Ducklings, cheese and trotting

Ok, been a while since I've posted. I was doing so well with regular posts! Oh well, I will get back on track now :)

Mrs Duck had been sitting on 14 eggs for about 5 weeks (a week too long according to the internet) and finally they hatched....

She had 5 little ones on the first day and once they were sufficiently strong she took them all on the long walk to the pond for the day. Unfortunately she didn't think about the other 9 eggs that hatched while she was away. We went to see them thinking she would go back but when Marty got home that afternoon she hadn't been back and there was one little one struggling for life, one who hadn't managed to get more than his beak out of the egg, one had suffocated and 6 more eggs were stone cold and didn't survive. We took the little struggling one into our care not thinking that he would survive. During his time alone in the nest, the flies had come to visit and left a little present - fly maggot babies in his eye :( He was not a very happy camper and very weak but Marty wisely gave him a bit of Rescue Remedy and we washed his eyes out with salt water to encourage the maggots out. After the salt water wash he wouldn't open his left eye and therefore couldn't turn left for a few days hence his new name , Zoolander.

I didn't think he would survive the first night but he did and he is a super strong and super cute little duckling now...

He lives inside and follows us around everywhere and never shuts up. Cheep, cheep, cheep. cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep.... non stop. So cute though. The dog isn't quite sure about him...

His 5 brothers and sisters who Mum had with her happily went about their day swimming on the pond and eating grubs...

until yesterday when Mother Duck appeared with only 3 ducklings in tow. Yesterday afternoon the weather turned a bit sour and we went out to see them after she came to the deck with no babies. Unfortunately, when we got to the pond, we found 2 dead ducklings (for no apparent reason) and still can't find the other one. So Zoolander is the sole surviver of the 14 eggs. Poor little guy. He wants a friend but the dog is too big to be much help.

Zoolander has met his mum and dad but because he didn't see them when he first hatched he's not particularly interested in them and prefers to follow us around instead. Mother Duck is interested in him though but she has proved herself to be a useless mother so Zoolander is staying with us.

In other news, Tigger's training has been progressing well. We put a little bridle on her last week...

She wasn't so happy about the bit but had a good time playing with the little jingle jangles on her tongue...

And we had her leading better (even trotting in hand!) which is good....

And the baby gouda that we made at the cheese making course turned out awesome! It is so tasty...

It's meant to snow tonight. Not sure whether it will settle but you never know. Late again this year.

Anyway, food time for me and I need to keep an eye on the dog and duck. Make sure they are playing nicely.

Will post soon.

K :)