GEORGE (GEORGINA)
This is the year of wild Muscovy water fowl here at P2. Our Muscovy friend, Ducky, tried (a couple of months ago) to have a nest but it got ruined by raccoons. Mary found two eggs left and we hatched those (Lucky and Bill) who are doing great, we anticipate them flying away and being wild.
While our Muscovy friend, Ducky, is busy incubating her eggs in one of our chicken coops, another wild Muscovy named "Georgina" (George for short) has taken over a second chicken coop where she is laying eggs.
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| May 9th, 2023, six Muscovy eggs by Georgina |
The incubation does not begin until she begins sitting on the eggs. We expect her to lay 12-14 eggs and then start sitting on them to incubate. The incubation period takes approximately 35 days for a Muscovy. The eggs will all hatch the same day within 24-hours, this is the reason for the delay in sitting on the eggs, she needs to get them all laid before she begins with incubating them.
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| May 10th, 2023, seven Muscovy eggs by George |
Once she starts the incubation she will only leave the house (aka nest box), twice, maybe three times a day to drink water and have a small bite to eat.
MAY 13, 2023..... and then their were nine eggs
George spent the night in her house last night, I mistook her laying an egg for beginning the incubation period. When I opened the house door this morning (we close it at night to keep raccoons out) George was in the living room area and she greeted me with a disciplinary "Bleeeeeeeeeeek" squeak. She was very happy to get out of the house and back to the pond. After she left I counted up the eggs, there are nine eggs this morning, they are all very carefully packed in fluff which George has pulled from her belly to cushion the clutch of eggs. I'm resetting the clock on incubation, it has clearly NOT begun yet.
MAY 14, 2023.....not sure how many, actually not sure what is going on lol ;-)
Once again, George chose to spend last night in her new home. I gave her extra time last night to exit before closing the door to keep predators out. At around 9PM I went out to close the door, George was sitting on her eggs. I told her to have a great night, then I closed the door and locked it.
To avoid a rebuke for locking her in I got myself out there early this morning to open the door for George. Today was quite different than yesterday. When the door popped open she was sitting on the eggs. She did not come out right away, she did not even look at me or say a "peep".
A few minutes later we spotted George out on the pond so she waited to come out until I was gone. A while later she flew off to go see one of her boy friends on our neighbors pond. It was then that I took a moment to peak in and get an egg count.
Whoa..... there is a new layer of fluff surrounding the fragile duck space capsules. I started to try and peak under the fluff but I did not want to disturb her careful handiwork arranging everything. There could easily be 10 eggs in there.
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| Still has room for more eggs, what will final total be |
She was definitely sitting on the eggs this morning where yesterday she was out in the living-room area of her house when I opened the door. So is she incubating or not? We don't know. Maybe she is just protecting the eggs at night (she would be no match for a raccoon, even with her ferocious claws). We'll just keep watching day by day and try to help her to success with her family.
AND THEN THERE WERE 12....EGGS IN GEORGINAS NEST, MAY 16, 2023
I opened Georges' door at about 6:45AM today, she came out around 7:30 to eat breakfast and begin a day of swimming. I did not have my camera with me so no picture but I did peek in at around 8:10AM and easily counted 12 eggs.
When does incubation begin? She was IN the house by 8PM last night (sitting on the eggs) and she was in the house sitting on them this morning when I opened the door but she came out and it appears she'll be playing in the pond again today rather than sitting on eggs. We'll just have to sit back and watch the story unfold.
S Q U E A K (that is Muscovy-speak for Hi!)
WEDNESDAY - MAY 17, 2023 - 13 EGGS AND INCUBATING
The clock starts today, for there was one more egg laid. George stayed on her nest even after I opened the door to her house today. We finally saw her on the pond at around 9AM. She swam around and bathed before returning to her house and sitting on the eggs.
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| 13 MUSCOVY DUCK EGGS BY GEORGE |
In preparation for the blessed hatching event George is pulling fluff out of her chest. The amount of fluff removed is impressive. Here is a picture looking in the front door of her house.
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| GEORGES' LIVING ROOM |
Two days ago I added 3-gallons of pine chips. I was careful to spread them around the perimeter of her living room. She has since rearranged the chips into a pile by her nest box and added feather fluff to that.
I checked her house again at around 5PM and she is in the nest box sitting on the eggs. For the last few nights George has slept on the eggs but this is the first day she has spent any significant time during daylight hours.
GO, GO, GO . . . .G E O R G I N A !
MAY 19, 2023.......AND THEN THERE WERE 14 EGGS......WHAT?
Mary took a look in Georges house while the duck was out on break. A quick count revealed that another egg has joined the clutch, there are now 14 eggs in there. We're not exactly sure what's going on in there. George seems to be breaking some rules? We are not sure where this madness will end. Will she lay 28 eggs as Mary predicted? Only time will tell.
Carry on, our wayward duck.
DUCK EGG LAYING FACTOID
Earlier this year Mary put two rescued Muscovy duck eggs from Ducky under a chicken and the two eggs hatched almost exactly on the 35th day (they're supposed to take 35 days). All the eggs in a clutch are supposed to hatch together within approximately 24 hours of each other. This is why we're so confused as George continues to add more eggs to her growing, potential, flock. We were certain the incubation period had begun, and then, BAM, another egg drops, so does that reset the incubation clock? As I look out over the pond at 6:30PM I see George grooming and partying on "Corn Beach".
MAY 26 UPDATE
14 Eggs in the George nest. She has switched into hard core incubation. We've tentatively fixed the beginning of incubation on May 16 so we're already 10 days into the 35 total before the blessed event, they HATCH. It kind of boggles your mind thinking of 14 little Muscovy ducks popping out of this house in a couple of weeks.
Mary and I have already made plans to pull out the stand and drop the house down to ground level when we get closer to the blessed event. I am secretly hoping George will bring the babies back to the house at night and let me lock them in to protect them from predators (raccoons and owls at night). Their fate is ultimately in the Lords hands. Good luck baby ducks!
