Mildred the wild mallard made a nest in the pasture and we thought she'd never make it through the incubation period alive. But last night she brought 8 little fluffies to the pond and took them out on a pallet. They all hopped up and she sqatted and held her wings down to try to cover them all. I took food to the edge of the pond and she brought them over and they had a bit of a snack. Then she took them back to a pallet to sleep. Later I couldn't see whether she was still on a pallet and I haven't seen them at all this morning. So we are worrying but how lovely that she brought them to show us last night. I hope she is just sitting somewhere hidden with them and we will see them later. Bingo, the neighbor's muscovy cross, does like to chase Mildred and of course, our Muskerman likes to herd babies so she may have decided to locate in a different pond. But then again, this is the place with the good food and the friendly waitress!

-Chick Mom

I can just see that friendly waitress standing at the edge of the pond. LOL

I hope the little ones are okay. It drives me crazy when I can't find Dora or Paprika. They are such good hiders. I almost ran over Paprika with the mower the other day because she was laying so flat on the ground.

Susie







Ducks- Dora (Pekin) Paprika (Cayuga)
Goats- Cindy and Twinkle (pygmies) Nubians; MaryJane and Floyd
Guineas - Shy
Chickens-2 white ones and 3 black/white speckled
Location-Southern Indiana

Whew, I'm glad you didn't run over Paprika. What a little stinker to hide that way. Mildred is still hiding. I went to 3 other ponds and back out to her nest to see whether she was in any of those places. I will probably be crawling with ticks and chiggers now! I think if she's still in the neighborhood, she will come by for dinner. Who could resist that friendly waitress?? She always provides "all you can eat"!!

-Chick Mom

I just hate them things. I bought one of those push weedeaters so now I can get to the faraway pond without wading into all those weeds.

I'm like Brook, my life keeps getting in the way, but I'm gonna try to visit more often. Since I'm single now, it might be easier.

I'm still hopeful for Mildred since you also haven't found any feathers. I know it's worrisome though.

Susie







Ducks- Dora (Pekin) Paprika (Cayuga)
Goats- Cindy and Twinkle (pygmies) Nubians; MaryJane and Floyd
Guineas - Shy
Chickens-2 white ones and 3 black/white speckled
Location-Southern Indiana

Chick Mom, have you seen the babies and mom yet this evening? I bet she has them well hidden. They can do that. Who was it who had to extract the duck from the big mower or blower... a few years ago? And with her being wild...no telling where she has them. Hope they show back up. At least she is smart enough to use the pallets (with out your 1 month training ritual)...

Amazing that she hatched them on land and did not run into any bad guys. Keep your camera at the ready to snap a couple for us when she comes in to get dinner.

How is the turtle hunting going? Great I hope.

Sue, you be careful with that mower. you need a couple of Geese to mow that lawn for you so that you would not have to be out almost running over hiding ducks..


Kitty, KD, Blackkats4, Cindy
East Texas, 50 miles north of Houston
Ducks and Geese

I'm waiting til I move down south where I don't have so much grass, and THEN I'll get some geese.

Susie







Ducks- Dora (Pekin) Paprika (Cayuga)
Goats- Cindy and Twinkle (pygmies) Nubians; MaryJane and Floyd
Guineas - Shy
Chickens-2 white ones and 3 black/white speckled
Location-Southern Indiana

Very clever of Mildred to take the babies to the pallet. If all the babies survive, they will also learn about the pallet and just when you think they have grown up and flown away, they will be back to raise THEIR young on the pond with food service......soon your place will look like mine!

My late autumn babies went down to 2 fairly quickly (as expected) but the two duckies are tough and they will survive anything - even the 7degree frost this morning.

 

 

BROOOOOOOOOOOK
New Zealand (opposite seasons to USA)
1brain2ducks (Two twin large drakes)
DUCK aka Big Brown (Large drake)
Donald & Daisy & kids(Pekins)
Too many mallards some of which have names
Zoom (Cat)

Robert looked for her on several other ponds too but no luck. I guess she was just moving through to another place. I keep watching for her.

-Chick Mom

We got the one snapper within 12 hours after Goldy got hurt but had a hard time with the one who hurt Rocky a couple of days later. Robert spent many many hours shooting at turtles and thought he had gotten a snapper or two. Finally last Thur one floated to the surface so we know he got that one. When I see the size of their claws I can understand how deep Goldy's cut must be and can see why it's taking so long to heal over. A friend of mine in Nashville just told me about a trap he used to catch a snapper and it sounds different (and maybe more successful) than others I've heard of so I asked him to send me a picture. I'll let you know if I learn more.

I'm not really worried that anything happened to Mildred; I'm just wishing I could have watched her babies grow. Such cute little things.

By the way, Jan, we found a big snake in Peekaboo's nest last night. She lays in the dogloo (duckloo) and it was wound up in there. Luckily, I looked before sticking my hand in. Robert was on his way home so I stood guard on it with my gun in case it came out before he got home, then let him pull it out and shoot it when he got here. It was full of pekin eggs.

-Chick Mom

that is terrible about the snake. I recon it was a Rat snake since they can swim and climb trees and all. Funny how it took all these years for one to finally find the pallets... Not me, i would have ended up putting a hole through the snakes head and the duck-a-loo floor before i would have draged a LIVE snake out...brrrrrrrr chills just thinking about it. Brave Robert. glad you are getting some of those turtles. And that the duckies are on the mend.


Kitty, KD, Blackkats4, Cindy
East Texas, 50 miles north of Houston
Ducks and Geese