[flangey]

Hello, I posted a couple of days ago about my little Mini Appleyard duck and her nest of eggs.  They are due in the next few days, but something very weird happened today and I was wondering if anyone out there knows anything about duck behaviour.  Mum comes off her nest to eat, drink, swim etc about 3 times a day at the moment.  She was in the garden with Dad having some lunch, and I noticed there was another duck on the nest.  On closer inspection, I found it was one of my young Appleyard drakes, Elvis (strange name I know, long story).  It was also the first time I'd seen the eggs as they are normally covered in downy stuff and leaves.  He was tucking the eggs under him, just like a broody!! I went back out about ten minutes later and Mum was back on the nest, eggs still uncovered.  Is it normal for a drake to babysit the eggs when Mum's not there?  It's the first time this has happened. 

[chloe]

Elvis could just be checking out the eggs and showing his feminine side. Sometimes when she get's off the nest another one will come and sit on the eggs