[ANHBUC]

You really have your work cut out for you there but have made a good start. 

We put off clearing out our man made pond until last weekend due to the horrid Spring.  It is no where near the size of yours but still took nearly a day to sort.  We leave all the overgrown plants on the side for a few hours so all the critters can make their way back in to the pond.  We can actually see our fish now we have managed to remove the blanket weed.  We have had some damsel flies hatch out this year but no sign of the dragonflies yet. 

Everything is so late, the Cotton Grass is only just out and the Water Avens are finally flowering.  At least it is looking more like a pond now as some of our new hens landed on it the other week thinking it was lawn!!!     I did find out that they are really good swimmers though.   

[Kate and her Ducks]

 

Luckily no blanket weed and think I have a solution for the duck weed!
Today is another day to tackle the pond having hopefully repaired the hole in my waders with a bike puncture repair kit and the trench foot has dried out a bit!

Last day of holidays so the goslings will have to get used to their little covered run until I'm sure they're big enough not to get eaten or into too much trouble while we are at work. Think there will be some serious sulking about that!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Well a little earlier than planned but the goslings are spending their first night out of the house. Not really out side, they are in their new house in the stables with lots of bedding so they will be toasty warm. It was going to happen the end of this week as the ducklings are due to hatch on Thursday.

They had other ideas and I came home tonight to 2 feisty little guys in the incubator. They are full of beans so fingers crossed they will do well. A few more have pipped so hopefully more on the way. And I didn't think these has much chance of hatching as they have come through the post and their air sacs have looked very weird - irregular and far too large from the beginning of incubation, like the membranes had been pulled or shaken away from the shell.

They are Saxonys which are beautiful so happy girl tonight.

[themagicaltoad1]

And the geese, if they can be tempted into the water 
[/quote]

Kate very kindly rehomed my 2 geese last year, there'll be no problem getting them into the water, it's getting them out she might have a problem with, they love being in the water.
Flora is beautiful.

[pepsi100]

Its great things are going well, a shame the little lad aint there to take part in it

Are we going to photos of this little lot growing up as well ?

I have given up buying eggs online now, just too many just dont work out, I have now found an auction where I can buy the eggs, see them, touch them and can even speak to the owner, all I gotta do is bid the best price and get em home (without Postman Pat lobbing them about)

[Kate and her Ducks]

I certainly agree that the post is a complete lottery. I have had some great hatches and dozens that were infertile.

The goose eggs I collected in person as it was just too much of an investment to trust to the post. I really wanted to hatch some more Saxony's as they are such lovely ducks and would like to breed them but the 2 I have are related. I bought 2 dozen eggs earlier in the year and only 3 were fertile which all died with in the power cut!. Decided to have a final go and bought another 2 doz, including 6 from the people I bought from last year as they hatched really well.

This time I have 20 fertile! Don't know what will happen with all these odd air sacs but 4 out already so even if that's all, better than nothing. Although a lot of it is chance and the post and packing I do think that the breeder has something to do with it. I have been very impressed with A and J poultry. I don't think their eggs were packed any better than any of the others but all except 1 (over both years) have been fertile so suspect really do send fresh eggs as they all promise and are from healthy, well kept animals.

Fingers crossed for the rest of the eggs.

[pepsi100]

mmm, funny thing is, the buyers online (on ebay) who I have bought eggs from stop selling eggs not long after I tell them the results of the eggs I bought from them, now I leave that upto anyones thoughts about those sellers

The first lot of eggs I bought online there (many years ago) I had great results, 6 out of 6, even that seller has stopped sellewr (no longer registered with ebay)

I dont know if its the cockerel, the way they are posted or if the eggs were fertile in the first place, but buying online and using the post is a lottery, the last lot I bought, (18 eggs at a cost of £32.50) I got 3 chicks

I wasnt happy, maybe others have had better results buying eggs from sellers on ebay