dumb questions from first timer...

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks again Miss Lydia..... I closed her off from the nesting box and after a few attempts to figure out what was going on she seems fine with it and has resumed her life again. Can I look forward to her starting to give me eggs again anytime soon do you suppose?

Yes usually 2-3 weeks but maybe sooner depends on when she lets the drake begin mating again. I'm glad it was easy. Bless their hearts when they are dedicated it is hard for them to give up.

 

[blenderbender]

Well here it is mid August and the gal still isn't laying at all. She still sits on an empty nest most of the day, though she seems to be getting out and about the garden a wee bit more. I have seen the drake chasing her around just about on a daily basis so I know he's still trying though I haven't caught them in the act yet. Just to show you how much I don't know about ducks and eggs...... do they need to mate to get an egg? I guess I've been assuming all along that they only need to mate in order to get a fertile egg, and that laying eggs is, well, what the females do regardless. I've quit wasting the money on organic layer pellets as it seemed like nonsense if she's not going to lay considering a bag of organic is 3X the regular stuff. Anything I can do to bribe her into giving me my (almost) daily egg? Thanks!

 

[Amiga]

Are they penned together at night? He may be overdoing it, and that can prevent her from being able to lay eggs.

 

[blenderbender]

Yes, they are penned together, though I can't say I've noticed him trying too hard. It seems like once or twice a day he'll be chasing her around the garden. From what I've seen it's generally pretty quiet at night, though obviously I don't see what happens all night long. I could segregate them for the night though he wouldn't be in a predator proof anything, just a fenced in garden. I haven't seem any signs of predators even trying to gain access to the garden. Thanks for a speedy reply Amiga!

 

[Amiga]

Uhm, I would not leave him out in the garden (I do not mean to drive you to distraction here), can you put him in a crate overnight inside the pen? Or put her in a crate in side the pen? Or split the pen with some temporary fence?

 

[blenderbender]

Thanks..... I will try that.... tomorrow night.

 

[blenderbender]

Well it's been almost 6 months since I've seen any eggs from my gal runner...... and then a week ago...... woo hoo!!! And one a day since then. I've been threatening them with the likelihood of providing Thanksgiving dinner.... perhaps they heard me. I don't have a clue what the layoff was all about but happy to see her get back down to business!