The Buff Duck Ladies first eggs

 



EGGS! two of them!
The alarm went off this morning and I could hear Chuck singing his cockerel song from the water tank. I shuffled down towards the coop with a coffee in hand, time to move the food out and change the mud filled water
A little brown duck face peeked around from behind the coop, odd they are usually all over the lawn by now! I sat on the water tank to see what they were doing, Stevie rasped to announce I had arrived with treats so everyone raced over to see what I had... they weren't shy to show their disappointment in me showing up empty handed.
I noticed Whitney had her tail feathers fanned out, her fluffy butt looked a bit odd and she seemed
utterly
knackered.

Okay, either she's had a busy time today with Stevie in the pool or she's laid an egg!
I've been sort of expecting to see one for a while now, probably in the area I pulled agapanthus out of not too long ago, Bonnie likes to climb in it and go nuts. I was hoping she just eats bugs in there because I really don't like the idea of digging around in it.

I've made a private area in the corner of the coop using tarps, at one point I thought the ducks might like to sleep there instead of under the chicken roosts (nope!) and someone had tried to make a nest in it, no eggs there though.. but under the steps to the roost nestled in the wood shavings were two pretty eggs!
A larger one with a soft shell and a smaller harder shelled one!
I'm guessing the bigger one was Whitney's, poor girl, and the other would probably be Bonnie's since the pullets are showing no signs of being at point of lay. No red combs or waddles, they aren't squatting at all.

 



Whitney climbed into the pool with Bonnie and tried not to fall asleep
Blue the pullet stood traumatized in the doorway to the coop, either she isn't impressed with the whole egg laying thing, the smaller one was hers, or (more likely) she thought I'd put special food treats in there and was wondering where they were.

Chuck has been trying to jump on the duck girls for a while, he hasn't figured out the chivalrous way to woo a girl yet and simply waits until they aren't looking to throw himself at them which they don't appreciate. Silly boy. He has as of yet to try anything with the pullets

Chuck the cockerel and Stevie the drake

Hmm, time to whip out oyster shell in a separate container and find some layer feed. I've placed white plastic eggs in the nesting boxes and in the corner duck nest so hopefully they'll make it to the nice quiet corner tomorrow if they lay

By the afternoon everyone was back to their usual chatty selves.