The Brooding of Allie, Casey and Latte

[Julie Birb]

OK, day 5 roll call and weigh in... (days 1 and 2 they were in transit so they aren't documented.)

Latte 2.3oz up 35% grower of the day, but still the smallest.


Casey 2.4oz up 20% should eventually be the smallest.


She still really likes the camera...


Allie 2.9oz (with an occasional flash of 3) up 26%


I spoke with Latte, and she agreed to do a special picture just for Julie. Casey wanted to help out too.

It has webs.

It has bills.

It has cute.

It has a dark Casey web on a white towel.

It has teeny-tiny toe nails.

It has little bitty nares.

It has a peeking-hiding duck.

Julie, Please be very careful when viewing this picture.

Breathe and enjoy but please don't explode.

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASCREEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAMMMMMMMMM!!!!! NO LIE I JUST WENT NUTS AND BECAME LIGHTHEADED FROM THE EEEEEING AND HOOPOOSING. I Cannot believe this, Tony. I am not lying. This kills me. Look at yellow baby's round bod and WEBS. And her bill and face and she fits in your hand. I am in love.

 

[Julie Birb]

I HAVE TO SHOUT HERE IN ALL CAPS SO PLEASE BEG MY PARDON!!! THESE PIX ARE SO CUTE IT'S NOT FUNNY. YOU'VE CAPTURED ALL THE THINGS THAT I AND ONLY I NOTICE IN DUCK. LIKE CASEY'S DARK WEBS AGAINST TOWELS. FACES, BILLS AND THE REST. THESE ARE NOT JUST BABY DUCKS. THEY ARE A TRIGGER IN MY BRAIN THAT MAKES ME GO BONKERS.

TONY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I LOVE YOUR BABIES SO MUCH. YOU KNOW HOW TO CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF TOOTSIE ROLL HOOPOOSE FOR ME. ARGH.

SEE? I HAVE MY OWN LANGUAGE WHEN IT COMES TO ALL THINGS BIRB (CREDIT @Amykins FOR BIRB) BUT IT FITS. IT ALL FITS. YOU ALL GET IT. YOU KNOW HOW TO BRING UP THE PARTS OF MY EMOTIONAL BRAIN THAT CAUSE ME TO MALFUNCTION WITH MY VITAL SIGNS. LIKE I GASP LOUDLY, SQUEEL AND EEEEEE VERY LOUDLY THAT @RavynFallen CAN HEAR ME IN TN.

 

[Julie Birb]

LOOK AT LATTE'S PRECIOUS FACE. SHE IS THE EPITOME OF INNOCENCE. HER LITTLE FACE NEEDS A BIG KISS.

 

[Julie Birb]

LATTE'S WEBS ARE VERY ORANGE. I AM SORRY I AM POSTING SO MUCH ON HERE. I'VE BEEN OFF LINE FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS. I LOVE THIS BECAUSE IT'S ALL HERE FOR ME TO SEE. HEEHEE.

 

[Julie Birb]

YES - I couldn't agree more. She is so descriptive with everything. Love it. Still would like to know what a hooooopoooose is, though ;-)

@MamaDux That made me laugh. I appreciate your comment here.

Hoopoose is a word I made up to just exclaim my joy and pleasure over a really cute birb or birbs. I came up with it randomly when I was around my tiny zebra finches in my home. They fly free when I am home and they are hideously cute. Also I exclaim Tootsie Roll. Although not a made up word it is something that came to mind around my burds. It's random, too.

The odd thing is that when I am in my car all alone driving and I see cute ducks or even people's domestic geese on their properties, I say those things very loudly in the car as I am driving by. I cannot help it. It happened today on my way back from a hike in the desert.

And like others on here, too, I eeeeeeeeeeee loudly and unbeknownst to me so do other people over their burbs. So cool.

 

[Julie Birb]

Yes - especially when they are ready to fall asleep *sigh*
They just are; we have to accept that fact. I was a crazy cat person pre 'lings but I am a converted woman now. Cats are okay to pet and hold now but having a duckling cuddle in my hand, nestle in my hair ... nothing cuter.

What a feeling. That gets all the feel good brain chemicals going. So worth it all the way. The sleepy nods are adorable to watch for sure.

 

[Julie Birb]

No, they sure don't!!

for the tearful smile... great pics... and JB is gonna flip over seeing the baby ducki tongue...

Yes. That is so cute. Her li'l tongue. Is like sweet Snow's but smaller. Sweet Snow.

Not only is a 'ling a miniature duck but a very young duck, too.

Just don't mind my oddness. I am having fun.

 

[Julie Birb]

They are all doing a great at their primary job: growing

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Casey 3.2oz up 14%
Latte 3.3oz up 27%
Allie 4.1 oz up 17%

So that was two weight accomplishments. Latte put on the burst of growth required to get ahead of Casey (which she should be) so that now the 'lings are in the expected order by weight. Allie broke the 1/4 lb barrier. Today instead of "role call, they got to go swimming for the first time. Yesterday they did a little wading. They difference being that yesterday they could walk on the deep side of the tub and they didn't do any swimming, just some preening and washing actions plus a good cleaning of their nares. Today, the smaller ones could touch on the shallow side and Allie could touch up to about half way, but in the deep end, they had to swim. They were surprisingly water repellent for the first time. At least one of them must have their preen gland working (they snuggle enough that one could be coating them all). My previous ducklings were soaked to the skin after a bath like this.

This was the last few minutes of a 15 minute swim... They seemed to really enjoy it.

BIG WOW. LAST BIT OF CASEY PADDLING BACKWARDS MADE ME LAUGH.

NOT ONLY ARE THE WEBS OF A 'LING A VERY CUTE ACCESSORY OF DUCK THEY ALSO FUNCTION AS PADDLES IN THE WATER. THE LEGS MOVE AND THE WEBS WHICH CAUSE RESISTANCE IN THE WATER CAUSE THE BIRB TO MOVE ANY WAY SHE WANTS TO.

 

[Julie Birb]

In my case, I feed pellets to the adults (less mess) so the 'lings would at least need their own bag of crumble even if I stayed with the same food. So far, there has been no "adjustment period" because they have a few transition days where they eat with the big ducks while they are having supervised visits, then come back in and eat their crumble. (Based on flock with Tella and Ettie then Noir and Mystique with flock - these guys are nowhere close to visiting yet

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If you zoom in, you will see Latte's toe bends around into Casey's bill. For some reason since day one, Casey just wants to eat Latte's toes...

That is not lost on me Tony. I noticed it in your first video of Casey doing that.

 

[Julie Birb]

is Julie going to go "BOOM!" on this?? I bet she is; I'm barely keeping myself from that same fate.

I know it. I cannot stand this pic, Yvonne. It is a classic. Look at the baby all teensy in his hand with her webs and her round belly exposed. Then her little head and eyes. Such a sweet face. How did she stay still for that. Or was she wiggling and you had to take a bunch of pics to get that one?

It is the picture I first saw that actually caused my out of breath and very loud response to the point I got light headed,