BUSTED!! Zoli is Broody! :D (and other nests found)

[Bleenie]

I have been suspecting Zoli of Secret Brooding Activity for about a week now. She has been very "peepy" when she sees me and a tad bit puffed up, but I just hadn't been able to find her nest, until today!

The little booger picked a fine nesting spot at the end of the house... the same spot that my Nibbles hatched her very first clutch of 10 babies(10/11 hatched). This is also Zoli's first clutch.

When I first spotted it I thought that there was only 4 eggs, and being that it's her first clutch i would have just let her go ahead with them. Then when I moved some stuff and got a better look(with help from the camera) it looks like theres close to 10 eggs in there!

I am beyond excited to see her babies, I have been waiting anxiously for her to go broody.

Her nest is ALL fluff and dirt so far and I am a bit tempted to set a handful of straw next to it for her to add... i know the down is great and she has pulled A LOT, but it still looks kind of bare

. You guys think I should add some straw? It's very finely cut straw that the other girls love using, and it's much softer for the babies too..... I've been buying it from the same place since I've had ducks because it's so much better quality and smells better than the feed store straw. (babbling!)

So, should I give her some straw?

And the other 2 nests I found that the girls have been laying in

 

[Muscovies]

Congratulations on Zoli going broody Bleenie

 

[oliveoil]

Congrats! I would put some straw out for her to use. Post pics when they arrive!

 

[Bleenie]

Thanks oliveoil, I added some straw and she mixed it in with all the down right away... it looks like she even tried to pull in the broken piece of wood(which I moved away earlier) that was near her nest too

. I just checked on her and it looked much better but I decided to give her one more big handful for a little extra padding, I also couldn't tell if she put any underneath of her to keep the eggs out of the dirt. I gave her what I scraped up off the bottom of the pile so it's very fine, almost like it's been shredded, so hopefully, even if she didn't put any in the bottom, some of it will make it's way down there on it's own.

The nest looks much "fuller" now, I will try to get a picture tomorrow.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Awww I'm thrilled for ya Hon!! Way to go Zoli!!

Michelle