Firstly, apologies for the poor quality of photos – it was nearly dark at 4 o’clock – the nights are drawing in fast.
The duckies have me well trained in their routine. They come looking for me when I leave my shed having made a sheeple all afternoon.
All 12 of them. A dozen ducky-wuckies!
Once I am located, we all walk ceremoniously back to the feed shed. They can all mostly fly too. Girls are better than boys, obviously!
And then they all stuff their faces for as long as they like.
I put down two bowls, so they can all have a good eat.
The enthusiasm for food is huge and are now all getting along well. No more rows and posturing.
We recently were given four more hens and they are just beginning, two weeks on, to become a little flock themselves. Our lot are very old so it is nice to get new ones to teach them the routine.
I thought I was the Ducky-Wucky leader, but I think I may have been replaced!
And then, suddenly, after stuffing their beaks, they all to a duck start walking to the hen-house for bed.
A quick pit-stop to just see if the chickens got anything better.
Eight DW’s go into the hen-house with all the hens and four (Huey, Louie, Dewey and Mum) peel off to live in the shed behind, which is where they’ve lived since they hatched.
It is snug in the hen-house and everyone has their chosen space.
I kiss them all good-night (well, I say out loud “night-night”) and shut the door so they are all safe for the night.
Twelve duckies is quite a lot. I am not sure what to do but as long as we are all friends, then they can probably stay.