A whole year has passed since we bought our last batch of ducklings.
We added a mixture (17) of Cayugas, Swedish, and Pekins to the pond;
home, then, to the solitary Methuselah (Khaki Campbell drake.)


Every day since the new ducks came,
we go to the pond, put out some feed, and count the ducks.
And until one day late this past winter, we counted 18.
Suddenly....only 17 were there.
One had gone missing.
Finding no body, we suspected that perhaps a predator had carried him off.
That is, until the pond thawed and we found #18 under the ice.
Now we suspect that he dove under the water and was trapped beneath the ice.
Sad.

But, the good news is....
no predators have gotten any of the ducks!
(Thank you, Oakley and Sam!)

Every duck count lately has yielded a different number.
Sometimes 14, sometimes 15, sometimes 16...
and then sometimes all 17 are there.

Why the mysterious disappearances?
This is why.....

It seems that some of our gals have taken to sitting on nests of eggs.

This past weekend, we noticed that the far bank of the pond was
strewn with eggs...
as if something had kicked all the eggs out of the nests.
There were 108 eggs.
Can you imagine???

Now, the gals have moved further up the hill, into the woods.


I am not so sure that these gals are the best sitters.

Time will tell.
It would be fun to have a batch of ducklings on the pond.

Some sad news about the new chicks...
Two of my Maran chicks died yesterday.
I have no idea why.

So, I took the rest and moved them into their new quarters.

I sure hope the rest of the gals are healthy.
They seem very tired since the move.


I worry so about these little creatures.

Comments

Deb said…
That is fascinating about the ducks. It must be fun going down to the pond each day. Good dogs you have. Good luck with the chicks. They are so adorable and I can imagine your concern. Hugs, Deb=^..^=x5
Ginny said…
Sorry to hear about the duck (my passion)and your chicks. I guess it's Mother Nature weeding out the weak, so sad though. I'm sure you and Dr.Becky will keep them healthy.
Cindy said…
How wonderful that you have a pond. Sorry about your duck and the chicks. That is always hard, but part of country life.
Chris said…
Sorry about the duck and your chicks.
Julie Harward said…
I understand your worry, I worry about mine too. Sometimes all the chickens don't come back into the coop at night and we have predators around here. You have such a nice place! :D
This N That said…
Sad that all tails from the farm can't be happy ones...The eggs are exciting...Hope they make it !!!..Strange that they're strewn about so...
Unknown said…
How interesting those ducks are....don't the dogs want to eat the eggs? Sorry the chicks are sick...hope the rest will be ok. Thanks for the good wishes on my birthday, it was wonderful!
Anonymous said…
I have two Blue Swedish ducks and one Khaki Campbell. They are so scared of us and won't let us come anywhere near them. Oh well, they are fun to look at!
JeffJustJeff said…
Hi Bev,
Is there any reason for your choice in ducks? Just wondering. I haven't decided on all of my choices yet. I'm really leaning towards Muscovy as I mentioned earlier, but not sure what else. The Indian Runners really make me giggle so I'll have to get a few of those.

Cheers,
Jeff