Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks everyone, I'm pretty bummed. DDM, there was just nothing in there. WAY early, like infertile looking. Two were hopefuls, but then there was just a whole bunch of black gunk. :/

So sorry,

But not too late to try again..

 

[EdenCamp]

Wow! Could go into biz making coonskin caps!
Man! Word really went out in the coon world you have tastey chicken.

 

[DaytonDuckMom]

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!!

 

[EdenCamp]

Boys will be boys........

Not all eggs are going to hatch. Often the first couple laid are duds. Some will get kicked out, by accident or mama's wise design. If you focus on the ones that don't make it just beating your head on the wall of nature. Celebrate the new life that emerges when it happens!

 

[keirys]

Wow!  Could go into biz making coonskin caps! 
Man!  Word really went out in the coon world you have tastey chicken.

Yeah I told dh to skin them and buy ds a car with the money lmao

 

[gysygirl]

Well my black call has finally started hatching her eggs yesterday

Only 4 days late and just before I go away tomorrow till Sunday night

I have seen five under her up to now and she's still got five to go. The poor lady I have house and pet sitting has been dropped right in it

I just hope they will be OK with all the others (8) and the other mum running around esp as the first lot are now 2 weeks old and ruling the pond, I have told her to lock them in the shed if there are any problems with the others and will just have to hope all is OK it would have to be the black one she is always awkward!

 

[DaytonDuckMom]

Boys will be boys........

Not all eggs are going to hatch. Often the first couple laid are duds. Some will get kicked out, by accident or mama's wise design. If you focus on the ones that don't make it just beating your head on the wall of nature. Celebrate the new life that emerges when it happens!

Eden...I am so looking forward to just one! If I see one baby come out of all of this I will be so happy!! This being a new momma is hard work! I don't think I fussed this much with my first pregnancy! LOL!! Well, I might have....worried about every little thing. I am certain..that the head banging will stop with the second hatch. hahahhahhaha...one can only hope!

Thank you all so much for just being here.

 

[Valntyn]

Quote: 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.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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.

How sweet your such a good mama!

 

[Snownoir]

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.