Another Broody Duck!

[shawluvsbirds]

Pinball Duck has no motherly feelings for her ducklings at all, we got a heavy thunderstorm here this evening, she and the other ducks were safely and dry sitting under the roof overhand, watching me running through the rain trying to catch four completely soaked ducklings. Had i dared to catch one of Katharinas ducklings last year i'd be missing a finger now…
Don't know what to do with those four ducklings! They have integrated themselves into the flock and were peeping like crazy at the duck-house door when i brought them in and gave them food and water while the other ducks prefered to stay outside, getting blisters from the hail. I'm so mad at Pinball!!!
At last, she is huddling with her offspring this night:
View attachment 2177583

Some of them are just not good mamas.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Some of them are just not good mamas.

Yes, but remember how she cried when i came too close to her nest. Guess she thinks after hatching out the little ones her job is done. Look how little she paid attention to the ducklings yesterday:

Today was

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

The fluff-butts are now one week old and have grown significantly!
Today they weathered some severe thunderstorms here like the pro's:

Pinball is at least keeping here babies warm during the night, with a little help of Aunt Pompom:

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

A lot has happened during the last two weeks: I was too busy with my job and my garden to post anything here, apologies! - The ducklings have out-grown the weeds here!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

This are the ducklings, exploring everything on their own on June 11th. Momma Pinball wasn't caring too much about them anymore, but the rest of the flock was carefully watching.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Three days earlier, June 8th, it was unbearable hot and everyducky was outside, trying to find some shade and pant of some heat.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Fast forward to yesterday and they have grown into the largest and most self sufficient ducklings i have ever seen:

They are just three weeks old and able to reach into the pellet feeder, the waterer and the supper-bowl! They run faster than some of the grown-up ducks (for example the White Layers) and have super long and strong legs.
Pinball Duck, their hatching mother has lost interest on them entirely, but the other two broodies, Pommes and Smaug Duck, who were sitting on a couple of fake eggs for weeks, finally abandoned their nest and adopted the ducklings.
Three weeks and they are still all peeping, no quaxing so far, i do really hope i don't have four additional boys here! I would not know what to do about 12 drakes and just 16 ducks! I hope i have four girls here!!!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

And finally: I was running late on Wednesday morning (2020-06-17), so the ducks were waiting impatiently at the door to get out:

 

[Flyinbolts]

And finally: I was running late on Wednesday morning (2020-06-17), so the ducks were waiting impatiently at the door to get out:

I lost it when the duckling did a somersault

 

[Flyinbolts]

I recently had my runner go broody. The khakis kicked her off the nest several days later >.>

I managed to snag the eggs and set them in the incubator... so here's hoping.