Spring down south and ducklings hatching soon.

It is Spring in Australia. Last year my ducks (Wendi and Bob) had their first batch in late October but this year looks like they are going early with Wendi sitting on 4 eggs in early spring due next week I guess. Her first batch (5) I took inside and raised in the downstairs bathtub but she raised the next 2 batches very well herself so letting nature take it's course this year.

I got down (I use crutches to get around) and drained the pond the other day. Yuck. There was actually about 5kg of muck on the bottom which I scraped up. It is soil that that they pick up in their beaks and strain in the water. I filled it up again from the "duck" tank I put in that picks up rain water from the shed roof next to the pond. It is still a bit murky but Bob and Wendi took to it immediately and jumped in for a bath. Ducks love clean water which is a bit weird since they also love muddying it up.
Anyway Wendi is still sitting on her 4 eggs which I guess will hatch in the next week or so. I have to put the ramp back in so the ducklings can get out (basically the chook ramp with a brick to keep it in place). This will be my fourth batch. There is something wonderful about seeing those little ducklings take to water a couple of hours out of the shell.
The last batch (all 9 of them) went into the pond on the day after they hatched. It was late at night but I had a strange feeling something was wrong. I turned the light on at midnight and could see Wendi standing next to the pond and also the ducklings sitting on it. They were only a day old so I was worried they couldn't get out even though there were two ramps. So I went down with a flashlight and as soon as they saw me they panicked and ran out up the ramp and hid under their momma. I love my ducklings!
Never shown me any love at all. This year I am going to see if hand feeding them makes a difference. We will see