Broody ducks

Tilly6

Songster
6 Years
Jul 26, 2016
193
260
171
Upper Peninsula, MI
So I was preparing a raised bed in the garden, throwing the weeds on the ground next to me and I hear this weird persistent hissing/panting noise. It was one of my rouen! I bent down to check on her and see if she was ok and she attacked me. Lol I realized she’s gone and built and filled a nest. of course not in the safe enclosed coop. And now this morning I found a runner duck treating me the same way, she is holed up under the plum tree. My girls are having a midlife crisis! They are 5 years old and could barely lay an egg in a nest before now. They’d just drop them off wherever, including in the lake while swimming. I hope the rest don’t follow suit or I might end up buried in ducklings. Anything I should do besides leave some food where they can get it? The food is in the run so it’s locked up at night with the birds.
box ducklings GIF
 
I'd provide feed and water that they can access, but not anywhere near their nests as that might attract predators. Any possibility of placing a small protective coop over the nests?
I wish I could put something over the nests, but not where they managed to create them. The runner abandoned hers already today, but there are only 4 in it so she might not have really started sitting yet. At least they are both inside the chain link fenced yard, it’s better than nothing.
 
Yeah I would be worried about predators too. I had a mama duck hatch some ducklings inside a hollow stump. It was before I knew better. We didn't lose the mom, thankfully, but only one baby made it.
We haven’t had anything come inside the chain link for a while. so hopefully we can keep that streak running for the next 26 or so days. I’m not sure when she actually started incubating, but we are at least 2 or 3 days into the process. I’m going to set up the game camera on her.
 
Thanks, me too. I wasn‘t able to count, but it looks like she’s got a large number of eggs under her so maybe she’ll manage to hatch some. she seems pretty determined. She IS one of the favorites of the boys, so maybe she was desperate for a break. 😆
hmmm... raising children as a break..... someone should let her in on how much work that is...:lol:
 
hmmm... raising children as a break..... someone should let her in on how much work that is...:lol:
lol. How long do their nest breaks last? Because I have a feeling after 3 days I just watched her nope out of all that hassle. I don’t have an incubator either so I can’t save the eggs. :hmm☹️
 

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