SUPER EXCITED!!! *DAY 5*

[mommy9994]

I went out into the wood-- we call it the wood, it's really just a small grove. Anyhow, my son's lt. brahma hen was missing, she's old, so we were concerned. I went into the wood to look for her, and came across a nest of DUCK EGGS!! I'm so excited!!

I thought Jemima had just layed her first egg on the edge of the wood, turns out, she has a nest of 5 eggs hidden! I rushed back into the house to call my mama and find out what to do LOL she said "just leave 'em be, and she'll start settin' 'em when she's ready. And KEEP THE KIDS OUT OF 'EM!" LOL

I don't have a 'bator, and have no interest in getting one right now, so it's up to mama. I can't wait to see what the babies look like! Jemima and Daffy are both so pretty. Jemima is a blue swede, and Daffy is a crested black swede.

I feel a little silly, here I am 31 years old, and as giddy as an 8 yo!! LOL

 

[arlee453]

Hope she sets and hatches some cute babies for you!

 

[Chirpy]

I hope she starts sitting on them also. It's possible that she's just laying eggs there and hasn't gone broody though so keep that in mind.

Are the eggs in a safe spot if she is broody?

If you get babies you'll have to post pictures for us to see.

 

[mommy9994]

she made a beautiful nest out of leaves, up next to a tree trunk. I think they are pretty safe. The chickens and turkeys all go back there, but the chickens have thier own area that they like to lay around in, and the turkeys are afraid of Daffy, who is now fiercely guarding Jemima's nest. I will deffinately post pics of the babies if we get some!

 

[mommy9994]

She must have uncovered some when she went out to lay today's egg. When I took a peek at her nest, I saw 8 eggs! I know from yesterday morning till this morning, she didn't lay 3 more eggs, so I'm guessing she uncovered some.

How long should it be before I'll know if she's going to sit on them or not? She is very young, only 18 weeks, but I do know that she and Daffy are "doing thier duckie dance", so the eggs should be fertile.

Also, the eggs are quite small-- thin and long-- about as long as a chicken egg, but skinny. They are a creamy white/gray color, and very smooth to the touch. NO, I didn't touch the eggs in the nest, I felt the egg that we found at the edge of the wood yesterday morning. They are very uniform though. I suppose I was just expecting them to look more like chicken egg, maybe a bit bigger even.

 

[dixygirl]

Are they safe from predators loose out in the field like that? Does she have a run where you could move her and the eggs?

I would be scared to death. Good luck

 

[mommy9994]

They are in a large fenced area, and we've never had any preditors

 

[mommy9994]

I peeked today, there are about a dozen eggs in there. The one that she laid today is large--the others are pretty small, she just started laying about 2 weeks ago. Do you think the small eggs can even hatch? How long should I wait for her to decide to go broody? Should I just take the eggs, and let her hatch some when she's a bit more mature?

 

[mommy9994]

SHUCKS, I shoulda waited a day I went out after talking to my mother yesterday, and thinking perhaps we should take these eggs, and let her try again when she's older.

TODAY, she's not moved off the nest once! It's a good thing my mother advised to leave a nest egg, and hopefully, she laid another before setting. Hopefully we'll get 2 ducklings.

We ate the rest of the eggs this morning for breakfast, and only about 1/3 appeared to be fertile.