#whatducksdo

"So... what do ducks actually do?"

[riverdarling]

And yes... we kept her 😅

[riverdarling]

A daily dose of animals enjoying places they have no right to be 🤣

[riverdarling]

Two new friends, Gingerbread and Honey 🧡💛

[riverdarling]

Get ‘im Edwin 😂

[riverdarling]

A little blue/green Call duck egg, big white Muscovy duck egg and a little brown store bought “medium” chicken egg for comparison! The colour of the shell is added nearly completely in the last 90 minutes before it’s laid along with the “bloom”, an anti-biotic protective layer… and blue/green eggs are metal af ☠🤟 The blue/green pigment is made from biliverdin which is derived from hemoglobin (a component of blood). Marking out air cells on the Muscovy eggs so I can monitor moisture loss during incubation! This egg has it’s cell on the side rather than the fat end so may need assisting at hatch 😬🐣 We have shipped out over 40 fertile Call eggs to other people so far this year 💓🥚

[riverdarling]

Sunny doing a (( quick beautify )) 🌟 Our pretty Call duck girl from our Father’s Day hatch last year, first one to hatch and an absolute boss baby. She’s half mallard colouration half khaki and is my eldest’s absolute favourite. She’s also the daughter of my 7 year old baby, Edwin 💗

[whatducksdo]

And now we wait...

[whatducksdo]

Just look at this tiny dragon! An assisted hatch! These are absolutely terrifying, there is a lot that can go wrong, but it's sometimes necessary! This little black Call didn't manage to pip into their air sac to then rest before making the external pip through the shell. The poor mite had to break straight through to breathe. We left it as long as possible but it was obviously exhausted, Calls with show type short beaks and shipped eggs like this one need shorter waiting times too. So, in I went with flour to stop potential bleeding, coconut oil to make the membrane transparent to check for veins before peeling it back, thin tweezers and a strong candling light. All the veins were dry so it was clearly ready. I freed the head after checking where the air sac was and marking it out, and then gravity (and two sets of tiny toes!) did the rest. Just an amazing and frightening experience! I'm pleased to say Derek is now a month old, smaller than their sibling, but doing very well!

[riverdarling]

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It’s Edwin’s 4th hatchday today! Here are some face pets and the first time I’ve managed to get him to perform his trick on camera (he is normally perfectly synchronised with me, promise!)! Darwin then charges in to give me some sass! #whatducksdo #callducks #chocolatecall #ducks #petducks #tameducks #imprintedducks #imprintedbirds #ducktricks #drakes #friendsnotfood

[riverdarling]

Darwinsaur showing off his sectoral heterochromia <3 #petducks #dinosaur #callduck #chocolatecall #heterochromia #whatducksdo

[riverdarling]

Action stance before dandelion destruction! #beardeddragon #beardie #reptile #squamata #lizard #harmlessdinosaur

[riverdarling]

A proud mountaineering Sir… #callduck #chocolatecall #kindof #ducksofinstagram #petducks

[riverdarling]

Darwin got himself up the stairs for a better view… #callduck #chocolatecall #ducksofinstagram

[riverdarling]

The Eye of #Sauron… #citrusbeardeddragon #beardeddragon #beardie #reptile #squamata #lizard #nofilter

[riverdarling]

If it’s good enough for the rabbit… #nosarcasm #dorsetcereals #healthychoices #netherlandsdwarf

[riverdarling]

🐇 Killer vegan… #whiskers #rabbit #netherlandsdwarf

[riverdarling]

That duck and me <3 #Darwin #duck #photobomb #ducksofinstagram