Neonatal unit

Then there were 7 and 8

First to hatch 2013

5/3/13 Friday
Mama duck is a Father's Day 2012 baby. She incubated her own eggs, her mamas and sisters eggs.

Bath time, sucks to be the new male

Fish attracted to same-sex flirts

Male mollies nip both sexes to improve their chances of mating

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Female fish are attracted to males that "flirt" with other males, a study has found.

Scientists in Germany studied the behaviour of tropical fish Poecilia mexicana, known as Atlantic mollies.

The female fish are known to "mate copy" - preferring to mate with males they have seen interacting sexually with other fish.

Researchers found that females still took an interest in males when their flirtations were with the same sex.

Dr David Bierbach from the University of Frankfurt, Germany, led the research that is published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

In the paper, researchers refer to homosexual behaviour in the animal kingdom as a "conundrum".

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"Male homosexual behaviour can be found in most extant classes across the animal kingdom, but represents a Darwinian puzzle as same-sex mating should decrease male reproductive fitness," they wrote.

However, many animals that engage in homosexual behaviour have also been observed mating with the opposite sex, including penguins and bonobos.

Biologists have suggested that such actions could still reap genetic rewards, despite the perceived lack of reproduction, through knock-on effects.

Atlantic molly males "nip" near the genital openings of potential mates to signal their readiness to mate.

Scientists have suggested that such behaviour helps to demonstrate the quality of males, because their level of exertions can indicate overall health and virility.

Yet subordinate males are known to nip both females and other males.

Studies of the fish, which are found from Mexico to Guatemala, have shown that they can discern the sexes based on pheromones and visual cues, undermining any theories of misrecognition.

Females choose their mates in molly society

So, in order to understand the motivations behind this behaviour, the German scientists studied Atlantic mollies in their lab.

Using animated recordings, the team tested how "attractive" the fish found different examples.

While the females found a colourful male more attractive than a drab counterpart when swimming side by side, they reacted better to "less attractive" males once they had observed them nipping either males or females.

"We were quite surprised to find out that observed homosexual interactions had the same influence on females' preferences as heterosexual interactions," explained Dr Bierbach.

"The implications are that sexual activity per se is a trait used by females to evaluate males' quality and that our results could also be true in other species."

The scientists speculate that it could be a tactic employed by smaller, subordinate - and thus less attractive males - to win more female attention.

"Males can increase their attractiveness towards females by homosexual interactions, which in turn increase the likelihood of a male's future heterosexual interactions," Dr Bierbach told BBC Nature.

"We do not know how widespread female mate choice copying is, but up to now it is reported in many species, including fruit flies, fishes, birds and mammals [including] humans."

New Ancona male (female, not) for the flock

From sunday 7/1/12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuNmECF4yeE


Best Fishes
David
www.goldfishgarage.com

3 flew the coop to Gimple Hill Road

Ancona 2012 2 weeks old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvE3khuXWyA


Best Fishes
David
www.goldfishgarage.com

Ancona 2012 First time out with dad

Two weeks old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUKXTfJXjlk


Best Fishes
David
www.goldfishgarage.com

Ancona Ducklings 2012 5 days old

Ancona ducklings 2012 males/females

Rangers brood 2012: then there were 8

Came home to 7. The unhatched eggs were cold so I got the heat lamp out and manually hatched #8 to start warming and to look for life. Got momma back on the newly hatched and unhatched.

Ranger 2012 brood

Rangers first hatched 6/10/12

Ranger's 14 eggs

First egg laid about 16 days ago. Incubating about 4 or 5 days ago, nonstop all weekend.

Bye bye Blue. Then there were two.

I found Blue this evening when I wet to put the ducks away. Ben and ranger wouldn't go back to the hut. I found blue badly damaged by a raccoon. I said sorry and good bye and put him to sleep. Sorry blue.

Dommminnoooooo!

An individual in our flock has disappeared. 

Damn. Thursday night Domino, one of our girl ducks, disappeared. No signs or clue of a raccoon attack, no mass of feathers, no trail, nothing. It's like she was plucked clean from the yard by a hawk or the hand of someone, that would be pretty amazing. No loud quacks or upset by the group. D. went out to put them away, and could not find her. 

*sigh* 

She was my favorite. I know, I know, I shouldn't be attached, but damn, she was the best little hunter, independent (probably her downfall) yet social with the group. Not the easy girl in the group. She was quiet (another downfall) and had a pretty soft little quack.

Friday morning the boys were clearly looking for her. D. said as he put them away they immediately ran to the hut. Not their usual behavior. Usually they quack about and you have to walk them to the hut like a bunch of social middle school girls. We have a little hope that she found a way out and is somewhere in the neighborhood. I even walked around the following morning for signs of a duck somewhere in the neighborhood. Nuthing'.

I want to shout from the rooftop, Dommmiiinnnooooo! just like Stella and hope that she may come ambling down the sidewalk. I guess if you really love something, set it free. If this was her fate, I will accept the cycle of life and let her go. This is hard. 

Well there's your problem

Ben and ranger found their way in but couldn't get back out.

Morning ducks

Fresh eggs for breakfast, still warm from a duck sitting

This morning was one of the few times when I've quietly walked up to the duck hut, and still find everyone in the hut. Typically when I let the quackers out in the morning, I walk to the hut talking to the group, and the quacking conversation begins. This morning I was hoping to peek into the hut from above to see who might be sitting on the eggs. Some days the egg(s) are still warm-one of the girls sits on the eggs in the morning. Perhaps it's both, but I have a belief it is Domino. Ranger just seems too involved with the boys, but I could be wrong. I have observed when the group is in the main duck run in the morning, Domino saunters out of the hut just as I walk up or open their door. So I believe it's time to quietly walk outside, and aim for a peek to see who is sitting on the eggs in the morning.

Both D. and I have observed that Ben is a water hog. Fresh water in the tub? Ben's in! Which duck flies/hops to the goldfish pond? Ben! What about the little black tub with fresh water? Ben is the first testing the waters. The girls appear to be content to hunt with Big Blue keeping watch as Ben takes his time in the water.

Bamboo Fence

But the shade garden is so tasty!

Bring to a boil, simmer 3 minutes

Www.goldfishgarage.com