➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[The Farmers' Daughter]

How has your spring been?

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Woo hoo! I finally have my 1st hatch of the year.

 

[NanaKat]

Annabelle sat all day long yesterday. Just got up to take a swim a couple of times and munch on grasses and/or bugs around the yard briefly in the afternoon and evening. One time she was up off of the nest, we went in there to add shavings and fluff up their coop and stuff. After we were done with the porch area and went around to the back, she immediately went on the porch to make sure her nest was ok. Then DH went close to her and told her she was being a good momma and she hissed at him lol. I also noticed that she had some feathers in the nest area. She's trying to make it all nice and cozy. She's sitting again today and not moving. So, since she was off and on the first few days and not consistently sitting until now, do I start counting now? Or do I just ballpark it? Keep an eye out for babies anywhere from 24-27 days (since she's been semi-sitting for a few days now) or so from now? Just to keep watch. I guess I should have my incubator at the ready just in case as well huh? This is exciting.

I need some advice y'all. I'm trying to plan ahead. This is my duck area. It's around 48'x40'.
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A closer look at the coop.
Front
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Originally it was just an open porch and we put sides and a door on to lock them up. Then I came up with a better fold up ramp idea. At night, we pull the ramp up and it has a latch on each side to lock it in place. Then when we let them out in the morning, we just unlatch it and lower it down. Kind of like a drawbridge I guess. So that inner door is just decorative at this point. It stays open at all times. You can see a rectangular area cut out above the inner door. It's covered in HC. The upper portion of the porch is covered in HC on each side. Just helps with ventilation. The sides have those 2 vents. We're going to put 2 more on the other side, just haven't yet. And we want to put on a metal roof. We still need to do that. The black thing on the back is a solar fan that helps circulating the air etc. Then the drop down drawer where I can scoop out the poop, which they love to do right at that back door, clean and/or refresh shavings. It's rough and definitely could use some touch-ups but we make it work.
Side Back
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My concern is this. Annabelle likes behind the door area. We normally keep their food and one of their waterers on the porch. It helps keep their food from getting a soggy mess if it rains. I also like that Annabelle has close access to food and water. Not sure that matters, but I like it. I need help coming up with where to move momma and babies. The coop isn't exactly huge, where I can partition them off. Should I build? Would it be easier to buy something? What do I really need or should look in to buying? So basically I am just trying to plan ahead. Am I even making sense lol?

I'm faced with the same problem...X 6!
Out of 20 in the grown pen, six duck hens are sitting on eggs. The three sharing one nest will share mothering the hatchling ducklings. Same with the two in the barrel nest although I think there may be two hatch dates or periods.

Daphne is nesting by herself in one corner of the open front coop. Her ducklings should be hatching soon and might be over a two to three day period.
Baby ducklings grow quickly and will definitely will be protected by their mother.
I have one of those portable collapsible dog pens that I will set up to give Daphne her own area for a while. I have a new clean white plastic barrel that I'm going to cut the opening on the side for her family to use.
The rest of the duck flock free ranges during the day so should leave her alone.
My concern is the other mothers who might try to take her babies instead of remaining on their eggs.

Watching the wild geese on our ponds that hatch and raise goslings in a communal setting, I suspect I'm over thinking this.

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Poor Mr. Puckers had an unpleasant trip to the vet on Wednesday.

Hope Puckers heal up quickly!

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

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[The Farmers' Daughter]

Hi Nana & MiniKiki

Have you moved to your new home yet Mini? What is it that you've ended up researching for the summer?

 

[Conan]

How has your spring been?

Busy, as usual. I went a little bird crazy, so there's that. Ground is cleared for the new coop in the orchard and we're sinking the big posts tomorrow. Garden is planted, greenhouse is stuffed full of basil and peppers. Lost a couple young fruit trees to dreaded borers, but also grafted some good varieties onto mature trees. Hot here, though. Much warmer than usual.

 

[Conan]

Moving weekend!

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Hi Nana & MiniKiki

Have you moved to your new home yet Mini? What is it that you've ended up researching for the summer?

Currently at the new house trying to install the satellite TV (for the last 5 hours!!!!) moving day is tomorrow.

We’re going to be researching how predator influence affects future generations of daphnia. So not super exciting, and I’m kind of..not excited about it but hey! Looks good on resumes.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Busy, as usual. I went a little bird crazy, so there's that. Ground is cleared for the new coop in the orchard and we're sinking the big posts tomorrow. Garden is planted, greenhouse is stuffed full of basil and peppers. Lost a couple young fruit trees to dreaded borers, but also grafted some good varieties onto mature trees. Hot here, though. Much warmer than usual.

We're finally now getting some warmer temps. Very little rain, resulting in some pretty big wildfires north of us.
What fruit are you growing?
No garden again this year for me too much to do with the house.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Currently at the new house trying to install the satellite TV (for the last 5 hours!!!!) moving day is tomorrow.

We’re going to be researching how predator influence affects future generations of daphnia. So not super exciting, and I’m kind of..not excited about it but hey! Looks good on resumes.

Water fleas? Oooo a thrill a minute I'm sure!
I hope that everything goes smoothly for all of you tomorrow! Are you excited?