A sense of duty

This morning I heard the sad news that friend Mike has lost his mother after a short illness and true to form he is already organising the necessary jobs to be done without complaint or even a hint of resignation.
This is typical of him. Out of all the people I know, Mike is the one with the most pronounced sense of "what is right", and his duty to his family has always been enviable. This week , he will complete this task and that,organise a whole host of others and keep his siblings' spirits buoyant and well supported and will do so without an edge or any hidden motive.
His family are lucky to have him.
We are thinking of him today.

Troupers

Ripley drinking

There is something rather valiant about ducklings. Two days old already, and they are bouncing around with an optimistic excitement which is totally endearing. I have spent long warm periods in the sun, head in the hen house body in the duck enclosure watching the little comedians eat,sleep, and clamber all over the benign sweetie that is Blanche, who seems to take everything they have to subject her to and more.

Blanche and Newt

From Left to Right Hudson,Vasquez,Newt,Dallas,Ripley and Hicks

I promise not to saturate the blog with pictures of fluffy chicks too much, but please indulge my paternal pride for at least a couple of days....!

3 More ducklings

After a night shift, it was great to open up the hen hut to see another three bouncing baby ducks flapping around doting mother Blanche. Keeping to the Aliens theme, the last three have been christened Hudson,Hicks and Vasquez

and we may have one more making the grand total seven, as the last egg is "rocking" but not pipping as yet. I have placed that last egg in the incubator.

Finally I am a daddy

A day early the first of the ducklings have arrived. Tied up in a messy ball, Ripley, Newt and Dallas finally arrived mid afternoon. Another two may look like they are following on, so filling the hut with chick crumbs, a shallow water feeder and plenty of wood chippings we have left Blanche to get on with motherhood...

Keeping busy

Rows of seedlings are carpeting the allotment. Beetroot,parsnips,potatoes,beans,and all of the wild flowers and gladiolis are all showing now in a sudden burst of growth, no doubt just before the late frosts which will occur in May.

"Courage Camille!"

I would never make a farmer. I get too emotionally involved with my animals. This morning is a case in point. Ducklings are due tomorrow, and this morning three have chipped their way through the shells and are pipping away to themselves. As you can tell from the snatched photo, you can hardly see the tiny "breath holes", but they are there, and underneath there seems to be healthy and very much alive babies.

The journey out of the shell can take another 24 hours, and sods law means that I am working tonight.......can the old nerves take the strain? can the ducklings survive their ordeal? will Blanche cope with webbed feet?

watch this space

39....going on.....................................

No, not overtly depressed as he leaves his thirties, just reading his Birthday books when I got busy planting courgettes,the sweet pea wall and more radish.
We are off for a meal later.
No news from Blanche's eggs as yet, still tap tap tapping away to themselves..........

Tapping............

Blanche's eggs are tapping away to themselves, when I checked them at teatime. That means that some of the ducklings have started their "internal pip", where they chip through a membrane into the airsac in the fat end of the egg.

Up to 2 days later, the ducklings can start their "external pip", which is the start of the hatching into the real world, which sounds an extremely long time to me for such a delicate creature.

My nerves are still jangling at the thought of it all