My New First Ladies arrived this morning

I don't generally expect telephone calls at 8:00 a.m. but this morning the caller I.D. on my phone showed "Post Office" as the caller and I eagerly answered the phone. 

 

Post Office:  "Hello?  Is this Jennifer?"

Me: "Yes it is."

Post Office:  "I've got some birds here for you."

Me:  "I'll be right there to pick them up."

Post Office:  "See you soon."

 

 

Of course it snowed last night AGAIN and my car wasn't in the garage so after a quick brush off of the snow I set off to the post office.  YIKES!  My gas gauge showed nothing!  I was running on fumes.  So, a quick stop at the gas station and I was back on the road to the post office.

 

When I opened the post office doors the sound of "peep, peep, peep, chirp, chirp, PEEP!" filled the room.  So many people in my town are getting their new baby ducks and chickens.

 

I collected my box of ducklings and hurried home to get them under the heat lamp and acquainted with Daisy Mae and Dolly Parton who arrived a week ago.

 

Yep!  This is how chicks and ducks arrive through the post.  Inside the box are special warmers so that the day old chicks and ducklings stay warm.  My sweet barn cat, Masha, was the postal inspector.  After a quick sniff I took the ducklings inside the house to their brooder.

 

JUST LOOK at how much bigger a one week old duckling is compared to a day old duckling!  Ducks grow quickly.

 

I removed the babies leg bands, dipped their beaks in sugar water and introduced them to food.  They went at it like...well...like ducks to water.  *Smiles*

 

My new girls are:

Melania Trump and Michelle Obama: they are Welsh Harlequin Ducks

Martha Washington and Mamie Eisenhower: they are Pekin Ducks

Daisy Mae and Dolly Parton:  Silver Appleyard Ducks.

 

Everyone is doing great and getting along well.  In three weeks I'll be getting my final shipment of ducklings.

 

Until next time,

 

Jennifer

 

Quack!  Quack!

Daisy Mae and Dolly Parton: One week old

Daisy Mae and Dolly Parton are one week old and today they had their first "swim" in the sink.  Not a whole lot of swimming since my sink is pretty shallow, but they had fun I think.

After the swim they tried out a little bit of chopped parsley.  It was a big hit! 

The girls have really grown quickly in just one week's time.  Tomorrow they will be joined by 4 more day old ducklings.

 

Until next time,

 

Quack!  Quack!

 

 

New Ducklings at Gypsy's Pasture

Like everyone else, here at Gypsy's Pasture we are eagerly awaiting Spring after a very cold, long, snowy and blustery winter.  To me, spring means new life new seedlings sprouting, new baby animals born, new goals and ... well... a whole new attitude. 

 

Last week the first of my new baby ducklings arrived.  The first two little cuties I'm getting this year are Silver Appleyard ducklings.  Soooooo CUTE!

 

They arrived from a hatchery located in California so these wee babies were born on Monday and arrived via USPS on Wednesday.  I had my brooder all set up and ready when I got the call from the post office that my little ones had arrived.

 

I have a heat lamp over them so that is why the photos glow with a reddish color.  Both ducklings, who I am naming Daisy Mae and Dolly Parton, drank and ate immediately.  They are active and hungry and settled in the spare bathtub just beautifully.

 

Bert and Ernie, my indoor cats, are very curious about the new residents in the bathroom.  Here is Bert studying them carefully.  Not to worry, though.  Bert and Ernie are highly supervised IF they are even allowed to see the ducklings, so Daisy and Dolly are safe.

 

There will be more ducklings arriving over the next several weeks as well as baby chicken/chicks. 

 

Yep!  New life is the signal that Spring has arrived.

 

Until next time,

 

Quack!  Quack!