Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[Snownoir]

I did, however, find the golf ball I originally put in her tote. She had it buried in her nest, as if it were an egg... She made a nest for her golf ball... Couldn't you just die?!

She so very much wants to be a mama. Last year, she co-laid on a nest, leaving it only to co-hatch another. *giggle* So this morning I figured, why not let her hatch "her own" egg and gifted her the one I had just collected from someone else's nest. I set it beside her. She touched it with her bill a few times, then promptly tucked it beneath herself.

If one extra baby is gonna make her happy, I'm happy.

Seriously, one of the cutest stories!!! I can't wait to hear how she does with one. Do you have a drake? Will she be able to lay a fertilized nest one day?

 

[heatherscreations1969]

I throw on my boots (naked still)

Lol...been there.....slippers and nothing else when I thought I heard someone trying to break into the duckling shed......wouldn't they have had a shock seeing a screeching mad woman come running at them with no clothes on!

For my own sanity's sake, there wasn't anyone there

H

 

[Miss Lydia]

Pulled 3 more eggs tonight from the outer parameter (sp?) of the nest. All yolk. These looked like they started as they had an air sac but yet only yellow.

I pulled ONE MORE just to check and could tell just by the shell that it had a baby in it. Sure enough....slanted air sac.....all black inside. Worried though....because it was also in the parameter. Wondering..but I put it back and this time closer to the girls..maybe they will scooch it in under or leave it out. I'll watch. So...the good news is that I am hopeful again that maybe just maybe....we have viable babies under them!!

Got home tonight and found one of the girls out of lockdown! She was out getting 'you know what' from Mr. She chased me when she saw me go for the eggs since she was out...and immediately the other one began to strike at me while I was fussing in the straw. I didn't dare pull one that they sit on. Lifted up the chicken wire to get Daisy back in. She ran in and sat. LOL

This is crazy. We've got to be close!!

Darn I am just reading this , How exciting to think now there maybe some ducklings after all. So exciting for you and the mamas.

 

[EdenCamp]

Thanks, GQ!
The story continues this morning with Holly, the last nester I mentioned, but didn't have a recent photo to show. Well, here she is as of this morning:

(I had to play with the photo a bit. She's in a red tote and the sun made everything bright red. You could barely see Holly. *chuckle*) Anyway, see those lovely feathers she has around her, spilling out of the tote?

We had a bit of a bonding moment this morning. Holly didn't lay an egg yesterday, nor did I find one under her this morning. I did, however, find the golf ball I originally put in her tote. She had it buried in her nest, as if it were an egg... She made a nest for her golf ball... Couldn't you just die?!

She so very much wants to be a mama. Last year, she co-laid on a nest, leaving it only to co-hatch another. *giggle* So this morning I figured, why not let her hatch "her own" egg and gifted her the one I had just collected from someone else's nest. I set it beside her. She touched it with her bill a few times, then promptly tucked it beneath herself.

If one extra baby is gonna make her happy, I'm happy.

Too cute~! Since she's not laying eggs but wants to brood so bad - why not take the eggs from the other nests and let her hatch them? If you eat eggs the others will lay more and again more often - and you'll still get babies?

 

[EdenCamp]

Lol...been there.....slippers and nothing else when I thought I heard someone trying to break into the duckling shed......wouldn't they have had a shock seeing a screeching mad woman come running at them with no clothes on!

For my own sanity's sake, there wasn't anyone there

H

Isn't that part of the charm of country living? That you CAN! My neighbors have all been trained to call first. Told 'em I'm not running and ducking - so the first time you catch me hanging clothes or what ever in the all together may be the last sight you ever see and will haunt you forever......you been warned.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Isn't that part of the charm of country living? That you CAN! My neighbors have all been trained to call first. Told 'em I'm not running and ducking - so the first time you catch me hanging clothes or what ever in the all together may be the last sight you ever see and will haunt you forever......you been warned.

 

[Snownoir]

Agreed, funny, except I live in a city in a duplex. Neighbor can see over the fence just by turning her head. I wish I was in the country...

 

[DaytonDuckMom]

Congrats everyone on their successes and so sorry for those that have had some struggles.

I have a story to share about one of the ducklings from my recent hatch

I woke up around 8:30 Sunday morning and poked my head out the back door and surveyed the yard and creatures. One of my rabbit bucks glances my direction and pokes his nose toward to the hole in his pen hoping I'm on my way out to greet him. My vision scans closer to see that a lot of the ducks (hatched in March) are circled around the pool. Sharp look in the water and I see one of the 15, ten day old ducklings in the pool!

