 |
| Meet "Squirt".... 3 days old here !! |
Here's how it all started:
We have here on our little farm our own breeding pekin ducks and we cannot forget "
Lucky" our 2 year old call duck. We hatched successfully 13 babies !!!! Twelve were born starting at 5 a.m. on July 26th and Squirt was born on July 27th at 5:30 a.m., so it was a busy couple of days and a busy month!!
 |
| Here they all are in the brooder 3 days old!! Squirt is in the far bottom right hand corner and the tiniest of the brood!! |
We decided to incubate some pekin duck eggs for the first time and so glad that we did. We learned a lot about the whole process and it was such a rewarding experience. The eggs were candled the first week of incubation and you could see the first signs of life....When we saw the hearts beating, the excitement began. Everyday, I turned the eggs a few times and kept the temperature and humidity at the proper levels and soon, the babies were being introduced one by one !! Pipping started at day 26 and for the next 2 days the little ducklings worked very very hard to break through their shells... At exactly 28 days, they were born....
Here is a short video: (click on bottom right hand corner of video for full screen)
 |
| Squirt looks quite content snuggled up to Skye.... (2 days old) |
 |
| Squirt finds a great place to hide.... (3 days old) |
 |
| Looks like a comfy spot to rest my head.... !! |
 |
| Squirt loves to sleep.... |
|
|
|
|
|
Playtime.............
 |
| Squirt's first ''piggyback'' ride |
 |
| Squirt in the red bandana.... |
 |
All 13 ducklings sporting their new bandanas at 5 days old....
**UPDATE** This photo was published in Canadian Geographic
PETS 2015 Special Collectors Edition
You can see it here |
And then there was one.............
 |
| Squirt's first night alone.... |
We decided to keep Squirt and add her to our existing duck family and we have found two loving homes for the other 12....(six to each farm) A couple of little stuffed teddies in Squirt's house took away some of the lonesomeness.... We go outside for lots of exercise and playtime and the other ducks and chickens are curious about the ''new family member'', but we have to wait a little bit longer until she is feathered and big enough to tag along with our other waddling angels in the pond. It will be fun to watch her playing, exploring, chasing after bugs and being mischievous like the others. It is also going to be interesting to see if Squirt has
Lucky's looks or
mama pekin's when she is fully grown.... We will keep you posted!!
UPDATE:
Squirt just wrote a children's picture book!!!! ;-))))
Well, ok....I helped out just a little bit (wink, wink)
Squirt narrates her story of a warm summer day. She
explores her enchanted world while enjoying her friends and meeting new
ones. She always has time for fun, especially with Skye, who is her best
friend. Have you ever seen a baby duck riding piggyback on a Border
Collie, hiding in a sneaker, or sleeping with her teddy bear? Now you
can! This picture book is a great addition to any child's collection,
and will provide your family with many cherished memories for years to
come. Come join us in the magical world of Squirt, Skye, and their
delightful friends.
**Features full color double page illustrations**
