gianpigambi: Muscovy duck...perfect for the small farmer

Grazie...

... a quelli che partono con la voglia di stare, a quelli che vivono il Vangelo prima di predicarlo,

a quelli che non smetteranno mai di sognare, a quelli che l'Amore è solo con la maiuscola,

a quelli che si accettano come sono, a quelli che piangono ad ogni partenza,

a quelli che Africa e Gioia si confondono ogni giorno, a quelli che vivono di emozioni,

a quelli che non smettono di camminare, a quelli che non si abbandonano mai,

a quelli che pregano, a quelli che sul piedistallo non ci vogliono stare, a quelli che Dio non è morto,

a quelli che si vive anche senza moda, a quelli che pensano con il cuore,

a quelli che non scelgono per comodità, a quelli che soffrono e poi ti guardano negli occhi più ricchi di prima,

...e anche a quelli che "Gianpi ci hai rotto con questi ringraziamenti"

They say “Muscovy ducks is perfect for the small farmer at the tropics”. They say "For really efficient meat production in the tropics, we should be looking at Muscovy ducks" (ECHO, Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization). They say “Muscovy ducks are cheap and troublefree. Start with a drake and three ducks”. So I did… …and it’s true! Last May I got my drake and two Muscovy hens from a farmer in Choompa village, and from 3 the number reached 16!! It is amazing!! In the backyard there are now the drake, the two ducks plus 7 ducklings six weeks old and 6 ducklings one week old. And the first hen that hatched six weeks ago, last Saturday it has just started to incubate another branch of eggs. I can see that the females of this duck species are very good brooders and protective mothers. They have been always friendly to me, coming near me to pick the greens from my hands. But once their eggs hatched, no way to go near the ducklings. I feed them with pounded maize and sunflower cake (that I buy locally from the small scale farmers) and thin chopped green lettuce from my garden. They simply love it.

But once duckling hatched, I’ve seen wild animals around. Actually TOO MUCH around my backyard. There are big birds, and there are some little animals locally named “tusilili”, similar to a squiller, they are as nice as hungry. And the neighbors warn me that, especially during the night, wild cats are around. He just lost three hens. So I can say “Muscovy ducks is perfect for the small farmer here in Zambia, but feed them and protect them carefully”. Next… let’s try with goose!