The Quack Shack

[Canadian Wind]

Sad News from Big Chimney: It looks like Chaos Duck has been taken by a predator last night.

As usual she insisted to sleep on the pond yesterday evening together with Mayhem, Walgreens, Stibbel Entron and some Mallards. Shortly after sunset they all ran up the hill and jumped into the pond.
At around 10pm, i was transplanting tomatoes on the patio, i heart a strange noise from up the hill. It sounded as if two cats were fighting each other, so i grabbed the flashlight and the machete and walked up to the pond. In the flashlight's cone i could see three drakes and a Mallard pair. Today morning, when i let the dux out, only Sunny Sunshine jumped on the porch to eat some meal-worms and Chaos Duck was nowhere to be seen.

Rest in Piece Chaos Duck. 2023-08-27 - 2024-04-22​

So sorry to hear that, Frank.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I have never had issues with this. In fact, it's sometimes difficult to keep the hatchlings from knocking into the other egg!

Always think about how Momma Ducks hatch their babies:

• Do they have an egg-turner that precisely turns their eggs every 30 minutes and 42 seconds? - No they don't. They turn their eggs whenever they assume a more comfortable position. At pure random intervals.
  → You forgot to turn the eggs in the morning? - Relax, no problem, just turn them now.
• Do they have a computer-controlled thermostat with humidity control? - No, momma duck must leave the nest to eat, drink and poop and sometimes they come back into the nest after an hour dripping wet.
  → Power Outage? Too dry or too wet? - Don't worry, hang in there. Life finds a way.
• Do Momma Ducks keep the hatched ducklings away from their curled up siblings? - Of course not! Under the calm surface of a sitting duck there's utter chaos: "Wet" ducklings are being pecked by their older siblings and the eggs are being shoved around by Mommas feet and the hatched ducklings. They roll into each other and sometimes getting cracked.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

So sorry to hear that, Frank.

What about your Power-Outage ducklings? - Have more hatched?
I could need some duckling pictures…
The CCI is looking more and more tempting…

 

[Canadian Wind]

What about your Power-Outage ducklings? - Have more hatched?
I could need some duckling pictures…
The CCI is looking more and more tempting…

Here's the one that hatched yesterday:

Both little ones are doing well. Next ones from the power outage are due in about a week. They go into lockdown on Friday.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Here's the one that hatched yesterday:

View attachment 3809717

View attachment 3809719

Both little ones are doing well. Next ones from the power outage are due in about a week. They go into lockdown on Friday.

Thank you very much for the pictures. The little one has the same brown eyes as Chaos Duck had.

 

[Luv Ducks]

We're switching the incubator to high humidity, no rotation and non-slip bottom tomorrow night in preparation for Friday's big event.

So today we "candled" (mobiled) the eggs again. For the most part we can see dark and reddish areas and some slight movement, everything as expected.

What came as a surprise was:

1. one egg was only black and white (see photo). We thought ohhh this one is dead... until

2. we got another one just like that, and LOTS of very obvious movement

So now we don't know what to think. Any ideas? Thank you everybody.

My dark eggs were only because my babies had dark feathers and so I would not discard any until you are absolutely sure they are dead.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Thank you very much for the pictures. The little one has the same brown eyes as Chaos Duck had.

What type are they, they sure are little cutie pies!!!

 

[Luv Ducks]

Sad News from Big Chimney: It looks like Chaos Duck has been taken by a predator last night.

As usual she insisted to sleep on the pond yesterday evening together with Mayhem, Walgreens, Stibbel Entron and some Mallards. Shortly after sunset they all ran up the hill and jumped into the pond.
At around 10pm, i was transplanting tomatoes on the patio, i heart a strange noise from up the hill. It sounded as if two cats were fighting each other, so i grabbed the flashlight and the machete and walked up to the pond. In the flashlight's cone i could see three drakes and a Mallard pair. Today morning, when i let the dux out, only Sunny Sunshine jumped on the porch to eat some meal-worms and Chaos Duck was nowhere to be seen.

Rest in Piece Chaos Duck. 2023-08-27 - 2024-04-22​

Mallard drakes have been known to get three on one and drown female ducks. Could this be what happened since you saw the three drakes on the pond? My neighbor sees this all the time where he works as there is a big pond out front of their factory. He said it makes him sick but nothing he can do about it.

 

[Luv Ducks]

So sorry to hear that, Frank.

I too am so sorry for your loss. Hopefully you can determine what happened so you don't lose any more.

 

[Canadian Wind]

What type are they, they sure are little cutie pies!!!

Mutts!