They are wild messy thats for sure! This lot arrived as eggs, already pipped and about to hatch, courtesy of a neighbour. We put them under a cross bred hen but she attacked and killed the first hatchling. She must have thought it was a mouse! I then transferred some of the eggs to this White Silkie and the almost hatched ones to the kitchen and a hot water bottle. As the kitchen ones hatched and gained some strength I put them under Silkie and she didn't seem to mind. We now have these nine cuties. Mum is totally stressed with this brood as all they want to do is eat, poop, sit in their drinking water and then run under her wing, soaking her feathers, something she does NOT like. When they all went for this swim she was madly calling and clucking for them to come out ...... they of coarse ignored her and she almost jumped in but self preservation prevailed and she remained on the edge (do hens have nervous breakdowns?) The proper mummy duck seemed to get confused/bored and swam off with some already hatched ducklings leaving this lot to possibly perish.I hope to return them to one of the several ponds around here when they are older but meanwhile ... hey, we are enjoying the messy fun.
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