Sitting

We have chicks in the making! And the mama is a duck... I didn't realize it but Muscovy ducks are just crazy about making babies. This explains a lot. I just thought it was this one crazy for babies bird but turns out it's all Muscoys in general. I'm a little concerned about it. Afraid she may break the eggs due to her weight, not raise them due to their being chickens or, worst case scenario, try to teach them to swim! Muscovys don't need much water to keep them happy like most ducks but they have a big water bowl they like to splash around in that I fear is just about the right size to drown chicks in. This doesn't exactly set my mind at ease. But she's determined and... well, she scares me just a bit when she gets broody. Yes, I said it, I'm scared of a duck.

And her sister stands sentinel outside. Obviously you can't tell in this photo, but she's doing this trilling thing and moving her head around. Telling me off in other words. The sitter, on the other hand, pips and flaps around like crazy when I enter the shed where she's taken up temporary residence. I feel so loved.



Papa to be, you can see he's thrilled. Once again I'm saying to myself, 'Gotta get those ducks a man!'. Maybe they'd leave the chicken eggs alone.



The sheep, however, are not amused that she's sitting in their hay. I don't think I'd appreciate a duck in my food either.
Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. She's still building up her clutch and I'm trying to replace all the infertile duck eggs that are under her with chicken eggs so we at least don't have eggs going bad under there. Last summer we pulled out about 2o eggs she was sitting on from under the building. We finished underpinning it so at least she couldn't go under there and hide them. She's making it very difficult, though. I suppose I'd feel the same way if some crazy giant woman came in, trying to steal my babies.
These will be the first eggs hatched here at home. We've gotten day olds from a hatchery in the past, since they didn't have a rooster. If it goes we'll be excited to see some new babies running around and with a mama, of sorts. Should be interesting....

By the way, don't forget to enter this week's giveaway!