4.02.2009

Our newest additions

The much anticipated phone call came this morning that our special package had arrived at the post office. We were getting GraceAnne ready for school, so we hurried up and ran to the PO so she could see the babies before she had to be dropped off. They sent 12, but only 11 made it safely. I only ordered 10, so we're ahead of the game anyhow, but it's always sad to lose one!


Here they are in the shipping container from Metzer Farms.
Here is a closeup of one of the girls. We have named 4 of them that we intend to keep. They are sprinkles, speckles (Rhiya came up with both of those), Whiskers (GraceAnne) and Count Drake-ula (Allan's doing.) We will be raising 6, however, because Allan's veterans' representative wanted some to eat.
Vi and I really bonded with them while GraceAnne was in school today. They think we are their mommies now. Vi would become disinterested and crawl away and they would peep like crazy for her to come back. She loves the duckies, and kept saying DUH DUH DUH and peeping back at them.
They have a pretty sweet setup free of any way to make messes. The last time we had ducks I was a retarded duck mom and didn't really build them a suitable abode. This time I researched the heck out of it and this is the medium size baby pool from Wal-Mart with a duck feeder in a pie plate and a waterer made from a half gallon milk jug in a 13x9 dish. They can only get their heads in the holes, so they can't splash the water all over the pool, which really helps cut down the level of nast. Right now there are 8 babies sleeping downstairs under their brooder lamp. We sold 3 today and tomorrow 2 more go to our friends, the Darsts. That leaves me with the 6 and I know they're going to look so tiny in that pool all alone. Give em a week...then I'll be freakin' out that there isn't enough room!

Hope you enjoy the pix of the quackers. I'm sure there will be many more to come--GraceAnne, Rhiya and Allan have yet to be photographed with a peep and then there's always peeps in the grass, peeps in the Easter basket, peeps in the tub for a swim etc. etc. etc.

3 comments:

Gayle said...

Oh, how exciting! I really love ducks, but have decided not to have them anymore. Just so much work here in the cold for such a water-loving animal. I'll stick to chickens. I can't wait to watch yours' grow, though. I totally spaced putting in my chicken order so I'll have to do that tomorrow.

Mary said...

My family is getting ducks?!? heck yes!!! lol ducks in the bathtub will be so much fun!!! Why'd you have to throw that part in about someone eating some of them?? lol I had this nice, naive and romantic notion of cute little duckies...and now all I can think about is "duck a' la orange" ;) jk

Hannah would have squished one of the duckies by now, I'm sure!! What was Vi's very first reaction???

Sybil Runs Things said...

So cute! When I lived on a farm briefly we got chicks in the mail and raised them in a similar way. So much fun-- and messy! lol

Have fun with them, can't wait to see more pics as they grow!