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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you 19:00 - Apr 15 with 1361 viewsnorth_stand77


We have 4 Mallard duck nests in the garden with one already hatched off.

We found one of the nests a few days ago- with the female duck sitting on it. An hour later a female pheasant was sitting on the same nest,
with a female and male duck sitting nearby looking a bit peed off.

The pheasant has stayed in occupation since but when she left the nest today, I had a look and there are 17 pheasant eggs and 4 duck eggs on top of them! So it must belong to her.

The ducks are hanging round, usually within 10 feet of the nest.
Ducklings have to be led almost straight to water after hatching by their mum's which is not going to happen with pheasant mum.

Not sure what's going to happen here so I thought I would ask you clever lot (clears throat), if you have any knowledge of this behaviour between ducks and pheasants?
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:06 - Apr 15 with 932 viewsjeera

There's so much there.

Which tastes best and why.

Is the pheasant a pleasant fecker?

Who would win in a fight?

Your question is much trickier. Why the heck has a duck laid her eggs on top of a pheasant's?

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:10 - Apr 15 with 914 viewsfactual_blue

They don't seem to be observing social distancing protocols.

Kill them all. Now.

Ta neige, Acadie, fait des larmes au soleil
Poll: Do you grind your gears
Blog: [Blog] The Shape We're In

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:12 - Apr 15 with 906 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:10 - Apr 15 by factual_blue

They don't seem to be observing social distancing protocols.

Kill them all. Now.


I can't imagine pheasant eggs being very nice, but can't say why.

Maybe they are.

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

0
Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:14 - Apr 15 with 892 viewsSpruceMoose


Pronouns: He/Him/His. "Imagine being a heterosexual white male in Britain at this moment. How bad is that. Everything you say is racist, everything you say is homophobic. The Woke community have really f****d this country."
Poll: Selectamod

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:14 - Apr 15 with 891 viewsfactual_blue

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:12 - Apr 15 by jeera

I can't imagine pheasant eggs being very nice, but can't say why.

Maybe they are.


Mrs Factual and I have had a similar debate. I think that we're just used to talking about 'eggs', as though they're nothing to do with an animal. When we qualify that by adding a species to them, they are harder to accept.

That said, I do like a cheeky duck's egg.

Ta neige, Acadie, fait des larmes au soleil
Poll: Do you grind your gears
Blog: [Blog] The Shape We're In

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:20 - Apr 15 with 885 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:14 - Apr 15 by factual_blue

Mrs Factual and I have had a similar debate. I think that we're just used to talking about 'eggs', as though they're nothing to do with an animal. When we qualify that by adding a species to them, they are harder to accept.

That said, I do like a cheeky duck's egg.


Sometimes when I come into contact with eggs they are in different coloured boxes.

Often plain cardboard, but other times in bright yellow and apparently happy in mood.

I like duck eggs as it goes. Soft boiled.

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:20 - Apr 15 with 883 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:06 - Apr 15 by jeera

There's so much there.

Which tastes best and why.

Is the pheasant a pleasant fecker?

Who would win in a fight?

Your question is much trickier. Why the heck has a duck laid her eggs on top of a pheasant's?


...just to clear up a few points I am a vegetarian who hates eggs (any kind).

I am a naturalist not a naturist.

I did explain about social distancing, but I was ignored.

I would add a photo of the nest but I don't know how to!
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:23 - Apr 15 with 878 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:20 - Apr 15 by north_stand77

...just to clear up a few points I am a vegetarian who hates eggs (any kind).

I am a naturalist not a naturist.

I did explain about social distancing, but I was ignored.

I would add a photo of the nest but I don't know how to!


Well I hate to take sides, and I quite like ducks as a rule.

But they do sound in the wrong here.

I'm kind of edging towards siding with the pheasant.

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

0
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:26 - Apr 15 with 873 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:23 - Apr 15 by jeera

Well I hate to take sides, and I quite like ducks as a rule.

But they do sound in the wrong here.

I'm kind of edging towards siding with the pheasant.


Well yes, there's only one of her against a pair of ducks and her eggs were clearly there first.

She's a brave little mum to be of ...well 17 pheasants and 4 ducks.
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:30 - Apr 15 with 864 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:26 - Apr 15 by north_stand77

Well yes, there's only one of her against a pair of ducks and her eggs were clearly there first.

She's a brave little mum to be of ...well 17 pheasants and 4 ducks.


In for a penny...

I have to say I've learned something there. I did not know pheasants laid so many eggs.

That's a lot of responsibility.

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:31 - Apr 15 with 860 viewsPJH

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:30 - Apr 15 by jeera

In for a penny...

I have to say I've learned something there. I did not know pheasants laid so many eggs.

That's a lot of responsibility.


