Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Unflip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Mumsnet classics

Relive the funniest, most unforgettable threads. For a daily dose of Mumsnet’s best bits, sign up for Mumsnet's daily newsletter.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Unflip

1 2 ··· 34 35 36 37 38 39

Original poster

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...

969 replies

AlanThePig · 18/10/2020 15:12

Some of you might recall we have a rather large pond in our garden. On it we have a pair of ducks. First day of lockdown appeared ten, beautiful ducklings. They grew up, flew away and that was that until next spring.

Except I woke up to this......
There are ten more (seven in this photo) and I can only assume the warm weather has thoroughly confused her.

I'm now going spend the next few months fretting over bloody wildlife.

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...

OP posts:

Thread gallery

Original poster

AlanThePig · 20/10/2020 11:16

Morning all. I hurt today. I have hyper mobility joint syndrome and overdid it a bit yesterday with the platform building. Hands and wrists are worst, vibration from the jigsaw most likely. Either way a good excuse to sit, drink tea and watch the babies. Oh, and they still refuse to use the platform 😂

Happy to report all ten present and correct. Would love to name them but it's practically impossible to tell them apart. I had a rough idea with the last lot just before they fledged if they were male or female but not a single one had anything distinguishing.
The only reason I can tell Mum is our Egwina is she's rather portly given how well she's fed and walks with a slight wobble on her left leg.

Duncan was here earlier, he's buggered off again. Seems to do some kind of 9-5 as he'll be home for tea.

Current tactic is throw in a handful of food, photograph and count the number in picture...

OP posts:

steppemum · 20/10/2020 10:15

eating duck - these ones are way to small to make it worth it (and I mean the adults not the babies ). Ducks for food are much bigger breeds.

We used to keep ducks, they were muscovys which are nearly as large as a goose. They slept in our duck house, and then waddled off down the drive to the village pond every morning. The village loved them. Each year they would sit, each female could hatch 20 eggs, we often had 2-3 broods. (then they all used to parent)

The rule was that once it had a name it became a pet, the others all went in the freezer. They tasted amazing. (sorry) but were a lot of work to kill, pluck and draw ready to eat.

grenouilleescargot · 20/10/2020 10:14

Best thread on mumsnet right now

daisychain1620 · 20/10/2020 10:03

Thank you for posting this, it's lovely!

acatcalledjohn · 20/10/2020 09:56

I was getting really annoyed with some of the corona threads, then came across this one and instantly relaxed.

What a lovely thread, and what a lovely person you are, OP!

CausingChaos2 · 20/10/2020 09:25

They are so lovely and your pond is amazing!

SoupDragon · 20/10/2020 09:18

Look at their fluffy little behinds!

My parents had a pair of ducks who kept visiting for several years but they never had ducklings.

PurpleDaisies · 20/10/2020 09:15

This has cheered me right up this morning.

Cavagirl · 20/10/2020 09:13

This is my absolute favourite mn thread ever ❤

Artykitty666 · 19/10/2020 19:09

I had a spider in the fireplace the other day and i was delighted! Diversity of experience is a wonderful thing. (but i secretly wish i had garden ducks...)

Original poster

AlanThePig · 19/10/2020 17:35

@Bargebill19

That looks very suitable for a discerning duck! You may have to invest in waders so you can help her and the ducklings on to it via the red carpet it is crying out for. !!

Seriously excellent job!

I do own waders, but I'm very wary of using them 😁. Between where the platform is now and the duck house there is a big drop off in levels and it's about 15ft deep there. I waded around that area over summer when I was re tethering the duck house after it's annual paint and clean, put my foot forward and there was nothing... Did I mention I cant really swim either haha. I was wondering whether to get one of those little plastic dog kennels on there, could furnish that with red carpet 😂

To answer the eating question, I don't know. They are wild mallards, the male at least is active and flies around the area a lot so I imagine he'd be muscular. Personally I cant bring myself to eat duck. I feel terribly guilty.

