Tuesday

I've guesstimated that Katcsa's babies will arrive sometime this week. Perhaps around the 3rd November. I think Speedy starting sitting around the same time as well. And so we sit and wait. I think I'll go and check on them now.....
Just got back and still no babies

Dereks Hangi adventures

Derek came to the hangi last night, and from what I heard was most delicious. I told everyone that he was an active cock who had a good life and was born and raised at Hydrorancho. I'm not sure if people liked their food having a name but hey at least you know he wasn't raised in a cage. Plus it was easy to say "Can you please pass some Derek" or "Do you want any more Dezza?"
That's what you get when you mess with Old Boy.

Hangi

I saw Ralphy's kids for the first time today. We had a massive rain yesterday and today he brought them out to introduce us. They are pretty cute but damn they squawk. No wonder Ralphy is always on the hunt for food.

The boy duck were fighting yesterday. I had to pen Mandy up as he wasn't backing down. Beaker got into it as well, he was a little bloody around his webbing and on the back of his neck.

We're having a hangi today and I've told them they must be on their best behaviour as guests are coming. They seem to be listening as now they are chilling under the mango tree. I tell you I'm the duck whisperer.

I've got a full row of pineapples in our patch at the moment. yum o.

Baby central

Everyone can rest easy tonight Ralphy is ok and he appears to be well. I think I may have been over reacting a tad. Speedy is still sitting on her nest and always fluffs up whenever I walk over to the pen (usually a number of times during the day). I've been going to check more often on Katcsa because I'm excited about her having some babies, even if they are chickens. If she rejects them we want to try and catch her before she kills them. In the event that that happens we'll just give them to Speedy and she can raise them.

So its baby central here at the moment, its a waiting game.

Ralphy's gone AWOL

I returned from Brisbane yesterday and didn't see Ralphy. I haven't seen him today either. When I left on Sunday morning everyone was convinced what I saw wasn't a tick. But where is he? I've heard his kids and even seen Ralphetta. I really hope he's ok and just on holiday. I will try to entice him with my well known bird talk 'g'day mate'.
Speedy and one of the baby girls have been going at it. They fight like roosters do jumping up with their feet. I'll try to get it on film tomorrow morning when no doubt they fight again. The wouldn't land any punches as they'd just end up jumping over each other. It was pretty funny, but I was glad to see the baby girl standing up for herself.

Tick

So now all three ducks are nesting, these two babies don't have any eggs though.

I'm a little concerned about Ralphy at the moment. Yesterday I noticed what appeared to be a small tick just under his beak. As it was dark I didn't want to worry about it until after I received a second opinion. Well I looked at it today and I still think its a tick. I thought about trying to catch him but I'm not sure how its going to go. Surely he'd be able to pick it out?

I was told not to worry and to just let nature take its course. I don't want to let Ralphy die. Here's hoping Ralphetta sees it and picks it off her husband.

Princess Speedy

We told Speedy today that we'd take her eggs if she didn't go and sit on her eggs. I think she heard (and understood) what we were saying as she went and sat on her nest. I don't think Speedy likes being tied down by having to sit on the eggs. She wants to be free to run with the ducks or do whatever she likes. I was told she gets her attitude from her mother. I'm not sure what someone was suggesting then as her mother died when she was very young. They certainly couldn't have been suggesting Speedy gets her attitude from me.

Wednesday

So I return to the farm to find the last baby girl sitting on eggs in the pen. She also had a tick near her eye so we were quick to remove that. Lucky I wasn't gone for any longer as it could have turned ugly. I had to shut the door on the pen as the boys kept trying to enter and mate with the girls while they were on their eggs.

Speedy is now sitting on eggs in the chicken pen, she fluffs herself up to protect her eggs. I'm looking forward to her being a mother. The eggs have gone from the box in the chicken pen that the two sluts were sitting on. I tell you everything happens when I'm not here. Not sure what happened, probably a snake. Who knows...

