So in my last post about ducks (was that my last post), I mentioned that we were hoping for another few ducks from our other female and that Lulu was sitting on her eggs, but that Thursday night the nest got washed away and the eggs were cold in the morning and we didn't have much hope. Well...Wednesday morning when I went out to check on the ducks, I found this little yellow fluffball swimming around with the other ducks. It was adorable. I can't quite even express the adorable-ness of a very tiny one-day old duck swimming it's tiny little heart out with its big sister and aunty duck (while it's mother stayed on the nest). We were surprised and happy that one made it through. Then we wondered if any others would hatch, but none did.
So now we have a duck from the rouen (the bigger baby in back) that I think we'll name Sage. And the duck from the Indian runner (front) that I think we'll name Ollie. Fun huh?
The thing was Lulu just kept sitting on that nest, even when many days had passed and it seemed clear that no more eggs would hatch (although Kip kept hoping).
Today when we went out, there was a discarded egg. This means that the mother has figured out that that egg is no good. Kip got it and it was darkened in certain spots (previously, we had thought that that meant the egg was developing; that is not what it means; it means it is rotting). He wanted to see what was in it--if it was a little dead baby duck. I shouldn't say he wanted to see this because he didn't, but he was curious, and the science guy won out.
So he got a knife and tapped the blade into the egg and BOOM. People, it was at least not sad because it was NOT a tiny dead baby chick. It was a very very rotten egg. That exploded all over Kip. Two points for science. He was not harmed in this science experiment, although he did nearly puke from the smell. I was a lucky bystander who got to mostly laugh at his expense (once I was sure he was otherwise okay of course).
It was just the most terrible terrible smell.
After that we took the other eggs out of the nest and sure enough they were light and filled with gas and about to explode too. Kip put them in a bag and tried to throw them in the creek without throwing the bag, but then the bag went too and Kip was sad because he hates litter. But then he could hear them exploding as they hit, so he was not too sad because he'd already had rotten egg explode on him once that day. And once was enough.
I thought this nest robbing might sadden Lulu who was still faithfully sitting on those rotten eggs. But, interestingly, shortly after the eggs were gone, she got out and got in the water and played and cleaned and had the most lovely time stretching her legs and wings. It was interesting. We felt like we had freed her from some sort of bondage that her instincts had kept her on that rotten nest.
Anyway, everyone swam around and had a ducky time. And they were very cute. The end.
left to right: Rosemary (mom), Sage (baby), Lulu (mom), Ollie (baby)
This is a riveting story. You could use this in so many good church talks and lessons!
ReplyDeleteEspecially the part where the egg exploded on Kip, right:).
DeleteAn even more interesting detail that I forgot was that normally she would have gotten off the nest in a few days anyway because she would have needed to care for the baby--teach it to water, find food, swim--and that instinct would have won out. This is what happened with the first duck--after a couple days she got off the nest. But since Rosemary (auntie duck) was there to care for Lulu's baby, she didn't need to get up and kept sitting on that nest. I'm not sure what it all means to me symbolically, but it's just interesting.
Delete