What the Duck?!

[JBtheExplorer]

The female duck was splashing around in my pond this morning. No big surprise. Some of you may remember that I've had a pair of ducks show up every Spring for as long as I can remember, longer than I've had a pond.

Well, there was a huge surprise today. As it turns out, Dianthus doubles as a duck nest.

I find it to be interesting, but I'm not sure if the ducks will start trying to chase me away from the pond. I've also made peace with the fact that any lily pads that pop up will be eaten.

According to online sources, the egg will hatch in 25-29 days. I hope everything works out, and I can't wait to see the baby duckling if it does all work out.

 

[Becky]

Ooh that's fantastic! It'll be exciting to see the progress

 

[Nepen]

That's so cute lol the ducks made themselves at home Cant wait to see the little duckling!

 

[Tula]

Very "egg"citing

 

[pecan]

I have had that happen a handful of times and all were unfertilized eggs. I have been told that ducks will often lay random eggs with no plans of nesting or raising young. Funny this is the first one of mine was in a location identical to yours. In the middle of a lavender plant on the right side of the pond.

I have since found them on piles of rocks, in the lawn and even found one at the bottom of the pond.

I was told unless they feel it is a suitable place to nest and raise young they wont lay fertilized eggs. Just the random one off eggs here and there.

I assume our yard is unsuitable due to a viscous pack of Chihuahuas who own the back yard.

 

[KC Crook]

Yah never know. I lived in Bay Area, CA and worked in an office building in downtown, Concord and every year a pair of Canadian geese would make their nest on the balcony of the upper story of this building, and every year, the owners/managers/renters? Of the space would worry about the goslings survivng their first fly in a heavy populated city. I believe every year, they called in some nature type people to relocate the young for safe keeping. Yes, the eggs did hatch every year and they tried to take steps to run off that mating couple to find a safer place. They never did. They just kept coming back.

 

[pecan]

The problem with these solitary eggs is the ducks don't come back to care for them, so even if fertilized, they really have no chance.

 

[KC Crook]

Are the ducks sticking around? If not, sounds like breakfast to me, lol!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The ducks are sleeping under my chairs right now. I did some research earlier. She'll lay 8-12 eggs, 1 per day, and won't incubate them until they've all been laid. Anyone know if the ducks will start chasing me away and defending their nest? So far, they aren't worried about me, they just walk away when I get too close, but being that she chose to make her nest a foot away from my chairs, it doesn't look like I'll be sitting by the pond for the next month. Hopefully they'll hatch. I'm looking forward to watching it all happen.

 

[KC Crook]

Carry a big stick for the next month. You will be ok. Give her or them a good whack if they decide to stay. I had to do that with turkeys, lol.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Are the ducks sticking around? If not, sounds like breakfast to me, lol!

I'd be thinking about an omelette too if I didn't see any ducks sitting on that egg. Besides, you should be charging them rent if they are gona start calling your pond home and eating your water lilies, and charging them their first born to stay in such a lovely pond seems reasonable to me.

 

[KC Crook]

I'd be thinking about an omelette too if I didn't see any ducks sitting on that egg. Besides, you should be charging them rent if they are gona start calling your pond home and eating your water lilies, and charging them their first born to stay in such a lovely pond seems reasonable to me.

Ahahah! Good point! Whats more important? Your plants or those ducks! And keep in mind, they usually come back year after year too if successful...ugghh...the omlette is sounding better and better, lol.

 

[RobAmy]

That is great, they are fun to watch. The ducklings here are growing fast. Happy duck days

 

[KC Crook]

Lol, save your plants, buy duck feed!

 

[RobAmy]

That is what I do, I put cracked corn with a chick starter mixed in. They still nibble here and there but nothing major. All the lilies are doing fine. Besides I will gladly replace a plant to keep the ducks around. I know they seem like evil being in a pond on forums like this but personally they have been awesome to have around. They have been coming here every year since I installed the pond. This is the first year with the ducklings and it is a wonderful treat at least to us.