One serious problem that I had in my zinnia breeding was that bees will grab any available zinnia pollen. I mentioned previously that I started using "hairnets" last year and they solved the bee problem. I used to have to race the bees to get at the pollen on my selected breeder zinnias, but the nets let me relax and get the pollen over a period of many hours. The nets insured a good supply of breeder pollen and they can also keep the bees from randomly pollinating female breeder flowers. I make the "hair nets" from mesh fabric. I got mesh fabric from the fabric department of Wal-Mart. The material is inexpensive and has an open mesh that allows easy air circulation and sun exposure, while keeping bees from getting at the zinnia flowers. The nets are reusable. The nets don't harm the flowers or plants at all. I have seen butterflies sipping nectar from zinnias through the mesh of a net, but they don't go after the zinnia pollen, so I don't mind if the butterflies do feed through the mesh. The nets are simply approximately square "sacks". I fold over a rectangular piece of the mesh and secure the top seam and side seem by weaving a piece of black yarn through the mesh. I alternate sides with the yarn about every ½" to ¾". The seam doesn't need to be really closely stitched. Obviously I leave the bottom open to allow the "hairnet" to fit down over the flower. I use black mesh and yarn because the black nets are less conspicuous in the zinnia patch. I make the nets in several sizes to accommodate different sized flowers. You shouldn't have any trouble making these nets to your own specifications and designs from needles, yarn, and mesh fabric from a local fabric store. Deeper nets are more wind resistant, but shallower nets are easier to remove and replace for access to the zinnia. MM

Ok,,,,,, got it Silver Appleyard and I would LOVE a few females. He is a good male duck as he keeps the girl in line finding the ones who have strayed off and bringing them back to the flock. His sexual Appetite earned him the name of Hawkeye (after the M.A.S.H. womanizer and sometimes my hubby calls him Tiger :~) tanya

That sounds like either a mallard or a muscovie to me. We got our baby muscovie at the falls. Reason we got her was because she was w/out a mother. We didn't know whether she was a mallrd or muscovie. Turned out she is a muscovie! How old is your new baby? Muscovies have a red thing that comes up on their nose at a certain age. Bt, it sounds like either a mallard or muscovie to me :)

This past weekend I saw a picture online of an Australian Kelpie herding Khaki Campbell ducks. I didn't bookmark it and of course I can't find it now. But I swear-I don't swear-that it was there. :-) Our hybrid mix-she's mostly Kelpie-helps me put the ducks in their palace each night. The chickens go in on their own, but the ducks have to be "guided" in. She's never hurt them, has only watched us work with them and she does a great job. Not only is she good at herding ducks, but she has a heart full of love and the sweetest eyes ever! We LOVE her!