Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[Going Quackers]

Well i am plucking extra eggs from this 8 that we found, again this one almost 9mth old duck has seemingly taken over it? i tired to candle them but some look no good, others not so sure need to take a better look again...

This is insane, i have dusty at it again! 3 days in a row, we have had a donnybrook to get eggs from underneath her... i mean really? REALLY? it's bad enough i have 3 extra drakes again, after getting my ratio's settled and of coarse, that leaves me a single little lady so i have to keep her brothers around for a bit or she'll panic.

Nice looking boys again too, i am getting tired of the carrot being dangled in front of me...

i know why people fear ducks, way to easy to expand, way to easy... grumble...

 

[Miss Lydia]

LOL, so much for no babies, eh?

yep.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well i am plucking extra eggs from this 8 that we found, again this one almost 9mth old duck has seemingly taken over it? i tired to candle them but some look no good, others not so sure need to take a better look again...

This is insane, i have dusty at it again! 3 days in a row, we have had a donnybrook to get eggs from underneath her... i mean really? REALLY? it's bad enough i have 3 extra drakes again, after getting my ratio's settled and of coarse, that leaves me a single little lady so i have to keep her brothers around for a bit or she'll panic.

Nice looking boys again too, i am getting tired of the carrot being dangled in front of me...

i know why people fear ducks, way to easy to expand, way to easy... grumble...

Duck math much worse than chicken math.

 

[Snownoir]

I have another one of my hens sitting on, last I counted, 13 eggs. I believe she has 2 - 3 weeks left. Now that its so warm here, it probably won't be longer than normal.

The 15 ducklings that hatched March 21 are HUGE. I really should take some new pics and share. Every morning that I sleep in, my back door rattles from all the babies pecking at it, trying to wake me. Its the cutest sound. I open the door and have 15 lil faces looking up at me chirping and trilling away. LOVE them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have another one of my hens sitting on, last I counted, 13 eggs. I believe she has 2 - 3 weeks left. Now that its so warm here, it probably won't be longer than normal.

The 15 ducklings that hatched March 21 are HUGE. I really should take some new pics and share. Every morning that I sleep in, my back door rattles from all the babies pecking at it, trying to wake me. Its the cutest sound. I open the door and have 15 lil faces looking up at me chirping and trilling away. LOVE them.

We need a pic of that..

 

[keirys]

Woke up & let the herd out this morning, found the ducks nesting box completely upside down. The eggs were thrown all over the coop

. I checked the eggs all of them are ok I hope theres no crack insight. We now have 9 eggs but she's not sitting yet she is however plucking her down. Hopefully we are close, the dog crate is suppose to be here tomorrow. I cannot wait to move them.
this is the crate I bought are these coon proof ? or should I reinforce it. I am putting it out in the run under the chicken coop. This weekend we are closing it off. If all else fails I plan on bringing her in the house at night and letting her out in the morning. Until we close off/coon proof the duck coop Sunday......

 

[keirys]

We need a pic of that..

x2

 

[Miss Lydia]

Woke up & let the herd out this morning, found the ducks nesting box completely upside down. The eggs were thrown all over the coop

. I checked the eggs all of them are ok I hope theres no crack insight. We now have 9 eggs but she's not sitting yet she is however plucking her down. Hopefully we are close, the dog crate is suppose to be here tomorrow. I cannot wait to move them.
this is the crate I bought are these coon proof ? or should I reinforce it. I am putting it out in the run under the chicken coop. This weekend we are closing it off. If all else fails I plan on bringing her in the house at night and letting her out in the morning. Until we close off/coon proof the duck coop Sunday......

I'd zip tie hardware cloth over door and windows those holes aren't small enough. That's exactly the crate I am using for broody room. other than door and windows I don't think a coon could get into it. but other things like bears and dogs and coyotes maybe able to tear it open. What do you think happened to the nest? sounds like something got into it. this is going to be in a secure run?

 

[keirys]

I'd zip tie hardware cloth over door and windows those holes aren't small enough. That's exactly the crate I am using for broody room. other than door and windows I don't think a coon could get into it. but other things like bears and dogs and coyotes maybe able to tear it open. What do you think happened to the nest? sounds like something got into it. this is going to be in a secure run?

The nest was in the coop & I think the drake tried stuffing his big butt in it lol, I really don't know ... We don't have a secure run because we dont have any day time preditors to worry about. I was thinking aobut leaving it in the run, but I guess I can always bring her inside until Dh secures the duck coop on Sunday.

 

[Snownoir]

Miss Lydia and Keirys, I'll try to get one in the morning. (I feed them some more last night, so they weren't "starving" this morning)

She's sitting on 15 eggs now. AND the one who hatched this clutch of 17 (only 15 are alive), she's building a nest, with eggs in it, under my shed (that sits on pallets). This girl is crazy. There are also mice under there. I wonder if that's why she picked it "I can eat and sit at the same time!!"

Most of the male ducklings like to follow my drake around. And he won't eat feed until they have. I SO love my feathered friends.