically ducks I raised at MuRefuge. So please indulge me as I reminisce and walk down "memory lane" sharing duck pictures from those wonderful 24+ years.

April, 2011,
 baby Blue Indian Runners
at MuRefuge in their large
cardboard box located in the garage
with a heat lamp for warmth.

Now three weeks old 
and brought out to a safe enclosure in
the veggie garden
where there was an abundance of clover
and bugs.

Growing

July 21, 2012

Out and about with their big sisters 
at MuRefuge.

April 06, 2015
MuRefuge
Fawn and White Indian Runner youngsters.

Indian Runner do enjoy the water! At MuRefuge we
sunk a bathtub in the ground for their enjoyment.
Cleaning the bathtub monthly was necessary
to keep it and the ducks clean.

Ruby has a "kiddy pool" which she can just dump over and wash out. A bit easier and MUCH less time consuming the cleaning the bathtub!

March 19, 2017, MuRefuge:
Fawn and White Indian Runner ducklings
whose favorite spot when I picked
them up was snuggled against my neck.
Precious. 

The flock we took to Ruby's
for love and care
when we moved from MuRefuge to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
This picture was featured in 
the flyer when our house and property
were put on the market.

Ruby now has only fawn and white Indian Runners. She is so gracious to give us duck eggs weekly. I am filled with gratitude! And I often visit her to get my "duck fix". 

The Indian Runner originally came from Asia where they kept the rice fields free of pests. They arrived in Europe in the 1850s. Prince Charles has Indian Runners ducks he has ordered from a hatchery in Mason City, Iowa, which is near where my maternal grandparents lived.

We had chairs out in the area patrolled by our ducks. One could sit for hours watching them. When my mother came to visit, she enjoyed this pastime.  Our "Penguin" shaped ducks provided us with many happy hours observing these slender upright ducks meander around our orchard and garden. They offered soothing for any possible upsets.

I so miss having these awesome critters! The only remedy is to