Our Farm is Growing!

OK, so my family lives in a tiny house (800 square feet) on a pretty tiny lot in urban Portland. And, like many Portlanders, we are becoming more and more curious about where (and how far) our food comes from and we have been trying to grow more of our own food, or at least be able to talk to the people who have grown it. So, also like many Portlanders, we have decided to grow our own eggs! However, we decided that chickens weren't right for our family. We grow food in our backyard (and chickens have been known to demolish gardens) and we were hoping for a bird that was a little more social.... enter DUCKS! After some advice and some research, we decided that ducks would be a great fit for our home. We were able to find some Ancona ducks via craigslist- these birds are supposed to be great egg layers (up to 280 eggs each per year!) and they are not able to fly (at least that is what they say!!) so we don't have to worry about our girls migrating south for the winter. Not only will these ladies produce eggs for us to eat, but they are also well known for their pest-control capabilities. Ducks LOVE to eat bugs, especially slugs which we seem to be teeming with. On top of that, they will fertilize our yard/garden with their droppings and they are supposed to make great pets. So these birds will give us food, pest control, fertilizer and companionship. I am sold.
We got our ducks last Sunday and here are a few recent pictures. Welcome Sami, Smudge and Mutter. They have already almost doubled in size in one week's time. They need to live inside for the next couple of weeks until they are big enough to handle the cooler nighttime temperatures of the great outdoors of Portland. Once they have moved to the backyard, they will have free roam during the day, but will be locked in a coop (a free one we scored off of craiglist!) at night for their own protection.
As for now, they are super cute and incredibly messy. I already love these little buggers but I am excited for them to move outside.....especially since they are sharing my bedroom (and let me tell you that bedroom + heat lamp makes you feel like you are sleeping in a tanning bed).
I will try to keep you updated on my duck-farming journey and my quest to grow my own food!