Tears (of joy) in the eyes

[alan refail]

At my age I should know better
I've just been out to check on chicks that were due to hatch today - and there they were - always brings a tear (of joy) to my eye.
11 eggs have been under my number one broody for 20 days, and here they are.
The broody is known as Mami Hwyaid (Mother Duck) because her first brood, two years ago were five ducklings. She's so reliable.
Must stop now before I flood the keyboard.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alan nothing wrong with showing a little emotion, hope the Mother and babies are doing well.

[alan refail]

Dear OH

Doing well so far - photo to follow when they're out and about.

Alan

[pongeroon]

That's great Alan. Anything that makes anyone happy is worth telling us all about.

[Chantal]

Alan, you big soft tart that is absolutely wonderful.

It never ceases to amaze me, that something you could have eaten fried or on toast can, with a bit of warmth, develop in exactly 21 days into a self sufficient, beautiful little bird.

[Sarah]

Thanks Chantal. I was planning on egg mayo sandwiches for lunch!

[alan refail]

Just checked this morning - all eleven eggs hatched. Clever broody

[Chantal]

Sorry Sarah, I HAD egg mayo sandwiches for lunch

I have this problem with Tim; if he gives a thought to the fact the any of our eggs are potentially viable, he can't eat them. I keep telling him that nothing, but nothing, happens until they're incubated and as they are taken out of the nests the day they are laid, they are not chicks, they are just eggs.

However, I stand by my former statement, it's miraculous.

Well done Mummy Alan on your 11 babies.

[alan refail]

Dyma nhw! Mami Hwyaid a'i chywion.

Here they are! Mama Duck and her chicks.

All eleven hatched within the past 16 hours and she's brought them out into the sun on their first morning.

[Chantal]

Little darlings, it makes me want to hatch chicks again but no, no, no, I must NOT do it!

What breeds are they Alan?

[alan refail]

What breeds are they Alan?

Wel, 'na gwestiwn! There's a question!

All our cocks and hens are out together all day, so there's a lot of promiscuity

All I can say for certain is that the two brown and yellow ones are Wheaten Marans cock x Blue-laced Barnevelder hen.

Apart from that they will be a mixture (sometimes a few generations back) of Light Sussex, Black Orpington, Araucana, Exchequer Leghorn and Blackrock hybrids.

Most of the black ones will turn out like the broody. She's what we christened "Chwilog Black" - a sort of reverse Light Sussex - which we have had a lot of, with various bloodlines, since first hatching some years ago.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Lovely photos Alan (I've still not worked out how to post them on this website)

I bought a hybrid hen a couple of years ago that looks just like your broody and they said it was a Daisy Bell but I've no idea what breeds they used to produce them.

I had to get rid of my cockerel as he was too noisy for the neighbours, so no more chicks.

[alan refail]

I find that Daisy Belles are a Light Sussex Rhode Island Red cross, See here.

My first "Chwilog Blacks" were from a Light Sussex cock and (probably) Blackrock hens. Blackrocks are Barred Plymouth Rock x RIR, so that may explain where they came from. Now I get the same markings from a variety of subsequent crosses. The black body with silvery collar markings seems a strong gene.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Thanks Alan, my Daisy Belle does have a look of the Sussex and is a lovely friendly character, she lays quite well too, but not so regularly as the Black Rocks who are real egg laying machines, they hardly miss a day.

I miss seeing all the different chicks. The last ones I hatched were nearly all cocks and one grew into the most beautiful bird I've seen. He was very tall, a rich cream with shimmering golden neck and tail feathers, but unfortunately ended up in the pot like all the others as I couldn't find anyone who wanted a cockerel. That is the main reason I've stopped breeding them, it is too upsetting to kill lovely creatures.

[Chantal]

I've given up for the same reason, my last brood was 2 girls and 7 boys, 6 of whom ended up in the pot, the 7th was Rocky