10/16/07

We've got babies!

Part of my mom's third grade curriculum includes a unit on something that allows her to incubate duck eggs in her classroom. My third grade class was never so lucky. We only read Rechinka's Eggs. While being a fabulous story, it doesn't quite captivate a young mind like watching something squeaky pop out of its shell.

Sebastian and I went to visit the ducks during class today. I think he liked that they moved and made noises without him having to push a button first. He got to pet them but hasn't grasped the 'gentle' concept. I'll be tracking their growth over the next two weeks before they are sent off to the duck farm to live long and happy lives. I think they'll even come home and spend the night in a box in our garage soon.
The kids told me this duck's name but I can't remember. Something like Oscar. He's since hatched and has been accepted into the cool club.

This is Maple. She was the third to make it out.

These are the remains of Adam and Eve's eggs.

I can't tell them apart but the kids swear they know which is Adam and which is Eve.

My own little fuzzy duck.

Random facts that I'm sure you'll run out to tell your friends:
~Baby ducks poop every time their little bellies get in the water. I guess its a newborn thing.
~Ducks tilt their heads back to swallow.
~All you have to do is teach the first duck how to eat and the rest will catch on.
~Ducks are born with an 'egg tooth' that is attached to the top of their bill. They use it to peck their way out. It dries up and falls off within a week or two.
~One year my mom and I saved a little duck that had been in the incubator for too long and had become glued to the paper towel it was resting on. We got tooth brushes and scrubbed its neck free.
~Once you hold one, you'll get attached and start blogging about it.

17 comments:

Petra said...

We had ducks... Or was it chickens?? You know what...I think that it was chickens.


One day they were just gone. The cage and the chickens and the smell. No one every told us where they went...

Tina said...

my dad has a few ducks and chickens. He's so attahced to them, it's cute. I love reading your little random duck facts. The helping the duck get unstuck with a toothbrushe melted my heart.

MaraMay said...

HaHaHa How fun! The pic.s are so sweet. Timmy's 2nd grade class will have chickies soon! He's excited for that. How fun!
Love the facts too. HaHa Lemme go tell my friends now, show them who knows duck.
xoxoxo

Holly said...

Those little critters are CA-UTE! And, I love your little random duck facts. I wish we had done something like that when I was in school!

Anonymous said...

Hey rachel we do this in australia to its called the living eggs programme and its a really fun way to educate the kids my sons class had chickens then you get to keep them if you want!!!Fun stuff
cheers nicole hirschau (irvin)

Natalie said...

Who knew a post about ducks could so be so fascinating!! Loved the pics. =)

Cathy De Los Santos said...

How absolutely adorable! I took my daughter to the county fair and they were letting the kids pet the rabits and hamsters, she hasn't quite grasped the "gentle" touch either, too cute!

Michelle said...

How fun! My sister had chicks in her elementary class. I remember her coming home and discussing how chicks are made when she was in third grade. It was so funny how she was very serious about it.

I wasn't so lucky in third grade. We had crawdads or something non-furry.

Heather said...

Very interesting stuff! We never got to do anything cool like that when I was in school. :)

Unknown said...

Ohhh i want a baby duck!! When i was in 6th grade they had chickens and we got to watch them hatch and i got to take 2 of them home! I was sooo excited and i loved them...Then my grandma gave them away lol! I love animals. Those are great pics!

WendyZ said...

"Baby ducks poop every time their little bellies get in the water."

That works for human babies too if they're having issues. LOL

Leigh-Ann said...

funny topic-similarity... when i was driving home today, 2 ducks were walking in rush hour. i gasped. stopped the car in the middle of traffic, got out, and guided traffic around them... it woulda broke my bird loving heart if they'd have gotten hurt.
cool post :)
did you see my comment in flickr...I GOT YOUR SWEET GIFT TODAY!!!! Thank-You SO MUCH! I love it all!!
Love LA

Unknown said...

aww, theyre so cute!! how fun! :D Love the duckie facts! hehe.

Sara Berry said...

I grew up on a little farm and we had ducks. It was the best to see those little slimy fluff-balls work their way out of their eggs. I was always happy when they dried out and I could pet them!
Great post...

Yummers! said...

I think your very own Fuzzy Duck is the cutest!
Joni

Michelle said...

oooh...sounds like so much fun! =) I remember when I was in kindergarten we got to go into the grade 5's classroom and see the same baby-duck scenario..It was awesome! =)

Anonymous said...

too much!