Ducklings

Being a mom of a two year old isn't so hard. But when you throw EIGHT baby ducklings in the mix, things start to get crazy! I was a little hesitant to write about my little ducky adventure because my emotions would get the best of me. OWELL!

About four days ago, I woke up to the sound of a duck quacking and didn't think much of it. When I went in the kitchen a few moments later, I was greeted with the most adorable site - A mother duck with eight little ducklings in the pool! But, as I kept watching them I started to worry. I wondered how long the babies had been in the cold water. Then I noticed the mother duck trying to show her babies how to get out of the pool by flying to a nearby ledge. Unfortunately, her babies were too young and couldn't fly. My stomach tightened -- I needed to help the ducks get out of the cold water and back with their mommy FAST. There was no way I could peacefully get them out and back to their mother without scarring them to death. Frankly, I knew this was a dire situation for the baby ducks. So, my dad-in-law grabbed his pool net and scooped every one of them out only to have them run back into the pool (ugh!). Then I tried a second attempt. I hurriedly scooped out as many as I could but they were so dang quick! One, two, sometimes three at a time would get into the net and I would safely place them on the ground. By the time there was only one left to catch it was so terribly frightened and I was having the hardest time catching it. It was probably the most agile of the bunch - plunging as far down as he could to escape the reach of my net. I finally got it, but only to find that the other seven were out of earshot. I kept the little guy with me the rest of the day hoping that his mother would claim him soon. By mid afternoon, I had to leave it with Brett and clean my aunty's house (I do this on fridays + I love it!).

When I came home later in the evening, I was hoping that the mother had come to save her young. To my utter amazement, I had left with only one duck and returned to find ALL eight ducklings together again and in the house! Relief came as I thought how glad the one duckling must feel to be reunited with his brothers and sisters. Being totally new to this, I had no clue as to what ducklings needed. So I went online and found really useful information on how to care for them. I was doing good with providing them with food and water but I lacked the most important fundamental thing - a heat lamp. I tried wrapping them in a warm towel but it felt too foreign and they scurried out. Being that we had no proper cage to put them in I kept them in the bath tub. I tried to keep them warm but it wasn't nearly as warm as they needed to be. By the next day, I wasn't sure what I would wake up to. Suprisingly, all of the chicks had survived. Yet, there was one that didn't look quite right. The weakest of the bunch was listless and barely hanging on. I tried to tend to it as best I could but it came to no avail. Right when I thought it was pulling through, I snapped a few photos of it. Then moments later, I watched as it swung it's head back and fell down. I couldn't believe my eyes. I held it in my hand, watching closely to see if I missed it take a tiny breath of air. The harsh reality soon came over me as I held the tiny body, completely still, in my hand. The joy I felt just minutes before it's passing was gone as I sat contemplating the death of this little animal. My sadness was compounded, doubled to be exact, when two more ducklings died. I buried their tiny bodies on the hill above the pool and placed a stone, about the size of their bodies, over each grave. Death is such a hard thing to grasp, even when it envolves loosing small animals as those. With the help of my mom-in-law, we were able to get a heat lamp. I am so lucky to have such a caring, thoughtful mom-in-law! I knew that the only way these ducks were going to survive was to kick the snake out of it's glass cage and get it ready for the baby ducks. Don't worry, the snake is fine - he/she is in a temporary container doing what it does best - chillin'. It all worked out in the end and I'm happy to report that the five remaining ducklings are doing well. Here are the pictures I took of my little troopers.

This is what I woke up to...aren't they cute!

All eight of them swimming in the tub

The first of three to go. Taken just moments before it died. =(

Five happy campers!

Huddling together...safety in numbers!