So i have a happy mating pair of black east indies that are so adorable, i rescued them 2 months ago, and after never being a duck owner, they have kind of grew on me.. So now i have some questions that maybe you guys can help me with.
#1- I want to add another mating pair to my current pair. I just found out through this site (about 5 weeks ago) that not only was Holderread (one of the best waterfowl breeders) on the West Coast, but only 1 HOUR from my house!! In the subsequent time i have spoken to Dave and his wife on numerous occasions, and i will be picking up my ELITE show line mating pair of BEI's this week!! So, will bringing a new pair home disrupt the mating process of the two i currently own? Or will they be a little more accepting of each other. Honestly, i don't really care all that much about my current pair's eggs, because i have no idea of the quality (however, dave holderread has promised me 10 minutes of his time with my birds so he can examine them, and tell me what he thinks of them). It would be nice for them to be a happy family with babies though, so i don't wanna interrupt the process that has already begun if i don't HAVE to.
#2- How do ducks normally mate? I understand Anatomically how this works, and have seen it several times firsthand, but i am wondering about a few things. First, the lady whom i rescued this pair from, and had TONS of ducks, told me that you needed water for ducks to mate.. She said "you need a small kiddie pool so the ducks can eat/drink/play/swim/MATE/ and be happy. I said "oh they mate in water" and she said "yeah, you need water so they can do "their thing."" So this has always been my assumption, so i have a small pool for them, but they have NEVER mated in it. My hen LOVES that water! shes in it all the time, but the drake only goes in every GREAT once in a while, or if i just toss him in there he stays for a few seconds, but then just waits on the sideline for his mate to finish up her business. Hardly what my preconceived notions were as "normal" for a duck.
#3- My ducks have been mating on the lawn right next to water CONTAINER, but not in or near the large pool i have for them. It seems like they are merely "ok" at best at mating. The drake seems to be doing his thing, but it takes him a LONG time to do it "right", as he seems to be riding her for close to 30 to 40 seconds each mating session. Compared to my rooster, that's an ETERNITY in the length of mating! I am wondering if this is normal, and if these eggs are going to be fertilized, as i wish to either incubate them or have her raise a clutch herself!
#4- How many eggs will my hen lay before she clutches them? I hear that BEI's like most all bantams both duck and chicken; are excellent setters, but i am wondering how many eggs she will have to lay, before she wants to sit on them? I understand that it is February so it may take her a while to set, but i was just wondering if i should take the 5 or 6 eggs that she has already laid and incubate them. I Know she will most likely continue to lay into the spring, so if i grab them away from her will be sad? Or, leave them in there for her to try and raise? Im torn, so any info would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks for any info you can give me!!
Nate
#1- I want to add another mating pair to my current pair. I just found out through this site (about 5 weeks ago) that not only was Holderread (one of the best waterfowl breeders) on the West Coast, but only 1 HOUR from my house!! In the subsequent time i have spoken to Dave and his wife on numerous occasions, and i will be picking up my ELITE show line mating pair of BEI's this week!! So, will bringing a new pair home disrupt the mating process of the two i currently own? Or will they be a little more accepting of each other. Honestly, i don't really care all that much about my current pair's eggs, because i have no idea of the quality (however, dave holderread has promised me 10 minutes of his time with my birds so he can examine them, and tell me what he thinks of them). It would be nice for them to be a happy family with babies though, so i don't wanna interrupt the process that has already begun if i don't HAVE to.
#2- How do ducks normally mate? I understand Anatomically how this works, and have seen it several times firsthand, but i am wondering about a few things. First, the lady whom i rescued this pair from, and had TONS of ducks, told me that you needed water for ducks to mate.. She said "you need a small kiddie pool so the ducks can eat/drink/play/swim/MATE/ and be happy. I said "oh they mate in water" and she said "yeah, you need water so they can do "their thing."" So this has always been my assumption, so i have a small pool for them, but they have NEVER mated in it. My hen LOVES that water! shes in it all the time, but the drake only goes in every GREAT once in a while, or if i just toss him in there he stays for a few seconds, but then just waits on the sideline for his mate to finish up her business. Hardly what my preconceived notions were as "normal" for a duck.
#3- My ducks have been mating on the lawn right next to water CONTAINER, but not in or near the large pool i have for them. It seems like they are merely "ok" at best at mating. The drake seems to be doing his thing, but it takes him a LONG time to do it "right", as he seems to be riding her for close to 30 to 40 seconds each mating session. Compared to my rooster, that's an ETERNITY in the length of mating! I am wondering if this is normal, and if these eggs are going to be fertilized, as i wish to either incubate them or have her raise a clutch herself!
#4- How many eggs will my hen lay before she clutches them? I hear that BEI's like most all bantams both duck and chicken; are excellent setters, but i am wondering how many eggs she will have to lay, before she wants to sit on them? I understand that it is February so it may take her a while to set, but i was just wondering if i should take the 5 or 6 eggs that she has already laid and incubate them. I Know she will most likely continue to lay into the spring, so if i grab them away from her will be sad? Or, leave them in there for her to try and raise? Im torn, so any info would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks for any info you can give me!!
Nate
