So one of my chocolate barred hens hatched 21 ducklings!! Well, 22 but the first got pushed/pulled out of the nest and swarmed with fire ants. It didn't make it. 
Only 1 dud in the bunch. And, ONE OF THEM IS CHOCOLATE BARRED!!!!! I've been waiting for that. I was a little concerned yesterday as I found mom outside of the coop and the babies all in the nest. It is her first time. Then, she was pecking at them a bit. So, I shooed her into the coop and closed them in. I went out a bit later and peeked in and saw NO babies. I found them under one of my other broody ducks, on top of her eggs. She was not happy when I removed the ducklings from her nest. (I think I've found a go to foster mom though) I kept them closed up until almost dusk and checked periodically Green was hovering over them in the nest at dusk. She has taught them to eat and drink already. She is very protective (does not want me remotely close) but seems a bit aloof. I'm thinking of moving her to the duck coop (she nested in the chicken coop) and blocking her off for a few days until the babies are a little bigger.
So, here is Green, with her babies.
And here is the little chocolate barred. A little hard to tell in the pic but with 20 little black barred butts to compare it to, it is obvious in person. Oh, I hope it's a boy.
Only 1 dud in the bunch. And, ONE OF THEM IS CHOCOLATE BARRED!!!!! I've been waiting for that. I was a little concerned yesterday as I found mom outside of the coop and the babies all in the nest. It is her first time. Then, she was pecking at them a bit. So, I shooed her into the coop and closed them in. I went out a bit later and peeked in and saw NO babies. I found them under one of my other broody ducks, on top of her eggs. She was not happy when I removed the ducklings from her nest. (I think I've found a go to foster mom though) I kept them closed up until almost dusk and checked periodically Green was hovering over them in the nest at dusk. She has taught them to eat and drink already. She is very protective (does not want me remotely close) but seems a bit aloof. I'm thinking of moving her to the duck coop (she nested in the chicken coop) and blocking her off for a few days until the babies are a little bigger.So, here is Green, with her babies.
And here is the little chocolate barred. A little hard to tell in the pic but with 20 little black barred butts to compare it to, it is obvious in person. Oh, I hope it's a boy.
