So....where are my eggs?

[Suzie]

I have had no duck eggs this year....but suspected "fowl" play....

Of the 26 ducks....Muscovy and Indian Runners that have always been housed together I decided to experiment with separating their areas...today I have six eggs....all laid by my Runners...so, in conclusion the Muscovy ducks were getting extra rations...I am now going to make this a permanent arrangement...

So no more egg on their faces!

I want to hatch some more Runners as I only have eleven of them and they are so cute...I have left two eggs in the Runner area and am hoping that one of my girls will set soon.

 

[Richb353]

I recently discovered my eggs were disappearing shortly after dawn which was also shortly after I left for work. At first I thought it was possum, but after watching one morning to see for myself, I discovered it was CROW! Yep, I saw three crow eat some of the leftover duck food I had thrown out, then meander over to the duck house for eggs. They would peck at it, eat it, then fly off with the shells. This explained why during the week I was collecting 2-4 eggs (early layers), but on the weekends when I slept in I would gather 6-8 eggs.

This past weekend while mowing the lawn, I would find shells underneath some of the nearby trees. I left some older eggs out for bait and noticed it does not take long for the crow to fly in for an easy meal. So far, one crow has died of sudden fatal lead poisoning. I'm hoping the rest will take the hint eventually.

 

[Amykins]

Crows are crazy smart and if a flockmate is shot they'll stay away from the area entirely for up to two years. If it happened in broad daylight they'll even recognize your face and will avoid you like the plague. So hopefully you'll be totally crow-free!

 

[Suzie]

Luckily no crows can get into the duck house...the crows here will eat the goose eggs that my geese are prone to laying outside during the day...that is if my German Shepherd dogs don't find the goose eggs and eat them...I must go and check the nests outside now as my geese have just gone into their overnight housing...four GSD's will be hunting with the crows otherwise! I find Magpie's are just as bad if not worse at stealing eggs laid outside...