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Beaker's other 2 babies hatched yesterday! She now has 1 boy and 2 girls. One of the girls has a little crest, just like her. I will post pictures of them soon.
I try to make sure that Beaker is comfortable with me around her and the ducklings. I watch her body language and listen for any grunting or other sounds.
When I crawl on the floor to see her and the babies, she stands up and waits for me to take out an egg or baby and then sits back down. She's been doing this ever since I've been checking the eggs. If I take out an egg or baby, she just looks at me and is patient. However, I haven't had any cuddling from her this entire time.
When she started sitting on her eggs, I made sure that when she got out of her nest box, the first thing she would do is jump into the bathtub. It only took a few times of putting her in the bathtub myself before she learned to do this automatically. This helps A LOT on the smell of her poo. (I've never smelled anything more gross than broody poo!) In fact, she NEVER poos anywhere else. I just drain the bathtub water and refill it at least once a day. (The bathtub wall is high, so it will be a long time before a duckling could make the jump. However, I do have a ramp inside the tub that Beaker uses to climb OUT of the tub.)
I never thought I could love ducks and a goose this much!