I shall now go and look for the episode of Modern Family, though adult DS has already questioned whether he can do a 'Joey' and take one home to his bath.

OP posts:

Bargebill19 · 19/10/2020 17:23

That looks very suitable for a discerning duck! You may have to invest in waders so you can help her and the ducklings on to it via the red carpet it is crying out for. !!

Seriously excellent job!

user1471518104 · 19/10/2020 17:21

Can you eat them ?

MatildaonaWaltzer · 19/10/2020 17:11

ah, your DH is not the Phil Dunphy I was hoping for (have you seen the episodes of Modern Family with the ducklings? If not, that's tonight sorted for you)

Original poster

AlanThePig · 19/10/2020 17:09

@MatildaonaWaltzer

YABextremelyU for putting this into 30 days only when we would all v much like an update on the progress of your brood well beyond that

This is true, but my garden is really identifiable if you know it. Rest assured I shall start another thread and update when this one expires. I've worked out they should all bugger off somewhere around Christmas Day. DH asked if we're having duck for lunch this year....

OP posts:

MatildaonaWaltzer · 19/10/2020 17:05

YABextremelyU for putting this into 30 days only when we would all v much like an update on the progress of your brood well beyond that

Original poster

AlanThePig · 19/10/2020 16:59

So this morning I sat looking at the duck house thinking it was small, and when they all try and get on it out of the water there wont be the room, that bloody cat was around too this morning. What they need is a dry platform, a floating one, where they are safe!

Raided DH's wood pile behind the shed and with zero DIY skills I made a platform. Headed to B&Q for some polystyrene blocks, dragged the bugger into the water (bloody heavy) AND IT FLOATS!!! DH is at work oblivious to the fact his wood pile has been decimated 😂

Obviously she's viewed this latest addition with extreme caution. I even put a ramp on it. Hopefully she'll figure it out and use it and now I know how to make one I'm going to attempt a duck mansion next spring.

OP posts:

Soubriquet · 19/10/2020 15:29

She’s got you well trained hasn’t she?

You need to give her ramp that end of the pond though

fizzyp0p · 19/10/2020 15:09

Great update OP lovely photos thanks for sharing them

Original poster

AlanThePig · 19/10/2020 10:05

Woke up to the sound of Egwina having a good old shout. She’d brought them over for food, not straight to the door as I suspect they can’t make the jump up the bank closest to it yet.

Happy to report all ten still here. It’s not especially cold which is good. They have eaten some of the floating food and if she keeps the same routine as last time I think she’ll probably bring them over three or four times a day now.

You know that saying about ducks in a row. I now completely understanding it. Trying to photograph ten ducklings and actually get all of them in one picture is nigh on impossible. I think I’ve managed it here. Possibly. 😂

OP posts:

Original poster

AlanThePig · 18/10/2020 22:41

We’ve always fed them a floating duck food. It’s not the cheapest, I ordered some earlier as the last lot were getting through 20kg a month, 20kg is £35.....
But, if I put a non floating food down it means they need to come out of the water etc, plus it would encourage rats etc.

That said, she’s very good at getting out of the water, marching to the door and shouting loudly until she’s fed. By the time the others were grown earlier this year they followed DH everywhere as they knew it was him that usually fed them. He was like Sr Doolittle, walking down the drive with a troop of ducks behind him. It was hilarious.

I scribbled DH out though if you know us this is really outing, but this is when he started trying to hand feed earlier this year.

OP posts:

Bargebill19 · 18/10/2020 21:30

If those visiting us are anything to go by.... they Hoover up small bite dog mixer. As do the swans.

DanFmDorking · 18/10/2020 21:10

What do Ducks eat?

Cavagirl · 18/10/2020 21:03

This thread is so lovely!!!

@mumwon I saw a bluetit do the same with our box yesterday! Do they start checking out nesting sites this early??

mumwon · 18/10/2020 20:58

blue tit investigating bird house on fence this morning - saw him (?) go in & investigate while we were drinking our morning tea

Unflip

1 2 ··· 34 35 36 37 38 39