Wheatland, Virginia

Meet the Flocks

Every bird on this farm has a name, and most of them have opinions. Meet the ladies laying the eggs you're enjoying.

The Ducks

Big Eggs, Bigger Personalities

Five years ago, one of our kids dreamed of having a duck of his own. We figured our land was a good fit and gave it a try. We started with Anconas, a heritage breed in decline, and have branched out to other breeds since.

Two black-and-white Ancona ducks foraging at the front of the pasture — white plumage with bold black mottling on the head, back and tail — with two lighter tan-and-white flockmates standing behind them.
Ancona (Black & White)

Checkers, Spot, Emperor & Bandit

We currently have four black-and-white Anconas. Anconas are active foragers with a mottled, pied pattern — no two look quite the same.

Chocolate, an Ancona duck, foraging head-down in the pasture grass — creamy white plumage with chocolate-brown mottling across the wing, a small dark cap, and an orange bill.
Ancona (Chocolate)

Chocolate

The chocolate-and-white version of our Anconas — same energetic forager, different color pattern. She prefers to spend her days hanging out with the geese.

Sonic, a Blue Runner duck, standing tall in the breed's upright posture with wings stretched wide — slate-brown plumage and a dark grey bill — in front of the pasture netting, with white flockmates resting alongside.
Blue Runner

Sonic

The duck behind the blue eggs. If you've ever pulled a blue egg out of your carton and wondered whether a chicken laid it — nope, that's all Sonic.

Speckles and Scooter, two Golden Layer ducks, standing in profile along the pasture fence — warm chocolate-brown plumage, a paler tan face on the nearer duck, and a small white patch at the farther duck's throat.
Golden Layer

Speckles & Scooter

A hybrid line bred for high egg production — supposedly “golden,” though these two look more brown to us. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ They are the newest additions to the farm and aren't laying yet, but will be Spring 2027.

Darkwing and Gizmo, our two Black Swedish ducks, close up in the sunlit pasture grass sharing a slice of cucumber — glossy black plumage with a bright white bib patch up the chest and throat, and dark slate bills. Darkwing has her head turned toward the camera, showing the black mask across her face and a piece of cucumber in her bill, while Gizmo reaches down for the rest of the slice. A white flockmate stands behind them.
Swedish (Black)

Darkwing & Gizmo

They are a calm, sturdy, dual-purpose breed known for the white bib patch across the chest. Darkwing has a black mask across her face and Gizmo is her sidekick.

Ikea, a Blue Swedish duck, in close-up beside the pasture grass — slate blue-grey plumage, a dark blue-grey bill, and a white bib patch running up her throat.
Swedish (Blue)

Ikea

Our bluish-gray duck with the dark blue bill. She has a calm temperament, like our other Swedish ducks.

Cream, a Welsh Harlequin duck, standing on bare ground in front of the pasture netting — pale cream plumage flecked with fine dark spotting across the back and wing.
Welsh Harlequin

Cream

She has a cream colored body with black feathers laced throughout and hints of beautiful iridescence. Welsh Harlequins are good layers, with calm temperaments.

A three-photo collage of Aflac, Waddles and Sunny, our White Layer ducks — creamy white plumage, orange legs, and grey-and-pink bills — one on the bare dirt path, one on the pasture edge beside the fence netting, and one standing among the herb plants next to a brown flockmate.
White Layer

Aflac, Waddles & Sunny

Another hybrid line bred specifically for high egg production. White layers are what many people picture when they think of a duck. Waddles holds a special place in our hearts. She was born without feet and without fully functional wings, and it doesn't slow her down one bit.

The Chickens

Twelve Hens (And Pip)

We hadn't intended to get into the chicken game, but when this flock of Red Sex Links found themselves in need of a new home we stepped up and took them in. And we are so glad we did!

Pip, a copper-and-black rooster, standing among the Red Sex Link hens in the covered run — reddish-gold hens on wood-chip bedding, with the red barn and pasture beyond the fence.
Red Sex Link

Pip & His Girls

Twelve Red Sex Link hens and one rooster, Pip. The hens are a reliable, friendly hybrid breed and steady layers. Our kids named all twelve. We can't tell you which is which, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. To us, they're just "Pip and his ladies."

The Geese

The Neighborhood Watch

Our geese are the loudest, most protective members of our farm. They patrol the pasture like it's their job, because to them, it is. We picked Pilgrim geese because they are a heritage breed and liked that we could tell the males and females apart at hatch time.

Sprattle and Big Bird, two Pilgrim geese with grey-and-white barred plumage and bright orange bills, walking through the pasture grass along the fence line.
Pilgrim Goose

Sprattle & Big Bird

Sprattle reigns over the waterfowl flock with Big Bird as her right-hand gal. Both get exceptionally moody and protective come egg-laying season. Our harbingers of spring, when daily egg collection starts giving us BIG "dinosaur eggs", we know warmer weather is right around the corner.