Devonviolet Acres

[CntryBoy777]

That is certainly a question to be answered, for sure.....but, it is my thought that they are unconcerned about the eggs in the bottom of the nest and are used as barriers between the incubated and turned eggs and the ground. Since they are a waterfowl, they would make their nest in the reeds and grasses around a body of water.....the bottom eggs would be barriers from rain and run-off and difficult to maintain temps. When these hens kept moving the nest mound, they would move all the eggs on top....but, would leave the bottom layer of eggs in that place....just covered up with hay. Little Bit was the very 1st hen to set, and she was gathering eggs a couple of days before 6/1....but, she started setting on the nest regularly on 6/3......she is still setting today, so I would've thought she would have stopped with no hatching happening, but if they did hatch I'm unsure how she'd react. Since there are 3 setting now, I wonder if they would fight each other to be the Momma, or each one take some....we will see.....
This is just my speculation nd is not "Fact-based" by any means.

 

[Bruce]

I Googled duck incubation period and it came up with 28 days. In that case, Little Bit's eggs would have hatched over 2 weeks ago.

If broody ducks are like broody chickens, they will sit because hormones kick in (no idea what triggers this) that tell them to do so. My girls that go broody will sit on plastic eggs and nothing but the shavings in the nest and get very pissy about anyone or anything that comes near. They will sit as long as you let them, they don't quit at 21 days (chicken incubation period) but Zorra went instantly from "I'm a gonna hatch these 3 eggs" to "I hatched 7 babies from 3 plastic eggs" the morning she woke up with chicks. Given there is no rooster (Trouble is still just a cockerel and not interested in such things) they aren't sitting on eggs because they have been bred.

 

[Devonviolet]

That's interesting @CntryBoy777. With ducks, it makes sense, since their eggs are more likely to get wet. I wonder if chickens do the same thing? I know my broody chicken hen turned all the eggs in her nest box. However, not all of them hatched.

@Bruce, I've been told that Pekin duck eggs hatch in 30 days and Muscovy duck eggs hatch in 35 days. But, I think my Pekin ducklings hatched at 28 days, so you are right about Pekin eggs. I set my calendar reminder for 35 days in case some of the eggs under Edith are Muscovy eggs. I'm hoping at least some of the eggs are Muscovy eggs.

 

[Baymule]

Awww......poor Edith! So glad that you let her try again. She really needs to be a Mommy. She is an old maid turkey, probably thought she'd never get the chance to hear those little peep peep peeps and know they were her babies. I really hope these hatch out for her and I hope that you get some Muscovy babies.

 

[Latestarter]

What Bay said

 

[babsbag]

My chickens usually don't start staying on the nest until they have a pile of eggs, then the 21 days starts. I have a hen in my coop sitting on no good eggs and has been for about 6 weeks. I think it is time to give her some new ones as she doesn't seem to be leaving those anytime soon. I have plenty of roosters so no shortage of fertile eggs so not sure why hers have not hatched.

I also have a guinea that hatched out about 10 keets. They have got to be the WORST mothers EVER. After 3 days she is down to 1 left. I have found 5 dead in the orchard. They just seem to abandon their keets, they don't lead them to water or feed. I only have two hens, and one is older and I don't think she is laying anymore. I was really hoping for some more guineas, I have 4 toms so some new young'ens would have been nice. Guess I might have to buy some.

Does your turkey live with the chickens?

 

[Devonviolet]

Yes, Edith has always lived with the chickens. Although she seems to prefer keeping to herself.

We used to have guineas. We started with 6 keets from a Hatchery. Two died while they were still keets. So, that left us 4. I'm pretty sure they were all toms. Because we had them 2 years and never got one egg.

They weren't very bright and didn't seem all that interested in insects. So, we ended us butchering them. Their meat was very tough, even after hours in a crockpot, so we won't be raising guineas again!

 

[Bruce]

My chickens usually don't start staying on the nest until they have a pile of eggs, then the 21 days starts.

Yep, that is how it works. The fact that the first egg can sit there in the nest for a week or two (additional eggs laid daily or so) before she starts incubating them and NOT "go bad" shows the "quality" of the "bloom" barrier the hen puts on each one and why immediate refrigeration isn't necessary for "farm fresh" UNWASHED eggs. When I found Yuki's first "in the weeds" nest last year, there were 13 eggs in it, all hers. Every one of them passed the "float test". Given how dirty they were from being outside, I washed them all and put them in the fridge. Each was in fine shape when we used them.

 

[Devonviolet]

Yesterday morning we added 2 more duck eggs to Edith's nest.

When I got her off the nest, I counted 8 not 9 eggs, from the day before. So I looked closer & could see that she had broken one of the eggs. It can be seen below (lower right). So, now we have ten eggs under Edith.

So, you can see, we have a happy girl.

So, yesterday morning, after milking, filtering the milk and washing the dishes, I headed out for our monthly church's women's missions meeting. As a treat, I took some of my mozzarella & Chèvre cheese and crackers. It went over really well.

When I got home, from the meeting, it was time to pasteurize 5 gallons of milk & make cream, using 4 gallons of milk that I pasteurized last week - for a total of nine gallons of milk processed yesterday!

As we finished up making cream I thought to take a picture of the cream separator at work.

Today I will be making more mozzarella cheese. YUM! LOVE that mozzarella cheese!!!

 

[Bruce]

I hope Edith has a nice hatch.