23 ducklings in one clutch?!

[chris330r]

Grandma duck was broody for the past month or so and she finally appeared this week with her clutch....I counted 23 of them but it could be more lol. They keep moving so it's hard to get a specific count. I didn't think it was possible to hatch so many ducklings! Could she just be a very fertile duck?! I can't believe that many hatched and i'm kind of hoping the herons and egrets nab a few of them for appetizers because I can't imagine all of them fully grown waddling around out there. They're so adorable though. I tossed out some of my parrots bird seed for them and they gobbled it all up.

 

[chris330r]

I got a photo of all of them...I counted 25!! Yikes. She's going to be a very busy Mama keeping them all in line! They were all coming towards me from the middle of the pond earlier and it was a strange sight seeing so many of them grouped together. They looked like a swarm of bees floating in the water lol.

 

[MROO]

TOO cute! She looks big enough to have hatched out a brood that size, but she may have swiped some from other nests/clutches, as well. Regardless ... that's a whole PASSLE of puddle-jumpers! I LOVE it!

 

[Lor]

That's going to be one busy momma.

 

[chris330r]

That's going to be one busy momma.

Yes she will lol. I call her Grandma because she's had so many clutches over the years that her children have had clutches too and she's a very fierce and protective Mama. I've seen her angrily fight off large herons with her previous babies. She knows how to raise them!
But i've never seen her have a clutch this large before. I wonder if she did steal eggs from another duck? There's another female Muscovywho's been acting broody too but no babies with her yet and Grandma chases her away when she comes....so it may be possible Grandma stole her eggs?
They are so adorable though...I just have these images of 25 of them hanging out back as adults and it's just wayyyy too many! I think i'd go nuts so hopefully a few of them get picked off by the predators.

 

[chris330r]

TOO cute! She looks big enough to have hatched out a brood that size, but she may have swiped some from other nests/clutches, as well. Regardless ... that's a whole PASSLE of puddle-jumpers! I LOVE it!

You know, I now believe this is what happened because I saw a bunch of the ducklings run up to the other broody female and Grandma fiercely chased her away but she's sticking close by.
I think Grandma took her clutch and wants to raise them as her own. Perhaps she thinks she's a better Mama, but that's so not right! Now I feel badly for the other Mama.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Muscovy frequently share nests. I have two in the same nesting box right now, and did last year, also. I've also got two clutches hatching at the same time so I'm wondering how this is going to play out.

 

[chris330r]

Muscovy frequently share nests. I have two in the same nesting box right now, and did last year, also. I've also got two clutches hatching at the same time so I'm wondering how this is going to play out.

That's interesting. I didn't know they did that. Do you mean they will share the same space while nesting their own eggs or will the mothers sit on each other's eggs while the other is away?
The clutches must have hatched at the exact same time and Grandma just decided to take them all for herself. I saw some of them earlier run to the other Mama, so I wonder if they'll eventually just gravitate towards her in time? But Grandma is putting her head down like a bull and keeps charging towards her and chasing her away.

 

[Canadian Wind]

That's interesting. I didn't know they did that. Do you mean they will share the same space while nesting their own eggs or will the mothers sit on each other's eggs while the other is away?
The clutches must have hatched at the exact same time and Grandma just decided to take them all for herself. I saw some of them earlier run to the other Mama, so I wonder if they'll eventually just gravitate towards her in time? But Grandma is putting her head down like a bull and keeps charging towards her and chasing her away.

Pretty much they both sit the communal nest at the same time. Before this started, my females were all laying in one spot, until one of them decided to start incubating the eggs. Muscovy are amazing moms, too, as you've witnessed over the years.

 

[chris330r]

Pretty much they both sit the communal nest at the same time. Before this started, my females were all laying in one spot, until one of them decided to start incubating the eggs. Muscovy are amazing moms, too, as you've witnessed over the years.

Maybe trying to keep all those ducklings in line will tire Grandma out and she'll allow the other Mama to help out. I wonder though after learning about communal nests if they both go back to the nest at night and sit together with the ducklings. Surely one duck can't keep 25 ducklings warm and protected all night by herself.