Box of sluts

These two hens are sharing this tiny little box together. The other day all I saw was the head of one and the tail of another. How lovely that would be to sit there all day with your head up under the wing of another chicken. Talk about cramped. These bitches aren't moving for anyone. The one on the right and below is my third favourite chicken behind Speedy and Old Boy (although I don't' really count Speedy as a chicken). Her name is Mongy foot. I think I may have mentioned her earlier, anyway her feet are all broken looking, very bent out of shape. I like her a lot and was very surprised to see her laying again as I thought she'd dried up.

Mothers day

Here is the baby girl that has the sore foot who is sitting on eggs. I'm not going to leave her on the eggs much longer but I want her to rest her leg.

Here is Katcsa resting on her little chucks. I'm so torn over what we've done here. If we take the eggs away then we have less chickens but if she keeps them she'll have chickens. I'm sure she'd be a great mum to her little chicks. Would she take them swimming? I'd love to see her swimming around in the pool with chickens on her back.

Friday

I went back to check on the chickens and ducks earlier before only to find Speedy sitting out by her lonesome in the pen. All of the rest of the chickens and roosters were all huddled together in their little house while Speedy was sitting out on a perch near the wall. I guess she always sleeps by herself in a tree.
I cleaned out both pens today and even gave the chicken pen a good hose. I went easy in there though as two black hens are laying on some eggs. We've got so many eggs and so few chickens willing to sit on them we've placed some under Katcsa to have her incubate them. She's going to have her self some little chucks. I'm not really sure what is going to happen with this little experiment. But Katcsa sure did look excited when we gave her some eggs to sit on.

Old Boy Blues

I had a bit of an incident with Old Boy today. As I was getting Young Boy and some slut in the pen I had to keep ushering Old Boy back into the pen as he kept protecting the door.
So there I was walking him back in when the next thing I knew he's up on my leg fluttering around scratching at my leg. I can only think of two reasons why Old Boy would attack me

1. He's getting old or
2. I stood on his foot and I mistook all the fluttering and scratching as an attack when he just wanted me to get off his foot.

Afterwards I bent down and asked him what that was all about and why he'd want to do that to me. I didn't get a reply just a good stare. I really don't think I stood on his foot but I want to blame myself for his actions.

Baby girls foot was looking a little better today, she was resting on some eggs so I was glad to see her not walking around.

Septic kids

Ahh the septic gang. I still don't know whats so good down there near the septic tank. But when I yelled out to them they all stood and acted like I'd busted them, the boys at least.

I purchased a fantastic new torch the other day, perfect for snake season. I went over and did two checks on the chicken pen and both times there was no snakes but I woke up everyone so I was happy.

My baby girl is still limping pretty bad, I was looking at her today and thought she needed a little duck crutch. I could just imagine that. Just one crutch and it would sit under her wing.

Monday wrap-up

Well I'm back and I'm pretty sure the ducks missed me while I was away. I honked the horn when we drove up and yelled 'hey babies' much to their surprise. On my return I've found one of the baby girls limping pretty bad and Katcsa is still sitting on her 'eggs'. As I wasn't here to monitor the ducks I'm not sure what happened to her leg. Now I'm sure you're all wondering if its the same baby girl that I took to the vet a few months ago and I'm really not sure -that's why they are twins. I've told her she needs to chill out and rest her leg while sitting on her eggs but she's not really listening to me. Yesterday I found her, Beaker and Tommy hanging out down by the septic tank. I'm not sure what was down there, but they didn't come back smelling of shit so I was happy.

The two baby chicks are gone, I'm not sure if it was a snake or bird. As it's October I'm guesssing it was a snake. Speedy is still laying eggs and still looking as pretty as ever. I've been patting her more lately.

hol's

Now I don't want all of my 'fans' think I'm neglecting the ducks. I'm currently away from my babies enjoying the warmth of Sydney. When I call home I want to ask how they are but always refrain. I'm sure they don't miss me.

We lost a baby chicken the other day so I'm not sure what's going on with the snake situation. I need to do some serious patch work when I get home. I also need to de-lice the chicken with the mongy foot. Here is Katcsa when she got off her eggs (for about five minutes)