Re: Ducklings Awww....they are all so cute! We need a post with individual pics of each duckling with the name - for reference (when you get a mo). I can usual pick out Harry, but not sure I can tell Ariel from Temeraire (love those names!).
Re: Ducklings If they were mine I would never, ever get anything done other than watching them and playing with them. Note to self: DO NOT get any ducklings. Seriously.
Re: Ducklings Hey, I know you said relations were friendly, but the outdoor gang are sooo much bigger than Christopher, Harrison and Meriwether. Do I need to get all defensive on the indoor gang's behalf???! Clare
Re: Ducklings [quote author=ClareJ link=topic=3806.msg45193#msg45193 date=1389089284] Hey, I know you said relations were friendly, but the outdoor gang are sooo much bigger than Christopher, Harrison and Meriwether. Do I need to get all defensive on the indoor gang's behalf???! Clare [/quote] I know! Is Rachael starving our boys?!?
Re: Ducklings ;D Ariel (bigger bib) and Temeraire are bigger because they hatched earlier* (2 days earlier I think) and because they are outdoors where it's cooler and they eat more and therefore grow a bit faster. I can assure you all that the bigger two were perfect angels with the smaller bubs, despite the weight advantage Christopher (blue, indoor) is the biggest of his group and he is not much smaller than the Outdoors. I'll get some individual shots this afternoon. Duckling watching is a great time-waster and super relaxing! *Hens usually produce an earlier hatch than an incubator. Don't know why. Nature just does it better!
Re: Ducklings Awwww...bless Lockyer (that's the hen's name, right?). Good mum! Er...does she care they are ducks?
Re: Ducklings Yes, Lockyer No, she doesn't care that they're ducklings. She's never raised a chick before - only ducklings The outdoor ducklings know that they are ducklings though. When I let them see the indoor ducklings yesterday they were immediately drawn to them.
Re: Ducklings Ok, some individual portraits! Obi would like to mention that he had to endure being shut in the study while the photoshoot was on so he hopes you are all grateful. Here is Meriwether. Definitely the calmest kid on the block. A little out of focus.... Just as hard to photograph a black duckling as it is a black Labrador! Woodget. Not happy about modelling. His head is wet because they just had a bowl of water with chopped spinach floating in it (second favourite to a bowl of water with squashed peas floating in it). Harrison. Just takin' it all in. Harrison is still the best diver and is an extremely keen swimmer. Sorry that the backdrop is dirty. Obi trod on it and then Meriwether pooped on it. Christopher. Voicing disapproval at being asked to pose. And taking the opportunity to jump off the chair and nick off under the coffee table. The indoor ducklings all had outdoor time today and their Mummy, Duyfken, dropped by to say hello. The ducklings were too busy eating and snoozing to notice their mother (typical kids...). Duyfken is blue, which is what Christopher, Woodget, Ariel and Temeraire will all turn out like.
Re: Ducklings Ah! Thank you so much. Meriwether is one cool dude! Glad to see a good close up of Harrison - he is very pretty, I think. Might he be a she? Good diver and swimmer eh? That's my boy! Well done Obi for being good - apart from standing on the backdrop, of course.
Re: Ducklings Meriwether... you are stunning! And Obi, you are so accommodating and of course we appreciate it. So when might Lockyer get to raise some chicks??! Clare
Re: Ducklings Ah Rachael,thankyou for doing that......Christopher,vocal?hmmmm I know another one just like that! They are ALL gorgeous and look really healthy,I'm sure Obi is lovely it all,proudly looking on at 'the kids' x
Re: Ducklings Obi is jealous of the ducklings like a great big green jealous jelly Lockyer might get some chicks one day - she might raise some chicks for someone else. I don't want to hatch my own chicks because then I'd be responsible for dealing with any boys, and boy chicks mostly end up being invited to dinner as the main course. I get too attached for that... Boy ducks don't have the same problem since they are quiet and make much better pets than roosters. I didn't get any duckling pics today. We went to the river for a swim (a doggie swim, not a duckling swim) where we had a rather heart-stopping recall failure. Where we swim there is a long sand bank stretching out into the water. We let Obi off lead for his second swim, after our picnic lunch, and he ran off to near the end of the sand bank. Just to his right I saw a very long, curvy, brown stick. Except it wasn't a stick. It was a snake - a 2m long Eastern Brown Snake (highly venomous). I screamed for Obi to get his butt over here pronto. But he had seen the snake and, instead of coming, bent down to cautiously sniff the snake's tail. I didn't bother calling again but crossed the sand in Olympic time, grabbed Obi's harness and dragged him away. I was in touching distance of the snake myself at that point and just about having a heart attack. I was expecting it to come at us. Fortunately the snake had better places to be and made off down to the water, swum across the river and disappeared up the bank on the other side. All this time there had been three small boys building a fort about 5 metres from the sunbathing snake. Needed a good cup of tea after that. And I think I need to incorporate proofing against snakes in Obi's recall training..... Back to the normal duckling program tomorrow!!
Re: Ducklings [quote author=Oberon link=topic=3806.msg45559#msg45559 date=1389269482] And I think I need to incorporate proofing against snakes in Obi's recall training..... [/quote] Every time I get jealous of your weather, I just remind myself about your snakes. And I don't even need to remember the spiders... There are advantages to this small, damp island. Clare
Re: Ducklings Oh my goodness....I'm bad enough in the UK about adders.....Obi needs some serious talking to about snakes....
Re: Ducklings [quote author=Oberon link=topic=3806.msg45559#msg45559 date=1389269482] Just to his right I saw a very long, curvy, brown stick. Except it wasn't a stick. It was a snake - a 2m long Eastern Brown Snake (highly venomous). I screamed for Obi to get his butt over here pronto. But he had seen the snake and, instead of coming, bent down to cautiously sniff the snake's tail. I didn't bother calling again but crossed the sand in Olympic time, grabbed Obi's harness and dragged him away. I was in touching distance of the snake myself at that point [/quote] OMG! OMG! Aaaarrrgghhhhhhh!
