Australians - Where are you all????

[duckyfromoz]

WHAT A DAY!!! I ned a nanna nap.... I was woken up at 5am- by the familiar sound of a duckling flopping around the incubator - such a cutie... Walked out to the lounge room and found Janie the duckling had escaped the brooder and was walking around the lounge room.

I knew it was too early to start getting birds ready for the auction today - but I had to bring two young girl in for a swim. I ended up taking 2 drakes and 8 ducklings, 3 quail and Morrie the silkie. All but one drake sold- and I got prices beter than I had hoped for most of them. I was actually getting a bit worried that I would be bringing more home- but people were waiting til late in the allocated time to place their bids. It was a helsmans auction I went to - where there is no caller- you just write your bidders number and $$ you want to bid on card attached to the cages. I got $55 for the pair of young girls who were my first hatched from my own eggs- and $45 for a younger pair. Alot of unhappy people who missed out have taken my number to organise getting some ducks when the ones I have have grown a bit.
What a great excuse to put some more eggs into the incubator!!!!!

Got home to find two more hatched...Only one to go from this lot...and I can clean the hatcher out for the next special ones due later this week..

 

[wooklet]

Glad that you had a successful day - hope Maurie found a good home. One of my white silkie cockerels is turning out really well, hopefully he will be a showboy.I'm going down to the Poultry Club on Monday night to have 3 of my chooks assessed for showing-they are all roosters would you believe! The white Silkie,the Buff silkie and the white polish rooster. I also have two girls -buffs,I know they are good enough, but they have both been sick and are a bit small to show this year. Are you still aiming for the Melbourne Royal? I woke up to a bit of a shock too this morning, a foul smell in the bedroom alerted me to the fact that all was not well! The Border collie had a very sick,very runny bowel! It was sort of everywhere! One of the hazards of letting dogs sleep in the bedroom. Took me quite a while to clean it up. I don't go to the vets until I have starved the dogs for 24 hours first to see if we can starve the bug, she is now looking at me with soulful eyes,"where's my dinner?"

It's so hard, and I am so sorry for her, but it's kinder for her in the long run(and me in the bedroom!!)
Ah,the big hatch! I am really excited about it. The eggs all look full and happy, and I have done all I can for them so now we wait! The incubator has in it the 8 duck eggs and 6 of mine which are due to hatch the day before - I hope they do as it will get rather crowded and hazardous in there! Would ducklings and chickens be allright in a brooder together do you think? If not we'll have 3 brooders and 2 incubators in the kitchen - the madness just seems to grow!

Congrats on your hatch

are they all allright? And cute? Beginning to think I'd be better off with ducks here with all this rain, the poor old cow is up to her knees in mud in some parts of her paddock! I can just see duck bottoms wiggling around in the mud pools! Don't think we have had a week without rain since the middle of Autumn! Tell me are Drakes as noisy as Roosters?

 

[duckyfromoz]

With ducks its the girls who are noisey... the drakes are very quite.. Thats how you can sex them from a youngish age- from the voice as it begins to change from about three weeks old.

I have 4 very cute little babies tonight.. Sleeping on a hot water bottle for now and will go in with the other little one tomorrow. I have a lady coming to buy some- so I will pick out my favourite few to keep first and hide them before she comes...She wanted ten.. so that still leaves me with two little ones.

I ended up bringing in the four young ones tonight. Its turned very cold here today- and the the two younger of the four had to come in- So Stevie- Ray and Noggin are back in the lounge room again and very happy after a warm bath.

Sorry to hear about your dog- maybe she found something outside that she shouldnt have eaten and will be OK in a day or so- I dont envy you having to clean that up!! Ducklings and chickens can be brooded together- but the ducks are messy with their water- I cant wait for them to hatch and be old enough for a first swim!!

 

[Annabella]

Sounds like everyone have been busy - and we sure could use some of the rain up here - happy for you to send it up as it sounds like you have had enough. Just complaining to dear husband that everything is so dry lately. Promises of rain with nothing ever happening.
Had my lil 2 year old grandson come and visit. He was very excited about collecting the eggs with Nanna. So cute watching the wonder in his eyes as he petted some of the girls.. One of the girls has decided to lay her eggs in the bushes. I had seen her hiding in there in the morning, so I knew to have a look. So we collected the eggs from the pen, then I took him to the bushes and showed him the egg on the ground. His eye lit up and when he went to his mum, he was babbling some big story about it. Very cute.

 

[duckyfromoz]

How does 5000 litres sound Annabella?? I would gladly give you the water collecting in my tank at my block of land. I get up there so infrequently lately that it is all just sitting there- and the tank overflowing with each new rainfall. You must have had a wonderful time with your grandson...Like an easter egg hunt in July!!

I had a panic attack this morning!! One of the last little ducklings to hatch was still very weak and floppy last night- so I put it to bed in a box with a hot water bottle. By three am it was cooling off- so I tucked the little one up my shirt in bed to keep it warm. The alarm clock went off at 5.30 am and I COULDNT FIND THE DUCKLING!!! I couldnt hear it- and felt sure I had squished the poor little thing. I threw back the doona...and found him down the bottom of the bed...PHEW!! I havent ever lost one like that- but so glad I didnt squish her.

Wooklet- you are a little ahead of me- I still have to wash out the hatcher but will be putting my eggs into lockdown later on this evening...I was still wrong again with counting those eggs.... I am down to seven- and hopefully all of them will make it in to the hatcher when I candle them later.

 

[wooklet]

Quote:
Isn't it great to see things through a childs eyes? You can have ALL of our rain, I am SO over mud!
We have ducklings hatching now, and more chickens, and 2 brooders full. I'm going to end up with 2000 chickens and ducks here!!
The dog has now recovered from her "runs" suspect that she had been overdoing the chicken poo! She thinks it's dog candy.

 

[wooklet]

One little duckling has hatched time of hatch 1,35 p.m. This one was in a BIG hurry it is 2 days early, the others have not even started pipping yet! All looks well, it is still in the incubator. I will post a pic this evening. Going to name it Hari-Skari(Hurry scurry)!Hari for short! It is cute,cute,cute! Did I tell you it is cute???

 

[duckyfromoz]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!!!!! Already!!!!! Mine havent even pipped yet!!!! I cant wait to see your first web footed baby.. I knew you would love them...They are so different from chickens..

I am so happy for you- I am more excited about yours hatching than the eggs in my own incubator...

 

[wooklet]

Welcome to the world! Unfortunately the flash has brightened it up a bit as he was still in the incubator at that time, but I thought that you would want to see little Harry a.s.a.p.! I will post more later. As you say none of the others are even pipping yet, this little one was in a big hurry!!

 

[duckyfromoz]

Look at those feet!!!! Oh what a little cutie.... I hope the litle one had some friends soon...But in the mean time his peeping will encourage those others to get moving. Welcome to duckdom wooklet!!!!