Proud Cayuga owners!!!!

[Jennsbirds]

They're all so cute and pretty. I amdetermined to get one now.

 

[Pinx]

I have a question...

I have 1 Cayuga girl that is coming up on 2 years old. Then I have 2 Cayuga hens and a drake that are a year old. I've gotten eggs from the older girl all of last year, and possibly some from the younger girls at the very end of the season.

The question is.... how often do they go broodie? I have not had a duck even think about going broodie yet, and surely this year the most of their eggs will be fertile. I'm new at hatching duck eggs so if possible, I would like for them to at least hatch some of their own.

 

[gryeyes]

I have a zillion Cayugas (okay, 22 right now, but I gave away a drake and four ducks last month) and last year ONE duck hatched 15 ducklings and she only lost one. At that time, I had 13 Cayugas, so she doubled the duck flock for me.

A second, younger duck hatched twelve a bit later and lost all twelve of them. She hatched them in winter and just wasn't as good a mother - it was terribly sad to find little dead ducklings in various places as they died of exposure. I should have taken them from her but I was hopeful....

Right now as I post this, I have two ducks on nests they made in the silliest places, but it's much, much warmer now.

My drake-to-duck ratio is wonky; too many drakes. Out of 14 ducks, only two are broody. There are duck eggs all over the place I have to pick up because the other twelve girls lay 'em and walk away.

I have one little call duck drake, Elvis, who has taken a Cayuga "wife" and they are such a cute couple. Some of the Cayuga drakes try to bully him and get to Bodacia but he is extremely protective of her and HE flies, so he can get away from the Big Boy Drakes, circle around in the air and go right after them. He's really fierce. He has chased much larger drakes all over the yard.

Anyway, like chickens, not all ducks go broody.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I haven't tested this but have heard that ducks will not sit on 1 egg like a chicken. They will not go broody until they have a clutch that they determine to be the right amount. So if you want a duck to set you have to leave the eggs alone. Again...I am not an expert this is just what I have found when researching the topic.

 

[Pinx]

I haven't tested this but have heard that ducks will not sit on 1 egg like a chicken. They will not go broody until they have a clutch that they determine to be the right amount. So if you want a duck to set you have to leave the eggs alone. Again...I am not an expert this is just what I have found when researching the topic.

That makes sense. Now if she would lay them in the same spot we would be in business lol. Thank you.

 

[inthesticks]

That makes sense. Now if she would lay them in the same spot we would be in business lol. Thank you.

You could try keeping her in the pen for a few days to see if that works. I have found success in putting a large plastic trash barrel on it's side w/ hay & shavings inside & stabling it w/ rocks in the pen - my 2 adult Cayuga lay in it pretty much faithfully - unless they want to lay @ the same time & can't share then maybe 1 every month or so I'll get an egg outside the barrel opening.

I have yet to have any go broody - I did get a scovy a few months ago that went broody ALL THE TIME but sadly she, & 2 chicken, got attacked by cyotes @ dusk on their way back to the pen

Like it was mentioned before - if you leave the eggs where they are (even if they plop em out on the go) you may find that either a pile forms or that all of a sudden eggs are moving

 

[Anna-MN]

Well I will be asking more questions come closer to the end of May....I ordered 2 Cayugas and 2 Gold Star ducklings! I also included some baby chicks in there as well just for the heck of it. I am very excited to be starting this new journey and I will be sure to post lots of pictures when they get here!

 

[Duck Love07 AR]

Today I feed my 2 little girl live minnows and crickets. I think it brightened everyone's day.

 

[jkhenry]

ur ducks will love u forever feeding shiners and crickets lol i have 1 khaki cambelland1 cayuga and the love feedin on lil fish i have a small pool i let them bathe in and i changed the water so itwould b clear for them to see the shiners and they had a blast i put 50 shinersin pool and they were all gone in 2 hrs

 

[inthesticks]

Today I feed my 2 little girl live minnows and crickets. I think it brightened everyone's day.

I love getting the feeder fish & putting them in their pool!! Now that they have discovered our pond (we made it years ago when some neighbors decided they didn't want a pond & just filled it with gravel & dirt till it flooded our back 1/4 of our property) It has frogs & bugs n all but no fish - I will be populating it with fish as soon as we get some actual steady spring time weather. Can't wait, will have to make a nice log bench to sit out there to watch them!

So 10 Cayugas due in 6 days & another 6 due in 10 days!!!