Hi Julia, thanks, we did lose some of the babys, but as of today we had a total of (7) very healthy babys and they are getting bigger ever day, we have a local park were we live which we are going to take some there to live once they get a little bit bigger. we really can't keep all of them so the park rangers will kept them. there is a big lake, we started them on chick starter which the amish told us that would be the best food, but now they are eating the same as mon and dad. Do not understand how so many people say that Indian runners do not nest or are not good mothers, our mom is the best, our 4 pom's (dogs) do drive her a little bit crazy now she is so protectived over them. have you found out anything about how to tell which are male or female yet if you do please let me know thanks again

Hello and thanks much for the replies. Patrick, they do have a shelter (a chicken coupe... or duck house now :) ) and we have a chicken wire fence around a very small yard around it but when they got old enough, we let them out (you're right... we started with four and the dog got two of them before we made her understand that these ducks are not for eating and she now protects them as members of the 'pack' ). We have food and water and a little kiddy wading pool inside the fence for them but they bolt out of there as soon as they see us coming to shut them in and the male has discovered a way (probably over the top) to get out of the fence. We shut them in the duck house a couple of nights but it took alot of chasing them around to get them to go in there. Any suggestions? I was hoping that maybe between the nest dug into the ground, her feathers and leaves, the protection from the wind, and her body heat they may survive ... but no? She is really protective of her nest. I even dug a little place in the bedding in thier building and put the first scattered eggs into them (which have now been blown out and used for pysanky) and shut them in the building for a couple nights (which is equipt with a heat lamp) but they seem uninterested in it. Maybe I should move her eggs (even if they are not 'viable') into the building along with her nesting materials??? and turn on the heat lamp... I almost hate to encourage her to lay more eggs in a nest that is not in the building.

ok, I'll try.. roma tomato??? swamp mallow Arrowhead-- Bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia, Alismataceae) could this be creeping fig grown up a tree? My creeping fig fruits every year, they start green, then go purplish. This looks just like it. Lori Here is a link that might be useful: images of creeping fig fruits

Karyn, I live in NE FL in a rural area so I can have all our animals lol. Most of the neighbors have small acreages with horses, goats, etc. so all my chickens and plants are no big deal :P There is one neighbor that only has a cat and a dog and everyone thinks they are wierd. It is still a little cold, for my taste, in this part of the state because I have to put stuff in the greenhouse in the winter. I am hoping we can move down around Naples or Sarasota at some point. I definitely think you should move to FL. You would be so happy gardening, you would probably never go in the house, until mid summer anyways, lol.