Mama duck Eugenia is still on the nest. I expect the eggs to hatch any day now! I've lost count of how many are in there.
She's fiercely protective and attacks my feet if I get anywhere near her nest when I'm in the duckhouse. Good little mama!
Gordon has almost finished building a separate house for Mama and babies, in the tarp-covered dog run next to the chickens. I'll take pictures later. It's not beautiful but it's sturdy as hell!
Here are Charlie, MacGregor and Ronna enjoying the grassy run while the chickens, who ruined THEIR grassy run, look on jealously.
Meanwhile, in the coop, Charlotte and Ellie spend most of their time up near the ceiling! Not long after I put Charlotte back in the coop after her stay in our front porch chicken hospital last month, she moulted in an explosion of feathers. Honestly, when I went in the coop and saw the pile of black feathers on the ground, I thought a predator had finally gotten in and eaten a hen. Nope! It was just Charlotte, dropping a chicken-load of plumage.
Ellie has moulted too. The two girls spend their days "upstairs", away from the roosters, and their feathers are finally growing back, even the one on Charlotte's poor bald head.
Her breathing is still a tad raspy but since she's doing well in every other respect, I'm not going to worry about it. Soon she will be feathered out and back to her beautiful self.
Time will tell!! :) She doesn't hurt when she goes for me. Chicken beaks are worse!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a load of ducklings coming soon. I can't wait to see the pics
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to have all those little eggs hatching soon.
ReplyDeleteLove that there's a little pool. I'm sure they all drink from it but do the ducks get in it? The dogs? All of them?
Jams, they better hatch or there will be a lot of disappointed people around here! :)
ReplyDeleteVanilla Bean, they LOVE the pool. Usually they go in one at a time and splash like crazy. The other day ROnna went in and swam in circles underwater like a little torpedo. It was SO cute! The dogs wander around the enclosure but are too busy eating duck poo to get in the pool! :0
The Muscovies can do without a swimming pool as they are tree ducks or some such thing, but they sure love it! They won't have a pool in winter though. I said we should get them a hot tub!
none of my ducks have ever had the broody urge
ReplyDeletewhich is a sad state of affairs!
It will be interesting to see how long mama remains protective of her ducklings after they hatch.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the ducklings!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the baby ducks.I didn't know there's Tree Ducks..so, they don't need a pond?
ReplyDeleteHope they're all born healthy and eager to live. What do the newborn eat? Do they need milk?
ReplyDeleteJohn, you can live vicariously through me. LIke you don't have enough birds of your own!
ReplyDeleteCog Dis, I expect to sustain extensive bruising for several weeks. ;)
Pilgrim's COttage, ME NEITHER! I'm getting antsy now!
Vicki, they can indeed manage without a pond, although they have so much fun in the water that I'll always have a kiddy pool for them (eventually we'd like to dig them a real pond.) I read they shouldn't have access to the pool when it gets cold because they can get chilled. Of course,the pool would freeze here in winter anyway!
Claude, we got them duck starter mix (grain), plus Mommy duck will find little insects and such for them. If they ever hatch!!!