I have a broody duck who was sitting on 8 chicken eggs for 6 days. I went to check the nest today and there were only 3. I was scared there was maybe a raccoon or opossum coming after my flock and getting in the hen house. Well I was out in the pasture today with my horse when I look over towards the coop and see my sisters dog taking off with an egg! I got the egg back and put it back in the nest. It didn't have any cracks or anything so hopefully it's ok. As a precaution the dog is being tied up when out so it doesn't happen again. I really want these eggs to hatch!
I hope so! My incubator failed miserably so I'm hoping on this duck! She's gone broody before but the dog destroyed the nest because it was outside.
Of course it was the dog! I had lost 3 runner ducklings to a dog. And were not sure if it was my dads dog or the puppy. Either way they now are completely blockcaded by a sheet of plywood. So I hope tthe best and that the egg hatches along with the others!!!
Thank goodness you caught the bandit before he made off with all the eggs!! Have you tried to make a cheapy homemade bator? Thats what we did and I am amazed at how well it works.
It's always the dog! We have three and I don't trus any of em especially Scruffy(the nest eater) and Keena (the chicken eater) Xoe mostly just chases but when called off she leaves em alone. The other two don't listen. The ONLY dog I trust around my birds is my dads dog(who used to be mine) she's the best dog in the world and "helped" me raise the flock I have.
Yeah I'm glad I caught him! He got in big trouble for it and he knew it. And Yeah I tried but the temp flux was so bad I gave up for now. I may try it this winter when temps are pretty consistent.
I have too many animals! But the ones I have to worry about are the ones in the house. The coon-hound and the papillons are out in a huge cage my dad built and the Chihuahua's are in the house. The ducks get wrangled into the house at night into kennel carriers for now until their cage is finished, so the plywood barricades that sections of the house from the rest. Dang dogs!!
Thankfully, egg-sucking is a habit that can be broken in at least some dogs. Had an Australian Shepherd who got chewed out for it and never did it again. Ditto my MIL's Great Dane/Dobie cross (his jaws were so huge, he was able to pick up and carry off goose eggs!). Both were well behaved dogs who discovered eggs were edible and helped themselves til caught an dlet know the eggs were off limits--after which no more eggs came up missing when the dogs were outside. (After dark hwen the skunks and possums came out was a WHOLE 'nother story).