Hatching joys and woes

Over a month ago Cagney, our one and only Muscovy duck, went broody. At first we ignored her but after a while decided to let her have a go. Unfortunately she then stopped laying so was only sitting on two eggs. In order to give her more of a clutch we added some Cayuga eggs.

Muscovies are said to be good mothers and Cagney has been a conscientious sitter, just getting up twice a day for a wash and brush up. This is made more impressive by the fact that this breed have an incubation period of 35 days, as opposed to 28 for other ducks.

Three days ago there was a sign

and further investigation showed a Muscovy hatchling

We monitored the other eggs without much hope for the Cayugas as they were actually due several days later. Another egg was pipping, not the other Muscovy but indeed one of the Cayugas. It did not emerge easily – this breed seems to have very tough shells. We helped on three occasions and it took two days for it to get rid of its shell

So Cagney has got an odd couple

She is teaching drinking

and swimming

The Cayuga is not too sure

and tries swimming in the food bowl

Cagney’s other eggs have gone into the incubator just in case. This lot have just vacated that facility

Some bought in eggs – five out of six Marans hatching and a couple of Speckled Sussex.

We did have Jenny the broody hen also sitting on eggs but after messing around for several weeks she finally gave up

making it clear what she thought of her eggs