Despite our best efforts, and believe me, we tried, three Mrs Ducks are sitting on nests.  This was not the plan.  Previously, we just took the eggs away and everyone conveniently forgot about little ducklings, never mentioning them ever again.  This method of contraception worked very well.

But this year, we were caught out.

Ducky #1

This little lady is sitting in a favourite nesting spot – behind the boards in the big shed.

She would nip inside when anyone was filling up water buckets, build a nest and lay an egg.  The slightest opening of the door, and she was in.  OH even taped up the gap so she couldn’t get back in but I was forced to take it down as she was desperate to get back to her eggs.  I think she was born here last year.  Dammit.

Ducky #2 and 3

And under the feed shed (container) is another spot, although a dreadful one.  There are two ducks under there sitting determinedly on separate nests. I shall now worry about their safety as this is prime murdering polecat territory.  Hopefully it is too early for them to appear and I shall set some traps nearby too but I am not optimistic.

So OH and I spent the morning putting together three duck houses with attached nurseries.

   

To be honest, we will have more than enough ducks and I am going to have to toughen up and  find homes for most of them as we are already full with 12 Muscovy Ducks and 9 hens.  If we go over 20 in number, that’s too many but they are so tame and nice to have around.