23 ducklings in one clutch?!

[chris330r]

It is amazing and from here they all just about look alike.

I guess it should take a couple of months to find out for sure if there's a Mallard somewhere in the mix?

 

[Canadian Wind]

I guess it should take a couple of months to find out for sure if there's a Mallard somewhere in the mix?

All the ducklings appear to be chocolates, like mom. A mallard would be black.

 

[chris330r]

All the ducklings appear to be chocolates, like mom. A mallard would be black.

Here's what the mallard looks like that's out there, and her babies are the exact same coloring as the Muscovy's babies and not black at all. They look so much like the Muscovies that they could be twins. (Perhaps she mated with a Muscovy?!)

 

[Canadian Wind]

From the web:

I think this momma is trying to break your Muscovy momma's record!

I counted 25!!!

 

[chris330r]

From the web:

View attachment 3559097

I think this momma is trying to break your Muscovy momma's record!

I counted 25!!!

Yikes! I wonder if they're all hers?! The most i've ever seen from 1 duck is 12 or 13. I know my Mama duck stole hers, but are ducks physically capable of laying 25 eggs in one brood?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Yikes! I wonder if they're all hers?! The most i've ever seen from 1 duck is 12 or 13. I know my Mama duck stole hers, but are ducks physically capable of laying 25 eggs in one brood?

I wouldn't think so. Most ducks lay an egg every other day. And even if the eggs were laid daily, those would be really old eggs at the start of incubation.

 

[Miss Lydia]

There was someone here by on BYC 2-3 yrs ago whose Muscovy hatched 19.

 

[chris330r]

Seems Mama had a bad night. I counted 17 chicks this morning when I fed them seeds, but in the photo I only see 16, so hopefully one was just out of view. I wonder if predators wait until the chicks are a little bigger and plumped up to attack since they'd be bigger meals at that point.

I'm also sure that Mama is tired as well with all these chicks which must make it easier for attacks. The poor thing must be exhausted raising such a large brood. But on a bright note, maybe less chicks will be more manageable for her to protect. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them.

Here they are this morning----the White Ibis on the left trying to steal their breakfast has a bad foot and hops around, but I don't like these birds because they snatch food right out of the ducks beaks.
Even when the turtle makes the long crawl up to my window from the pond for some bread, on his way back to the water the Ibis will steal the bread right out of his mouth so he makes the whole trip for nothing. I got a water bottle from Dollar Tree set on squirt that I shoot at them to protect the turtle as he's going back with his bread and it works to keep them away from him lol. They're such despicable birds!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Poor babies, more than likely it was just the right time for a predator to pass through. And since she has no one to protect her and them (like we do our own birds) from predators it’s amazing she still has as many as she does

 

[chris330r]

Poor babies, more than likely it was just the right time for a predator to pass through. And since she has no one to protect her and them (like we do our own birds) from predators it’s amazing she still has as many as she does

It's amazing how protective she is with her babies. I've seen her fight off predators with a fierce anger so it's a testament to how well she is as a Mama to have this many babies still. But I know she must be so tired at this point so I try to feed her as much as I can to keep her strength and energy up. It will be nice when the chicks are full grown and she can relax again.