Not that we have problems with gender indeterminate species around our place - see Miss Cecily - but we were curious as to what Mo might turn out to be. Neither Spouse or I had experience with ducks, and we didn't know squat about Mo when we rescued her. Not her breed, nor her age. Research on the web gave us an idea about her breed (a crested Khaki Campbell), but her coloring at the time we first got her looked as if she could go either way. Fast forward to now...
I started finding eggs in the night pen a few days ago. They were big hard eggs, left in the middle of a soft green weed patch. First thought was perhaps the dogs had poached the ceramic "dummy" eggs out of the hen boxes, and upon discovering the ruse, dropped them in disgust. (Ha! Rotten dogs). After picking up a total of three eggs over the course of a week, I started getting curious, as most of our dummy eggs are now marked with blue dashes (so as to easily see the difference when gathering from the laying boxes). I finally cracked open one of the mystery eggs tonight. Spouse suggested cracking open one of the largest hen eggs on hand, and compare the yolks side-by-side. I think it's safe to say that yep, the mystery egg is a duck egg! Woo-hoo!!Now the next mystery: why haven't the dogs snarfed down these eggs yet? Talk about easy pickin's, right there in the open and all. Hmmm...
[Top photo: Moe. Photo lower right: the eggs. The duck egg is on the far right, if you're not sure.]
Mo the her: Maureen Tucker, drummer for the rightfully-legendary Velvet Underground, used Moe as her nickname. Let's speak of her in the past tense, and cheer the newest Mo-the-her.
ReplyDeleteOur ducks are giving us a few eggs now and they are fantastic for baking cookies, I must say.
ReplyDeleteLove her little top-knot. Too cute. :)
Hee! Thanks @Zot!
ReplyDelete@Nancy: that's what I keep hearing, that the duck eggs are excellent for baking and quiches. Glad to read that's been your experience as well!
duck eggs yokes are thicker and more yellow
ReplyDeleteIdeal for baking!!