Daily Duck Egg Report for 2015

[Miss Lydia]

Rocky was being a bit of a pain today. She knew where she wanted to lay her egg and that was NOT in the duck house. I kept putter he back in there and she was not having any of it. It's raining today so I really didn't feel like hunting down an egg in the yard. I finally locked her in for a bit and Mr. Rubble stood guard. She finally made a nest and laid the egg. When the other ducks would come by the see what was happening Mr. Rubble would chase them all off and go back to standing guard at the door. Very cute. When I let her out she went for a swim while I collected the egg. I felt bad after though because she came right back and her and Rubble were looking all over in the house for her egg. I really don't want her to start thinking about gathering a clutch. As cute as it would be that is not in the cards.

Honestly they get over it, I have had to do this last year and again this year. I feel sorry for them but can't have anymore ducks right now no room mainly.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

I'm still waiting for the girls to start, too. AND I have missed those eggs so much! The two older girls did a wonderful job last year and the three 'babies' just turned six months this week, so there will be eggs to sell this summer, and maybe even hatch. By the looks of my yard and their pen, they have all been molting this past month, so I guess that is the reason for the slow start. We are unusually warm here in the northwest, so I have to make that excuse for them.

I will go with that. I'm in the Northwest too and my yard is full of feathers and egg production is down (still at least 4 per day but down). Rhiannon and Snow are pretty well stripped and growing feathers, others might still be losing them. Narrowed the late, light shell/no shell egg down to Tella or Ettie (hard to tell those two apart on the security cams). Will start feeding them specifically a "treat" of oyster shell every day and see if it starts them working right.

 

[Miss Lydia]

1 Duck egg
thank goodness my geese are laying and my chickens have started back.

 

[Kaessa]

Well, only one egg today. Poke took the day off again. Peek is still cranking them out like a little egg machine.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

4 eggs today (plus expect the soft shell around 5 o'clock). Had scrambled ducks eggs, duck egg pancakes and breakfast sausage for dinner last night. Yummy!

Kaine was causing a major ruckus this morning before the duck house door opened

, so now he gets a penned in area with his own food and water and a medium dog crate for shelter/shade during the day. He can still see the flock, but can't interact. At night we will be bringing him inside into his own huge dog crate. The girls and Tevye will get a rest and Kaine can mellow out.

I really hope we don't have to re-home him. He is such a sweet drake when his idiot switch is turned off but right now he is a danger to the whole flock (he gets them stampeding around smashing into the nesting boxes and the steps, and tromping all over each other) when they are in the house and he is a menace to Tevye and Greta all day outside. Dove and Noir are going to take it hard. They really love the jerk and tend to hang around his pen when he is in isolation. I think we are going to try two weeks (I read that number on a post here somewhere) and see if it mellows him enough to rejoin the flock.

 

[needlessjunk]

4 eggs today (plus expect the soft shell around 5 o'clock). Had scrambled ducks eggs, duck egg pancakes and breakfast sausage for dinner last night. Yummy!

Kaine was causing a major ruckus this morning before the duck house door opened , so now he gets a penned in area with his own food and water and a medium dog crate  for shelter/shade during the day.  He can still see the flock, but can't interact.  At night we will be bringing him inside into his own huge dog crate.  The girls and Tevye will get a rest and Kaine can mellow out.   I really hope we don't have to re-home him.  He is such a sweet drake when his idiot switch is turned off but right now he is a danger to the whole flock (he gets them stampeding around smashing into the nesting boxes and the steps, and tromping all over each other) when they are in the house and he is a menace to Tevye and Greta all day outside.  Dove and Noir are going to take it hard.  They really love the jerk and tend to hang around his pen when he is in isolation.  I think we are going to try two weeks (I read that number on a post here somewhere) and see if it mellows him enough to rejoin the flock.

Hopefully he will get a clue!

Right now I'm trying to convince Rocky to lay her egg in the duck house. It's really rainy and the yard is flooded so the house is the only dry spot. She kept going in but wouldn't lay. I had enough and locked her in again and she was pissy for the first 10 mins. I put some golf balls in there so maybe she will get the hint. She is sitting in front of the door which is where she has been laying. Hopefully she laid so she can go play in the water again.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Hopefully he will get a clue!

Right now I'm trying to convince Rocky to lay her egg in the duck house. It's really rainy and the yard is flooded so the house is the only dry spot. She kept going in but wouldn't lay. I had enough and locked her in again and she was pissy for the first 10 mins. I put some golf balls in there so maybe she will get the hint. She is sitting in front of the door which is where she has been laying. Hopefully she laid so she can go play in the water again.

Last year I learned my lesson... One golf ball (maybe two) says, "this is a good place to lay - your nest didn't get cleaned out." More golf balls says go broody and starve yourself on this pile of golf balls. We had on duck sit on those darn golf balls all day for about 3 wks. Really took a toll on her. Finally we destroyed the nest. She came out the next morning looked at the nest then acted like everything was normal again...

Should have done that 2 weeks earlier. Oh well, learning all the time

 

[needlessjunk]

Last year I learned my lesson... One golf ball (maybe two) says, "this is a good place to lay - your nest didn't get cleaned out." More golf balls says go broody and starve yourself on this pile of golf balls.  We had on duck sit on those darn golf balls all day for about 3 wks.  Really took a toll on her.  Finally we destroyed the nest.  She came out the next morning looked at the nest then acted like everything was normal again... Should have done that 2 weeks earlier.  Oh well, learning all the time

Well she laid an egg! Finally got the picture but kicked away 2 gold balls. I might take 1 out and just leave 2 in there so the other girls see it.

She is much happier now that she can swimming in the garden. We should pick up a few more inches this afternoon so they are going to be very happy today.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Well she laid an egg! Finally got the picture but kicked away 2 gold balls. I might take 1 out and just leave 2 in there so the other girls see it.

She is much happier now that she can swimming in the garden. We should pick up a few more inches this afternoon so they are going to be very happy today.

Oh, that last picture must find its way to the dirty duck thread

The two ducks in the back are too much

heads buried in mud

 

[Kaessa]

Two more today!