"SH!%"

I throw on my boots (naked still) and run out the door when I notice a dark object bobbing up and down in the water. Lazily a little beak is dragging along the surface of the water and my heart breaks. Numerous and colorful words scream through my head and tumble out my mouth. Dave yells from inside, "what's wrong!?!" I toss the energetic but struggling duckling out of the pool and scoop up the lethargic one.

I stare at it, watching for how much life may be left.

*Gasp*

5 seconds later

*Gasp*

Poor, limp, little body in my hands. I rinse off its mouth and shove its beak in my mouth and give a gentle blow. Not a blow really, just breathing out. I have the soaked body tilted, head down in my hand hoping for trickles of water to escape its beak. Nothing, but *gasp* every few seconds.

I can't bring myself to kill it. Hoping that with a moderate inversion on the bench with its head over the edge, the water will just work its way out.

I finished up my chores in the back, still naked. Sadly walked into the house, shamed, defeated, and saddened. I dress for my 10 hour shift at the hospital and leave for the day. I get home late in the evening and beeline for the back. Neglecting to greet my excited dog. He follows me into the yard and I toss a greeting at Dave, laying on the bed.

I look at the bench. No duckling. I'm now convinced that either Dave buried it or the dog sneaked a snack. I count the ducks. 15. I count the ducklings. 15....

Wait, 15?!? Wait a tick... I count again, in groups of three like I always do and get, 15. I count a third time, my heart racing, my mind second guessing my eyes. 14! Dam*!% One more count.

15. "Dave!!!!! It's ALIVE!!!!"

Screen door flies open, "What?! How is that possible? I didn't see it on the bench and thought you took care of it before you went to work." (The animals and the backyard are obviously my realm)

He counts, gets 15. I don't know how, but the lil guy is alive. I can't even tell which one he is now.

I've since equipped the pool with better steps and tossed a duckling in to test it out. It works. I also isolated their water from the other ducks. I think that's why they went for the pool in the first place. Their water source had dried up. I really don't know how they got in the pool either as its very tall. But, where there is a will, there's a way.

Below is my new duckling feed/water station.

Take care.

By far....THE GREATEST STORY EVER!!! And yes...I would have too....run outside completely naked....in my boots. LOLOLOLOLOL

 

[DaytonDuckMom]

Isn't that part of the charm of country living? That you CAN! My neighbors have all been trained to call first. Told 'em I'm not running and ducking - so the first time you catch me hanging clothes or what ever in the all together may be the last sight you ever see and will haunt you forever......you been warned.

 

[Valntyn]

How sweet your such a good mama!

Hehe, thank you. Now I just hope the egg is a fertile one!!

-

I have a story to share about one of the ducklings from my recent hatch

Awesome, awesome story!! And a great ending!!

Seriously, one of the cutest stories!!! I can't wait to hear how she does with one. Do you have a drake? Will she be able to lay a fertilized nest one day?

Thanks! We do have drakes. She, however, is one of two girls who get uber-lovin' and both girls are temporarily living in the separation wing of our coop. They were pretty beat-up. After seeing how involved she was last year (keeping one nest warm, only "giving up her parental rights" so she could go hatch someone else's nest *snicker*) and seeing how much she wants it this year, I would love to see her hatch a full fertilized nest of her own. I'm REALLY hoping the egg I gave her IS fertile...

Too cute~! Since she's not laying eggs but wants to brood so bad - why not take the eggs from the other nests and let her hatch them? If you eat eggs the others will lay more and again more often - and you'll still get babies?

We have 4 nests/layers right now: GullyDwarf is sitting on a nest that SHOULD hatch any day... Blinky is sitting on a nest that should hatch within the next week or two... someone is laying an egg daily in an unclaimed nest... and then Holly was sitting on her golf ball.

I took the mystery egg and gave it to Holly. We only want Gully's and Blinky's eggs to hatch right now; so I'm collecting all/any other eggs. I just couldn't let Holly continue to be broody on a golf ball (

), so I gave her one to hatch. Just one. *chuckle* (Not to offend anyone, but at the end of this year, we're going to have a lot of meat for our freezers and we settled on only two hatchings for Spring, more later if needed.) If you mean take Gully's or Blinky's eggs and give them to Holly... good idea, but I like the idea of letting them try out the mama-thing. One more baby (under Holly) isn't going to hurt. Plus, we've got enough eggs for a while. And, we still have three other girls who aren't giving eggs yet. Hehe!