I feel sorry for her..Young Cayuga duck with a HUGE mothering instinct

[Ducklove334]

firstly I'd like to say that none of my ducks are anywhere near old enough to even think about going broody, the three oldest mallards will be for months old in just a few days, and the others(mallards and the star of this post, my cayuga duck, Lyra will be 4 months old on the 14th).

well, about 3 days ago now, I put my 6(now 5 RIP Flipside), 3 week old Muscovy ducklings outside when it was warm, I put them in the big duck pen only for the "day", thinking I'd bring them in that night, YEAH right, I can't get a hold of the boogers, so in with the oldie ducks they stay,they do fine, they sneak over to their chicken-neighbors and drink their water, and sneak back without being noticed..anyways, all the other ducks, act the way I expect an "adult" duck to act towards a duckling that's is not theirs, they chase them off...all except, for big hearted Lyra..the minute she saw those babies, she knew what they were, she didn't chase them off like the others had been doing, she...stood there, staring at them..

and ever since, even though the babies have pretty much ignored her, she allows them to sleep next to her, she eats with them, she even grooms them when they let her

I have never seen a duck that, as I call it wants to be a mother so bad, I am awaiting the day she can finally be a mother to her own ducklings, I think she'd be a darn good one!

has anyone else ever had ducks like that before?

 

[farm_mom]

Thanks for posting this. I have cayuga ducks for the first time this year, and have been wondering how they'll be as mothers. My parents raised mallards when I was growing up and we had one in particular that was just an absolute wonderful mother. Good luck with her, and thanks again for sharing!

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Yay, Lyra! What a great little bird! She will be a super mommie I think. That is a very sweet story. Thanks for sharing

 

[cayuga mommy]

I know exactly what you mean.
I have 4 Cayugas ( 2 drakes, 2 ducks ) and also 4 little ( 1 1/2 week old ) Mallards. We introduced them for the first time three days ago. ( through a fence of course ) and my older female ( around 7 months ) absolutly took to them like.........well..........like a duck to water.
The other ducks didn't mind them. Since we did this very long socializing thing throughout their life introducing them to young ducklings, chicks, dogs, cats, etc... so they wouldn't be all timid ( and it works! ) and so the others just ignored the ducklings.
But, dutch ( my older female ) wouldn't leave their side. And when we started to gather the ducklings back up, she quacked her head off! She was NOT happy at us for touching the ducklings.
But, they needed their heat lamp. So, we took'em back inside.
We have unrelated males and females. So, in the spring. I am expecting ducklings.

 

[crtrlovr]

awwwwww....

I was thinking about getting a few ducks in the spring, and was leaning toward call ducks, some fawn runners, and maybe mini silver appleyards. I may have to rethink the cayugas...

 

[snowydiamonds]

I'm only to the point w/my five that the one lil girl is head bobbing the mating dance to ME Now she's got the other two girls doing the same thing to me, one is crested and they head bob while walking and quacking toward me...the two males whispering all the while...trying to sit near their fav girl...while all this loud quacking and walking and head bobbing to me!

My first time having ducks and I LOVE them...so comical and friendly now they've started growing up.