Arabella is sitting on six little ducklings. Three yellow bubs like Bruce and three brown and yellow bubs like Flo. Some are fluffed up and some are still partially in the shell. So these ducklings are actually the siblings of Wave who hatched last week.
Complicated, I know.
Basically there was a lot of nest swapping. In all that confusion I moved two eggs onto a nest with six eggs that were not as developed as the first two. I didn't realise this error until I candled them. So now I have seven ducklings and two mothers. And only one cage with aquatic facilities. I think I might have to go shopping for the broody cage I have always wanted. Shhh. Don't tell hubby.
Complicated, I know.
Basically there was a lot of nest swapping. In all that confusion I moved two eggs onto a nest with six eggs that were not as developed as the first two. I didn't realise this error until I candled them. So now I have seven ducklings and two mothers. And only one cage with aquatic facilities. I think I might have to go shopping for the broody cage I have always wanted. Shhh. Don't tell hubby.
2 comments:
congratulations Lucy C! Looks like you got your duckling wish afterall! This might be a silly question, but why do you need to separate out the mums and bubs from the others? Do you have a problem with the drakes?
I can see that could make things quite complicated!
PS, I think flo is just about the most gorgeous duck I have ever seen!
I had a chook kill a duckling last year. We were in the middle of bushfire season and I completely forgot that I had a duck sitting.
After the fire passed a duckling hatched and the chooks killed it.
So now I separate the Mums before anything looks like hatching.
Only just managed it for Arabella. I had to pick up her nest with some gardening gloves and move it to the recently vacated broody cage, just in time for them to hatch last night.
Arabella is such a good mum. She has been very tolerant of me relocating the nest and doesn't hiss when I move her a bit to check the bubs.
I must email her previous owner. He would be proud.
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