Maude and Mabel the agoraphobic ducks and five little cuties join the clan

After the sad loss of our mallard duck the large male Muscovy has been wandering around on his lonesome, he hasn't really become chummy with the chickens so to make him happier I tracked down a couple of females of his kind thinking they could be mates together.

So here is Maude, on the left grey in colour and Mabel on the right, black and white. I collected them last Tuesday afternoon keeping them in the barn to settle in the hope they would come back without any problem the following evening. So far they have not left the barn apart from today when I ushered them out to go in the field. They flew up on the wall by the barn door and looked around, they must of spent at least three minutes (enough time for me to walk to the gate and walk up our drive where I saw them still looking about). As soon as I was out of sight they must of decided the outside wasn't for them as by the time I had walked along the road to the other barn door there they were back inside. I think I have brought ducks suffering with agoraphobia.

So the male stays for a while eating his breakfast then waddles off on his own into the field. At some point these ducks are going to have to go outside, maybe I have made it too easy by giving them a container of water (food is given inside where Gorgon cant get to it, meaning the chickens and ducks can eat in peace) or maybe I need someone who can talk duck. Its funny as they were outside when I picked them up.

At the same time I brought these cuties, three Peking ducks and four khaki Campbell's, I'm only hoping a few of them are female so we can have a few eggs. I have forgotten how messy and noisy ducklings can be but they are very cute although they do take up a bit of time watching them.

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2ENJ093 - FRANKLIN

Eight years ago today Franklin came into our family, a rescue dog from the SPA in Rodez we drove to see if they had a dog to re home. He had been there a month after being left tied to a bin in the town centre, chosen because he didn't bark, he came to us to say hello and was completely different from the dog we had lost days before Christmas. 120 Euros he cost, a young boy still a pup, very thin but with a look of take me home please. A collar put round his neck, forms completed, cheque handed over and a kiss from the manager and he was ours. Five minutes down the road in the car he threw up. Five minutes in the house and he had weed up the settee and collected an assortment of treasures including socks, toilet roll inner tubes, tissues and soft toys all placed in a pile under the table and garded. He ate at an amazing speed, fearing he would loose it to our other dogs. Then he started to bark, he has a fine bark on him. He barks for his tea, when a visitor arrives, the

Parisot lake

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Lavender

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The English Paysanne

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