Peep Peep Update

Well, the peep peeps are almost full size now. Both of the colored ones ended up looking about the same - and oddly enough, not lavender. They have more of the coloring known as "pearl" - but with varying degrees of white on their breast. Not sure if that will ever change.

Here are the three we kept along with mom and one of their two dads. They are just now losing the feathers on their head - so deliciously ugly.



In other bird news, Harpo has gone broody. She sat on her eggs all day yesterday and only came off for a snack at dinner time. I never got a final count, but I think she may have 12 or 13 in there. Yay! The weather is getting pretty cold overnight, so I don't know if she'll actually hatch out any ducklings, but I have marked the date on the calendar and we'll start looking in about 26 days.

I had noticed on Sunday that there was a big layer of downy feathers covering the clutch of eggs, and thought that might be a sign was getting ready to set. ...getting ready to keep them warm. She has also been stupidly friendly for the last week or so - running up to us like a puppy, begging for food any time she saw us. I figured that meant she was fueling up for her long vigil. I suppose I could actually READ about ducks, but it's more fun trying to figure all of the behaviors out on my own. I'm a dork that way.

Here's hoping for ducklings. :)

Edited to add: I finally looked at the book. Muscovies incubate their eggs for 35 days. Better change my calendar!