OK, some of you know that I was about to cull Snow White, my Muscovy and maybe get rid of my flock. I have been keeping my flock until I see what happens with this new Muscovy Law. Well Friday I butchered and was going to do her and another, but my DH slept in and I need his help with the ducks.
She had stopped laying 1 day. Next day there was a small egg in her nest area, I thought it was one of the teens, that they had started laying early. The area had been made into a small nest. While I was butchering, I watched the ducks going back and forth into the duck house. After I cleaned up I went and looked. They were enlarging the nest and putting down in it, each of the 5 girls were bringing 1 small feather to the nest. I had taken the small egg from it that morning. Later she sat the empty nest, with her daughter keeping her company, so when she left the nest, I put 4 of her eggs that I had on the nest. She went back to the nest and covered them but did not go back to sit the nest. So I boiled them, they are being pickled. But I put in clean shavings so they have more nesting material.
This morning, another egg, large and her egg. I had to check and had it for breakfast, it was fertile. She let the new drake mate her, I am just amazed. Now she is the one that just does not like to mate, does not like to sit and wasn't a real good mother. Earlier this week she stopped laying one day, switched over to fertile and is now getting ready. She sat that empty nest most of the day today. Again the other girls brought her down to soften the nest. She is training the girls to build their nests, they have all started making nests, just not feathering them. This did not happen with her and her sisters. This is new behavior around here.
So, I figure that I just received a message and she has to stay to teach and hatch more little duckies. Why she had to waite until the hottest days of the year I will never know. Good thing the duck house is mostly a wire avery.
Now I'm worried that she won't have many more eggs. She was laying for several weeks. Then stopped when my husband went on vacation for 12 days. When he came back she started laying again and she has been laying for 3 weeks now. But she is hitting the oyster shell dish daily, again.
I guess if she just lays a few eggs, I can try to give her a few chicken eggs after she has sat for 2 weeks. My chicken eggs are pretty firm shelled. I just don't know if they would hold up. She is smaller than her daughter or the other girls, though, so maybe.
I just had to share this, this girl is something else, its like she can read my mind and says Oh No You Don't, I have things to teach my daughter. I'll show you.
She had stopped laying 1 day. Next day there was a small egg in her nest area, I thought it was one of the teens, that they had started laying early. The area had been made into a small nest. While I was butchering, I watched the ducks going back and forth into the duck house. After I cleaned up I went and looked. They were enlarging the nest and putting down in it, each of the 5 girls were bringing 1 small feather to the nest. I had taken the small egg from it that morning. Later she sat the empty nest, with her daughter keeping her company, so when she left the nest, I put 4 of her eggs that I had on the nest. She went back to the nest and covered them but did not go back to sit the nest. So I boiled them, they are being pickled. But I put in clean shavings so they have more nesting material.
This morning, another egg, large and her egg. I had to check and had it for breakfast, it was fertile. She let the new drake mate her, I am just amazed. Now she is the one that just does not like to mate, does not like to sit and wasn't a real good mother. Earlier this week she stopped laying one day, switched over to fertile and is now getting ready. She sat that empty nest most of the day today. Again the other girls brought her down to soften the nest. She is training the girls to build their nests, they have all started making nests, just not feathering them. This did not happen with her and her sisters. This is new behavior around here.
So, I figure that I just received a message and she has to stay to teach and hatch more little duckies. Why she had to waite until the hottest days of the year I will never know. Good thing the duck house is mostly a wire avery.
Now I'm worried that she won't have many more eggs. She was laying for several weeks. Then stopped when my husband went on vacation for 12 days. When he came back she started laying again and she has been laying for 3 weeks now. But she is hitting the oyster shell dish daily, again.
I guess if she just lays a few eggs, I can try to give her a few chicken eggs after she has sat for 2 weeks. My chicken eggs are pretty firm shelled. I just don't know if they would hold up. She is smaller than her daughter or the other girls, though, so maybe.
I just had to share this, this girl is something else, its like she can read my mind and says Oh No You Don't, I have things to teach my daughter. I'll show you.
