[doganjo]

I have had a dreadful morning!  Some stupid bozo, namely me, had forgotten to shut the ducks in last night and let the three Brittanys out into the front garden. As usual Allez went to the gate but it was open so he went in there.  Had I realised the ducks had already gone out I'd have saved myself and the poor ducks an awful lot of anguish as I could have shut Allez in there and only had the girls to contend with.  All three dived into the stream after a different duck.  Allez caught a female and toddled off upstream to stop Freckles and Belle getting it.  The girls were downstream catching the drake and another female.  I whistled Allez to sit, which he did, duck still in moutth.  Grabbed Freckles and got her duck off her, put it in the pen and shoved her through to the back garden. Allez is still sitting there in the water with female duck in mouth.  Next Belle had dropped the drake as it was too heavy for her - he had got away into the stream so I grabbed her and had to take both her and Freckles to individual runs as they had  started to argue over whose duck was whose.  When I came back Allez had dropped the female - she was just sitting on the bank quacking loudly and he now had the drake which I had previously noticed had a leg hanging a bit funny and some blood on its back.  Being too heavy for Belle she had held it a bit tight. Anyway got the other female in the pen and went for Allez.  Whistled the recall and back he came with Jack dangling either side of his mouth.  I thought he had had it but when I went to take him he started to sqawk indignantly and flapped his wings.  Allez dropped him into my welcomong hands and sat again on command.  I dropped the poor drake over the fence and heeled Allez to the back garden.  I put fresh straw in the duckshed, squirted savlon cream onto the drake's back and the female's nose, used cotton buds and elastoplast for a splint for Jack's leg.  Threw in some food and filled their water bowls and left them.  Going to meet Sarah for lunch now so will check them on my return.  Needed another shower, a change of clothing and I don't think my shoes will ever recover from the thick squelchy mud, nor my hair from  the torrential rain.  At least I know Al  will definitely retrieve a runner, recall with it and present it to hand!
BA

[syde house chooks]

Poor Ducks.... are they all ok then... unfortunately my daughters springer escaped down the paddocks last week and got in with my ducks.... caught and killed all 8 , think they died of shock.. he is a bit of an escape artist and has been in with them many times, not sure what made him suddenly decide to catch them this time... he didn't touch any of the chickens who were in the same field. Now looking at getting electric fence for the field, which will also help to deter the foxes from the local spinney!! Luckily my springers and setter are more sensible around the flock!

[sandy]

I hope the ducks get over thier ordeal :&>I am sure the dogs had great fun No matter how careful we are, these things happen!!!! Bet you were mad, especialy in the rain!!! Look on the bright side, at least your dog's retrieve!!!! I am most days this week, tomorrow having a delivery of 2x Tumble dryers, so feel free to pop around for a cuppa and to see Ben, he's doing very well but a dare say he would like a chase of the chickens I was going to sort out a duck house but it has been too wet and my leg is troubleing me again...I need sorting out (shooting)

[sabrina]

We lost our cockerel at the weekend, he made the mistake of flying onto the gate into the back garden. This is our dogs area. Not sure which one did the crime but we found him in one of the dog beds in the kennel. he had a broken neck, apart from that not another mark on him. I was upset as I had heard a noise but when I looked out the chickens could be seen wandering around the garden so I took it for granted that he was with them. On a good note one of our friends has given us another Maran that was going to be culled over the weekend as he had far to many cockerels going about and could not find homes for all of them. 

[Rosemary]

Thank goodness your dogs are well trained or it could have been a whole lot worse.

[doganjo]

Hmm - well trained?  Don't know about that.  All I CAN say about them is that in the main they are soft mouthed!  If they had been well trained they would have sat at the first stop whistle. I'm still mad with them, but Allez is trying hard to get round me by lying across my feet right now.