So, if you follow us on Facebook, I'm sure you already know the news and the reason the blog update was postponed until today. The ducklings started hatching yesterday and our Nibble has turned out to be a great mama. We are so proud of our girl and she is taking great care of her little charges. We also have a few garden updates to share, but this post will be mostly about the ducklings because they are so cute and wonderful that we just can't help ourselves.
This is not Nibble's first time setting eggs, but it is her first successful hatch. If you look back in our archives, she did sit a nest all the way to day 28 last year but none of her babies survived. This year, she started out with a nest of 13 eggs which slowly whittled down over the 28 days of incubation to a final 7 eggs that pipped. Of the 7 that made it to hatch day, we had a total of 5 hatch successfully but only 3 were strong and healthy enough to survive their first day. The three that made it were all hatched today (making Friday the 13th our lucky day!) and are doing wonderfully with mama Nibs attending to them devotedly. We moved papa Duck out of the duck pen and in with the Chicken Brigade to give Nibs and her trio of cuties a little time to bond without Mr. Curious. Houdini, our Call Duck drake has been with Nibs through the whole setting and hatching, and since he is such a small and very attentive duck, we're leaving him with the new family. We will bring Duck back to the group after Nibs and her little ones have had some time to acclimate and when the little ones are a bit more coordinated. Duck can be quite clumsy and he's a big fellow so we don't want to take any chances before the littles are quick enough on their feet to get out of his way if necessary. Can you blame us for being in love already? :)
The first two to hatch!
Proud ducky grandpa
This was the first survivor that hatched and got fluffy!
We found three little peeps when we got home
Mama cuddling with her babies
Gosh, I'm so overwhelmed by the cuteness that I almost forgot to add the garden updates! ;) So, we've been enjoying lots of fresh strawberries and I've been regularly picking and shelling peas. In order to make the most of the harvest and encourage the plants to keep producing peas, I've been picking all the ones that are plump, shelling, and freezing them. Slowly, I'm amassing a rather respectable stash of frozen peas that we'll eat down the road. The snap peas are also starting to ripen and Nate is enjoying them right off the vines. We haven't harvested any lettuce yet, but we plan to soon as it is more than ready.
Shelled peas
Our onion bed is looking promising with lots of tall scapes (some as tall as my hip!) and the ones we started from seed are getting bigger by the day. The peppers are continuing to put forth little tiny peppers, and the tomatoes are starting to look like a small, green-fruited jungle. For once, my carrots are looking prosperous as well. I think fencing the garden to keep the wild rabbits and deer out has definitely helped cut our losses.
Tomato Jungle!
Around the front of the house, Nate's herbs are looking wonderful with both his Valerian and Angelica in flower (both of which look really neat!). We also have the first flowers coming up in the Faery Garden and look forward to a lush, colorful flower garden this year.
Valerian flowers
Angelica flowers
Faery flowers
Until next week, Happy Gardening!
If you want to join us in the Grow-Along, simply send us your gardening plans, pictures, or progress via Facebook, email, or in the comments below. We welcome everyone to the adventure! It is never too late to join us! :)
1 comments:
looking good!!!
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