- Dec 17, 2011
- 5
- 0
- 7
I thought my 8 month old Muscovy girls were done laying when the really cold weather hit. (They are my first experience with farm birds.) When it warmed up for a few days I did get two more eggs but didn't think any more of it because they weren't looking like they were hurrying off like they wanted to lay when I let them out of the shed around 7:30 each morning. Plus no eggs on weekends when I sometimes don't let them out till 9.
I was mistaken. Three evenings ago I was a hen down when I put them away for the night. I did see her splashing with the others this afternoon so I know she is sitting on a nest somewhere. (They free range on my 19 acre farm during the day and I have no clue where she is.) I followed another hen this morning and found her hidden nest which she stayed on all day. This evening neither of those girls showed up to be put to bed. I thought I would go get the one I knew where she was. When I lifted her off her nest which is under the front porch I was shocked. I was expecting maybe 2 eggs. There were probably 10-15. I gave in to her perturbed squeaks and put her back down. I left her there for the night. she is close to the house and fairly well hidden.
I am hoping to let them hatch out ducklings in the spring but wasn't planning on it in this weather! What do I do with the hen I know the location of? What do I do with those eggs? I've found nests of up to 6 eggs before and known there were from the last few days. In those cases I float test them and then put them in the fridge to eat. I just didn't know what to do with this large collection some of which are certainly 2 weeks old.
I don't have much of a choice with the other hen. If she successfully hatches them they would be born in mid-January. Will she bring them to join the rest of the flock? I am located in south central PA. Would they be okay with the other duck (total of 4 hens 2 drakes) in the shed they sleep in at night or would I need to make other arrangements?
Thanks for advice!
I was mistaken. Three evenings ago I was a hen down when I put them away for the night. I did see her splashing with the others this afternoon so I know she is sitting on a nest somewhere. (They free range on my 19 acre farm during the day and I have no clue where she is.) I followed another hen this morning and found her hidden nest which she stayed on all day. This evening neither of those girls showed up to be put to bed. I thought I would go get the one I knew where she was. When I lifted her off her nest which is under the front porch I was shocked. I was expecting maybe 2 eggs. There were probably 10-15. I gave in to her perturbed squeaks and put her back down. I left her there for the night. she is close to the house and fairly well hidden.
I am hoping to let them hatch out ducklings in the spring but wasn't planning on it in this weather! What do I do with the hen I know the location of? What do I do with those eggs? I've found nests of up to 6 eggs before and known there were from the last few days. In those cases I float test them and then put them in the fridge to eat. I just didn't know what to do with this large collection some of which are certainly 2 weeks old.
I don't have much of a choice with the other hen. If she successfully hatches them they would be born in mid-January. Will she bring them to join the rest of the flock? I am located in south central PA. Would they be okay with the other duck (total of 4 hens 2 drakes) in the shed they sleep in at night or would I need to make other arrangements?
Thanks for advice!
