23 ducklings in one clutch?!

[Canadian Wind]

Looking forward to pics of the new ones!

 

[Chicalina]

You are so lucky having these wild birds 'on your doorstep'. Literally on your doorstep!!

And yes, ducks are grossly filthy

 

[chris330r]

I figured out how to upload video to You Tube so made a quick one while Grandma's flock are splashing in the water. The females dive underneath and swim a while which I never seen Muscovies do. They really enjoy splashing in the water. Grandma is relaxing by herself in the shade looking on. Hope it plays...I filmed it vertically (which I can't stand when other's do it, but it's just a quick 60 second video.)

You can hear my Sun Conure scream at some point lol.

 

[chris330r]

Here's a better vid feeding Grandma and her flock. I love to toss a whole slice of bread into the pond and watch them all fly in the water to get it.

 

[Canadian Wind]

They are very lovely, and so healthy! Love to watch them grow.

I have four new littles right now, and it's such a difference.

 

[chris330r]

They are very lovely, and so healthy! Love to watch them grow.

I have four new littles right now, and it's such a difference.

It's really amazing how fast they grow and sometimes hard to believe they're the same tiny little chicks that hatched in June.

Four is a nice number of chicks to have---before this massive clutch of 19 (that started with 31!), about 4 or 5 would be the average clutch that would survive and it was manageable. To see 20 ducks at your door waiting for breakfast every morning can be a bit overwhelming lol.

 

[Canadian Wind]

It's really amazing how fast they grow and sometimes hard to believe they're the same tiny little chicks that hatched in June.

Four is a nice number of chicks to have---before this massive clutch of 19 (that started with 31!), about 4 or 5 would be the average clutch that would survive and it was manageable. To see 20 ducks at your door waiting for breakfast every morning can be a bit overwhelming lol.

Definitely! My 25 are now down to 19 I think. Lost two and sold four. I may try to sell a few more before winter, some of the extra females (I'm keeping some, and the rest will be heading to freezer camp). I was actually relived when only five of the eggs hatched at the start of the month, although one didn't make it.

 

[CharmingChickens]

Wow, that is a bunch of ducklings!

 

[chris330r]

Definitely! My 25 are now down to 19 I think. Lost two and sold four. I may try to sell a few more before winter, some of the extra females (I'm keeping some, and the rest will be heading to freezer camp). I was actually relived when only five of the eggs hatched at the start of the month, although one didn't make it.

I had to Google what freezer camp meant and it wound up being what I suspected it was. With so many ducks now, that doesn't seem like such a bad idea lol. Though I don't think I could do it.
I am trying to discourage the large flock from coming here for all their food as it's not good for them all to think i'm their only food source so i'm not feeding them every time they come at this point. Remember, these are wild and feral ducks so they need to be self sufficient. If I had a large yard and a place to house them all, i'd care for them like you do. (but even then, i'm sure it's a lot of work!)
These guys need to learn to hunt for their own food and not be totally dependent on me. It was so much easier when it was only 4 or 5 ducks that would come around and go on their way. 19 ducks making this their home is just overwhelming and i'm hoping some of them will eventually fly off somewhere else and spread out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's the problem once we start feeding them they become dependent on us for their food and care.