Mallard Update

It's been over a week now since we have had the Mallard chicks and what week and a bit it has been.

We are sadly down to 4 chicks now but they are doing really well.

I thought it would have to be me that looks after them but it's been my other half that's took them under her wing. So to speak.

She has been on google learning how to look after them, what to feed them and any little tip that anyone might give her she knows it. What she did not expect is that has really got attached to them. She has been giving me orders what to do after she's gone to bed.

"Now don't over feed them and make sure they have enough water before you go to bed"

Well I feel like being back at my mother's again. Say nothing and do as I'm told. 

The sun was shining one day so Joan made sure the chicks were ok and she took the kids to the beach for an hour or so. I got a phone call to say that she has lost one and she was so upset that she said she was never going to leave them on their own again. You can't do that I said, as they will grow up sooner than you think and they will be gone. Oh but I feel it's my fault.

Well I could not believe what I was hearing and can you imagine what it will be like when our own kids decided to leave the nest.

Never mind I said it can't be helped. We said goodbye and I returned to my speech, until about 10 minutes later when I received another phone call saying that she had found the missing chick. "Found it I said, where". Over the wall. "Over the wall I said, your having a laugh.
Now our walled garden must be 10 foot high so she must be taking the micky or this chick had super powers or something.

No she said, the neighbours found it in the garden as a seagull had dropped it. The sound of her happy voice was all I needed to hear.

The next morning the little chick was dead, which was such a shame but it must have been such a shock for it, but two minutes later I was given a spade to bury it, so the kids did not see it.

The next day another chick passed away but this time Charlie (my girl) found it but she was really cool about it and never battered an eye lid.

I'm glad she was, as Joan started saying it was all her fault and she was a bad mother. Well you can imagine what I was thinking but I had to keep my trap shut.

I said, now come on Joan it's not your fault as one died from shock and the other was really small compared to the others and must have been to weak. The way to look at it is that we have 4 healthy chicks and you are doing your best.

After that she went shopping, not for our food but for proper food for the chicks. She came home with live meal worm and by crumbs they loved it. They don't half fight with each other to get some.

So after all that has gone on we now have been given a big chicken run so she can put them outside during the day and they are in a cardboard box in our living room during the night.

In the mean time she is clearing out the garden shed so they can live in there at nights. We have also been given a small pond and I have a dustbin lid turned upside down with fresh water in it.

Bloody hell they little fellas will never want to leave home, and who could blame them.

I will keep you all updated, so until next time