23 ducklings in one clutch?!

[chris330r]

Grandma's daughter has just 3 ducklings left so i'm praying they make it. They come by daily and it's a fight to give the little ones food with the 19 older ducks hogging everything. I wound up taking the water sprayer to them to shoo them away so the babies can fill up.
As soon as they see me they waddle quickly to the window for treats. I love them at this age because they're just so irresistible lol. Here they are with their Mama and the flock of 19 around them.
The other pic is during sunset last night. The pond water is currently low due to the installation of much needed and better drainage for the area after the devastating flooding that happened from Hurricane Ian last year.
The ducks, birds and egrets seem to love the sandy

little beach that has formed and they hang out on the exposed rocks and seem to spend the night there. It's a little dark, but zooming in you can see the 19 flock hanging out on the rocks and settling in for the night.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I find it fascinating how their fluff gets bleached to brown! I know all yours are blacks, or else I would have thought they were chocolates!

If I think of it, I'll try to get a picture of the littles I have right now, three blacks and one chocolate, so you can see what I mean.

 

[chris330r]

I find it fascinating how their fluff gets bleached to brown! I know all yours are blacks, or else I would have thought they were chocolates!

If I think of it, I'll try to get a picture of the littles I have right now, three blacks and one chocolate, so you can see what I mean.

I wish they'd always stay soft and fluffy like when they're little. All of the 19 flock are flying now and they go clear across the pond in one shot. It is fascinating how they go from downy fluff balls to giant wings with all those long flight feathers.
I'm hoping these babies grow up to resemble Grandma duck a bit more than the all black ones because I like when they have different splotches of color to them. Only a few of Gramdma's females have snowy white heads but otherwise all black from the neck down.
I like when they look like cows lol.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sad she’s lost so many. They really are precious

 

[chris330r]

So sad she’s lost so many. They really are precious

Just yesterday morning the four ducklings were walking along the shoreline, but by mid afternoon only three were left and I was heartbroken because it meant that it just recently happened in those few hours. I feel like I want to help protect them, but I know there's no way I can.
This morning the Mama appeared alone when I went out to toss breakfast and I thought the worst, but after eating she quickly flew across the pond towards the park to get back to the kids but I really don't think she should be doing that.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is most likely why she only has 3 left. Boy my Muscovy is fierce when she has ducklings she wouldn't leave them for nothing. I only have 3 females left of my Muscovy flock they are 11 and 12 yrs old and all 3 of these girls have been excellent mamas but again they live in a very different environment than your Muscovy. If they were left along our mountain river to raise their ducklings I doubt very seriously any of them would survive.

 

[chris330r]

That is most likely why she only has 3 left. Boy my Muscovy is fierce when she has ducklings she wouldn't leave them for nothing. I only have 3 females left of my Muscovy flock they are 11 and 12 yrs old and all 3 of these girls have been excellent mamas but again they live in a very different environment than your Muscovy. If they were left along our mountain river to raise their ducklings I doubt very seriously any of them would survive.

She's definitely a novice and it's something that Grandma duck would never do. With all of her past clutches, i've never seen her stray far from her babies, much less fly across the pond leaving them alone. I did notice tonight though that Grandma is allowing the 3 babies to stay close to her so maybe she senses they're her grandkids lol. Hopefully she'll keep a close watch on them.
I'd think your Muscovies instincts would automatically kick in if they were left in the wild. I watch mine a lot and they really seem to know what to do to survive. They even eat grass to fill themselves up when there's nothing around.
I could be wrong though, but I think as long as they're near a water source any duck can thrive. Not factoring natural predators of course.

A big eagle flew by earlier and all the ducks and babies quickly flapped their wings and made a huge splash into the pond lol. It startled me how they all just instantly jumped up and flew into the water together until I saw the eagle above. Those instincts kick in pretty good!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My first Muscovy actually came from our river which is shallow and very open I would be worried about predators flying and ground than mama not protecting them, there is cr only so much one can do. When we first met these muskies there was 3 drakes one female the female and 2 drakes were killed before I couldn’t take it any longer and brought the last drake home they actually belonged to a couple across the river and she just let them out chickens ducks doves and they got picked off. So Ernie lived with us for close to 12 yrs. So we now only have the off spring of my originals and they are 12 yrs old. We have Eagles hawks and every kind of ground predator there is so mine never have gone down to the river.

 

[chris330r]

My first Muscovy actually came from our river which is shallow and very open I would be worried about predators flying and ground than mama not protecting them, there is cr only so much one can do. When we first met these muskies there was 3 drakes one female the female and 2 drakes were killed before I couldn’t take it any longer and brought the last drake home they actually belonged to a couple across the river and she just let them out chickens ducks doves and they got picked off. So Ernie lived with us for close to 12 yrs. So we now only have the off spring of my originals and they are 12 yrs old. We have Eagles hawks and every kind of ground predator there is so mine never have gone down to the river.

Did you learn the reasoning for letting out all her animals like that? It seems such a heartless thing to do after domesticating them. I assume she couldn't care for them anymore?
I'm glad you were able to save Ernie at least. I think the doves would've been ok since I get a lot of those too that come to peck at the leftover seeds in the grass after the ducks have moved on. But they're frightened little birds, the slightest movement they see sends them fleeing in terror lol. I guess they have great protective instinct.

Mama flew here again this morning without her chicks to grab some breakfast. Now i'll be looking all day for them to make sure there's still 3. Grandma duck should just take them away from her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She told me that they were getting picked off so they must not have had adequate shelter for them.Some of the Muscovy made it down to the river but not all I guess they got taken when still at her home. The doves lasted about a year longer than anything else I never saw the chickens but they had them too. I think because the doves were white and we're all in wooded areas the doves got picked off by hawks and probably the eagle when they would fly out into the open. When I finally decided to bring Ernie home I ran into her at a store in town and asked her if she wanted him back, No way did she which I was so relieved. He was such a great drake.
It's so hard to believe that was almost 20 yrs ago next June 2024.

Grandma really does need to take those ducklings for her own, Have you seen the ducklings yet today?