First, some background: A number of weeks in the past, I told you about our Muscovy and Jersey Buff turkey hen squabbling over the eggs. Since neither one was going to budge, they lastly “settled” the dispute by sharing the nest. Not lengthy after that, one among our Speckled Sussex hens pushed her approach onto the nest and refused to maneuver. So the three of them have been regularly jockeying for place. What makes issues worse is that the opposite hens insist on making an attempt to put there too, so we’ve got an over-crowded jumble of eggs on that communal nest with no approach of figuring out what is going on on.
Hatching begins: We lastly noticed one chick
| Readily adopted by Mama Hen for mothering |
and one duckling.
 |
| 1st duckling to hatch; adopted Mother Muscovy out into the rooster yard, however they did not keep lengthy. |
Principally, everybody was sitting tight on the nest, so there is not any solution to know for positive what’s taking place. This is not uncommon, as new infants take a number of days recovering from hatching earlier than common ventures out into the world.
Now, for the drama: Dan was in his workshop the opposite day, when he heard a ferocious racket within the rooster coop. He assumed it was Mama Rooster and Mother Muscovy combating over the nest once more, however he went to test it out anyway. When he obtained there, he noticed a snake tail protruding from the nest! He grabbed it and threw it in opposition to the wall, which surprised it. That is when he seen the again finish of a duckling protruding of it is mouth. Dan grabbed a hoe, pinned the snake’s head down, and managed to tug out a dwell duckling!
The snake was promptly dispatched and we introduced the duckling inside to ensure it was alright. I put it on a heating pad and we noticed it for a number of hours, till it was alert and chirping. Then it was put again underneath the mamas within the nest. Discuss an in depth name!
The following day it was nice, and I used to be in a position to get some photos.
 |
| That is why we have had an issue. As an alternative of setting in the nest bins, all of them wish to set underneath the nest bins. |
 |
| It is laborious to know what number of are literally underneath there. |
 |
| Duckling on the left is our snake survivor (nonetheless with dried snake siliva on it is head.) Behind it’s the child chick. Two ducklings on the appropriate. |
Remaining depend is 4 ducklings and one chick. Three of the ducklings are doing effectively, however the little man who nearly obtained eaten by a snake is lagging. Truthfully, he seemed a bit untimely after his rescue, and we surmise that the snake went after the egg. Though it broke, he was shut sufficient to hatching that he can breath air, however he is not getting round in addition to the others. It might be a leg harm, laborious to inform.
Our two turkey poults are doing effectively. They’re now two weeks outdated.
 |
| They mix in effectively to their background! |
 |
| They’re starting to look much less like child chicks. |
The one broody mama with no infants is Jenny J. In wanting over the remaining eggs within the nest, all of them look like duck eggs. No turkey eggs. I discover it curious that she readily adopted eggs that had been already there with out laying her personal. Mama Hen took over the chick and Mother Muscovy took over the ducklings, so it is unhappy that Jenny J has nobody to mom.
I might prefer to say all’s effectively that ends effectively, however there are nonetheless many perils about for child poultry. We simply must do our greatest to guard them and hope for one of the best. No extra adventures could be nice with me.
