My little Cayuga hen, Daisy, laid her first egg today. She planted it smack dab in the middle of the front yard nowhere near the nest box I've provided near the pond. If you've never held a black duck egg in your hand, the black color is pigment on the shell. It rubs off easily to reveal a white shell underneath.
The ducks have split into two camps, each with one hen and three drakes. There's Camp Macaroni and Camp Daisy now that breeding season is here. I need more hens! My plan is to place about 6 duck eggs under the first broody chicken I get. Once they've hatched I'll take over mothering duties. I'll raise the hens and butcher the drakes that result. Of course this elaborate plan depends on having a broody hen. Why is it that they're never broody when you want them to be?Lately I've been offering 10 extra large chicken eggs and two duck eggs for $2.50. It seems to be popular. I realize I'll never get rich selling my extra eggs but it sure is nice to have it offset the cost of feed and bedding for my birds. Not to mention it gives me a chance to talk to others who appreciate fresh, free-ranged eggs. And if we're very lucky the ducks will be putting on a synchronized swimming demonstration!
3 drakes on each girl? oh those poor girls. You need to butcher 5 drakes unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI love that Cayuga egg. Like our marans eggs, there is a coating on the outside but it dries very quickly.
That water looks so clean, beautiful.
Great blog - love your sidebar!
ReplyDeleteJoanna, yes I know! But I think a rooster is harder on hens from my experience. The ducks are lucky in that if they want to get away they can dive! But I'm definitely going to remedy this situation and hatch some more hens hopefully.
ReplyDeleteParisienne Farmgirl, thank you and thanks for visiting!
Amazing black egg - never have seen one!
ReplyDeleteWe have our ducks doing the same swim routine! It is so much fun to see them "duck" underwater at the same time! We just wander around the pond on a daily basis, looking for stray eggs. Our ducks are so silly, they usually lay too close to the water's edge, and most of the time we find their eggs in the pond. They are so much more entertaining than anything on the boob tube!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have pekin, blue swedish, and rouen ducks and have never seen a black egg. Very interesting! Love the pic of your ducks diving!
ReplyDeleteSynchronized duck swimming! I love it! hehe
ReplyDeleteThe duck egg, when black, reminds me of a painted wooden egg. Very cool!
How fun to include the duck eggs in a carton of chicken eggs. My husband appreciates that our chickens pay their own way in the sale of eggs. In fact, they are the only animals on our farm that pay for their own feed! lol!
~Lisa
We love duck synchronized swimming! Nice eggs!
ReplyDeleteThat's neat about the color rubbing off.. I've noticed the green eggs sometimes get lighter if you wipe them hard enough.
ReplyDeleteThe pigment on the egg is very interesting. Do you know if it serves a purpose? Maybe it's camaflauge?
ReplyDeleteI love the black egg. I feel like I learn something new each time I visit your blog!
ReplyDeletei also found my first black egg today! i have several differnet breeds and did wonder who had laid it! now i know thanks!
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