sad post

Right after my last post, I found an egg.In the duck hut.

the little white one is the duck egg

chicken egg in the middle for comparison

 And there was one the next day. And the next, etc. One day it was big, the next it was small. Yay!

After a week when there was still only one egg, I was convinced that Hollyhock was a boy too. But, one day there was 3! And the next day verified it! One of the ducks had even made a little nest for the eggs (hard to see in this picture).

Yay Petunia was NOT a boy!  Gradually they got more regular and there was a couple days I got 6 eggs (3 chicken and 3 ducks).

L-R Petunia, Hollyhock, Chrysanthamum

But, that won't happen again.

  

L- Holly, Sparkle (chicken), Chrissy



this wood pile is fun to climb, and I like to bug the cats



 This morning when I went to put the birds in their pens for the day, Holly didn't come running with the rest. I found her in the garden. I'm hoping it was a freak accident and she broke her neck or something. I don't know enough to say for sure what happened. She was my most adventurous duck, climbing up things, finding more snails then the rest. She was happy doing her duck things this morning and had already laid her egg for the day.

Holly says this is my pretty side



I'm sad, but mostly I'm worried that it I did something wrong. Are my other birds at risk? Turns out no vets around here do duck autopsies so I guess I'll never know for sure.

 The remaining two seemed a little subdued today and didn't eat as much as they normally do, hopfully just missing Holly, and not cause they are sick.



Petunia and Chrysie checking out Holly's resting place 



Holly was a good leader (unlike Chrysie) and so the two remaining weren't able to put themselves to bed tonight, even though the door was open. Farewell Holly, you were a good duck. I loved your soft, fuzzy belly, and happy honks when I came home.