- May 27, 2013
- 110
- 8
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Hello all,
It's been a while since I've posted here on this forum, mostly because everything with our ducks has been going WONDERFULLY. Unfortunately, we have had some tragedy strike our flock. Yesterday morning when I went to let the ducks out of their shed I realized that 3 of my ducks were missing. 2 Fawn and White Runner Drakes and my prized Jumbo Pekin Female Pepper. I have no idea how or why they are gone. I didn't do a thorough count when i locked them up the night before, but it is always so rare for them to be apart from eachother so I didn't even think anything of it. There is no sign of a struggle, or predator getting into the shed. No feathers, no blood...nothing. Not a trace. Needless to say I am just devastated. I am not sooo heartbroken over the males, because they were kind of becoming a problem to the females wanting to mate constantly, but to loose Pepper, I'm just crushed. She had just started laying about 3 weeks ago, giving us the most beautiful huge eggs, often double yolked. I searched all over our property calling for them, all over the neighborhood, no one has seen them. I know we have coyotes, so if they were out overnight on their own, they wouldn't stand much chance......
I cried all night and hardly slept!
ANYWAYS- I have an off the wall question. I have 3 of Pepper's Eggs in my fridge. She has been breeding with our Pekin male all the time, so I am wondering, could I incubate her eggs??! They've been in the fridge for a few days. I don't know if that is too cold for them, I don't know much about hatching at all. I have access to an incubator, and I would love to be able to hatch one of her eggs as a tribute to her. This is probably a far fetched idea...but I thought worth a shot in asking.
I am going to try and move on and stop hoping they will come waddling down the driveway after their little duck vacation, but in my heart of hearts I know that just isn't going to happen. How could I become so attached to a duck!?!? I'm sure some of you understand.
It's been a while since I've posted here on this forum, mostly because everything with our ducks has been going WONDERFULLY. Unfortunately, we have had some tragedy strike our flock. Yesterday morning when I went to let the ducks out of their shed I realized that 3 of my ducks were missing. 2 Fawn and White Runner Drakes and my prized Jumbo Pekin Female Pepper. I have no idea how or why they are gone. I didn't do a thorough count when i locked them up the night before, but it is always so rare for them to be apart from eachother so I didn't even think anything of it. There is no sign of a struggle, or predator getting into the shed. No feathers, no blood...nothing. Not a trace. Needless to say I am just devastated. I am not sooo heartbroken over the males, because they were kind of becoming a problem to the females wanting to mate constantly, but to loose Pepper, I'm just crushed. She had just started laying about 3 weeks ago, giving us the most beautiful huge eggs, often double yolked. I searched all over our property calling for them, all over the neighborhood, no one has seen them. I know we have coyotes, so if they were out overnight on their own, they wouldn't stand much chance......
I cried all night and hardly slept!ANYWAYS- I have an off the wall question. I have 3 of Pepper's Eggs in my fridge. She has been breeding with our Pekin male all the time, so I am wondering, could I incubate her eggs??! They've been in the fridge for a few days. I don't know if that is too cold for them, I don't know much about hatching at all. I have access to an incubator, and I would love to be able to hatch one of her eggs as a tribute to her. This is probably a far fetched idea...but I thought worth a shot in asking.
I am going to try and move on and stop hoping they will come waddling down the driveway after their little duck vacation, but in my heart of hearts I know that just isn't going to happen. How could I become so attached to a duck!?!? I'm sure some of you understand.
