Day 26, does anyone leave their drake with hen?

[mandtc]

 

[mandtc]

I can’t tell which are the day old and which are the two days old now. So they must all be lovely and healthy

I have them in a small dog pen for now, as we need to tidy up their coop area after the big storm last night. Need a new roof etc.

I don’t trust dad with them now, he is a bit too rough for my liking, so he can see but not touch at the moment. We will play this by ear.

Mumma Duck is letting them out for short excursions in the fenced off area, then calls them back in the kennel when it’s tome for naps again.

I raised mum and dad from day old a couple of years ago, but it’s not the same as seeing them with their natural mother! And by the size of these guys, it was more like a week old when I got them.

I could talk about them for hours, sorry for the long posts

 

[mandtc]

Six days old. Swimming in the grown up pool. Another week or so and they’ll be ready to go into the full duck pen with Dad.

 

[CayugaJana]

I love it that you can see him craning his neck to see what’s going on.

 

[mandtc]

I love it that you can see him craning his neck to see what’s going on.

Haha! Yeah he’s got a good view! And he comes down and sleeps on his dog bed next to the pen at night!

I just wanted to get the babies out of the danger zone before having to deal with playful excited daddy

 

[CayugaJana]

Looks like you have to perfect set up going on. And the perfect parents!

 

[mandtc]

Looks like you have to perfect set up going on. And the perfect parents!

I’ve been so lucky! But I’m going to have to spend some time with them soon, so they don’t run at the sight of me when they’re older!

I’m just waiting to see what happens once they reveal gender and hormones start kicking in... :O

 

[barnababy]

i Have a pekin pair. The drake is the most attentive and loving husbduck. He hasn’t left his mates side through the whole
Process. He reminds her to eat and alerts her if I change out their pond so she can have a fresh bath.
I’m worried it will cause more trouble to try and separate them when the chicks start hatching.
Has anyone had success just leaving things to nature? I didn’t even know she had viable eggs until week 2. And have not interfered at all so far.
Other option is moving the eggs to my broody frizzle chicken maybe? But I’m not convinced about her mothering abilities.
Thoughts anyone???

Thank you in advance!

Call me crazy/ignorant/a newbie.. but I was unaware people separated them for that reason. I had 2 female Pekin and a Rouen drake live together blissfully for years. The first time they started laying I wanted to see if tree eggs were fertile and had to pull and toss 7 1/2 dozen on week 6. Later as they wisened up to daily egg hunts they managed to hide a nest and have 8 babies in a clutch with zero problems. Then 1 more mystery hatch that is now my indoor ESA.

 

[CayugaJana]

Call me crazy/ignorant/a newbie.. but I was unaware people separated them for that reason. I had 2 female Pekin and a Rouen drake live together blissfully for years. The first time they started laying I wanted to see if tree eggs were fertile and had to pull and toss 7 1/2 dozen on week 6. Later as they wisened up to daily egg hunts they managed to hide a nest and have 8 babies in a clutch with zero problems. Then 1 more mystery hatch that is now my indoor ESA.

Well I think it is a concern sometimes because the modern domestic duck was bread for certain traits (ie. egg production, large body size, etc). And some of the instinctive nature to be good parents have been lost. Not saying ducks can’t be good parents, just that it’s more of a concern. Does that make any sense?

Boy I bet that was a surprise coming out to collect eggs and you found ducklings instead! Good thing they are so cute!