Especially if she has to teach her own little ones to swim.
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:35 - Apr 15 with 848 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:31 - Apr 15 by PJH

Especially if she has to teach her own little ones to swim.


Haha! Yes, don't think they would be very impressed!
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:39 - Apr 15 with 844 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:30 - Apr 15 by jeera

In for a penny...

I have to say I've learned something there. I did not know pheasants laid so many eggs.

That's a lot of responsibility.


Actually we have a poor mum duck on one nest who has 22 eggs in her nest!
She's been sitting on them for about 6 weeks , so probably most are sterile but she hardly comes off the nest and won't give in.

And dad, who at first was very attentive and protective has cleared off with the other boys and left her to fend for herself.
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:40 - Apr 15 with 839 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:31 - Apr 15 by PJH

Especially if she has to teach her own little ones to swim.


They'll be fine, you know the old adage.

Take it to it 'like a pheasant to water'.

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

1
Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:43 - Apr 15 with 833 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:39 - Apr 15 by north_stand77

Actually we have a poor mum duck on one nest who has 22 eggs in her nest!
She's been sitting on them for about 6 weeks , so probably most are sterile but she hardly comes off the nest and won't give in.

And dad, who at first was very attentive and protective has cleared off with the other boys and left her to fend for herself.


I was just looking and apparently the incubation period for the pheasant eggs is 23 days.

Whereas for ducks it's 28.

So is it maybe possible the pheasant mum will move along with her new hatchlings and mum duck, if she still remembers by then, could take over.

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

0
Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:48 - Apr 15 with 827 viewsPJH

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:43 - Apr 15 by jeera

I was just looking and apparently the incubation period for the pheasant eggs is 23 days.

Whereas for ducks it's 28.

So is it maybe possible the pheasant mum will move along with her new hatchlings and mum duck, if she still remembers by then, could take over.


Might end up with crossbreeds, you could have deasants and...
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:50 - Apr 15 with 823 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:43 - Apr 15 by jeera

I was just looking and apparently the incubation period for the pheasant eggs is 23 days.

Whereas for ducks it's 28.

So is it maybe possible the pheasant mum will move along with her new hatchlings and mum duck, if she still remembers by then, could take over.


I suppose it also depends then on how long the pheasant eggs had been there before the duck laid too - the time difference could be weeks at the point of hatching.

Oh well, I suppose if the duck pair have lost interest by then, I'll just have to do it myself 😁
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:52 - Apr 15 with 822 viewsGeoffSentence

Give preference to the ducks.

Chase the pheasant off. Not a natural part of the environment, put there simply so big city b@nkers can have a bit of toffing fun at the weekends.

Don't boil a kettle on a boat.
Poll: The best Williams to play for Town

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:58 - Apr 15 with 795 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:52 - Apr 15 by GeoffSentence

Give preference to the ducks.

Chase the pheasant off. Not a natural part of the environment, put there simply so big city b@nkers can have a bit of toffing fun at the weekends.


Not on my watch, no-ones allowed anywhere near the pheasants - or ducks!

Anyway, pheasants make rather nice contentment sounds.....I can't give her her marching orders.
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:10 - Apr 15 with 780 viewsGeoffSentence

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 19:58 - Apr 15 by north_stand77

Not on my watch, no-ones allowed anywhere near the pheasants - or ducks!

Anyway, pheasants make rather nice contentment sounds.....I can't give her her marching orders.


I get it. One sitting pheasant and 17 eggs. That's 9 brace of pheasants and plenty of decent casserole.

Don't boil a kettle on a boat.
Poll: The best Williams to play for Town

0
Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:13 - Apr 15 with 776 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:10 - Apr 15 by GeoffSentence

I get it. One sitting pheasant and 17 eggs. That's 9 brace of pheasants and plenty of decent casserole.


Not if you keep 4 back for next year.

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

0
Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:23 - Apr 15 with 762 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:10 - Apr 15 by GeoffSentence

I get it. One sitting pheasant and 17 eggs. That's 9 brace of pheasants and plenty of decent casserole.


.
How very dare you!

Have you ever looked into the eyes of a nesting pheasant?
You'd think twice about about getting the red wine out......
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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:26 - Apr 15 with 755 viewsjeera

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:23 - Apr 15 by north_stand77

.
How very dare you!

Have you ever looked into the eyes of a nesting pheasant?
You'd think twice about about getting the red wine out......


If that pheasant had the chance it'd rip your face off.

And cook you in red wine, if it understood the concept.
[Post edited 15 Apr 2020 20:27]

Poll: Xmas dinner: Yorkshires or not?

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Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:32 - Apr 15 with 743 viewsnorth_stand77

Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:26 - Apr 15 by jeera

If that pheasant had the chance it'd rip your face off.

And cook you in red wine, if it understood the concept.
[Post edited 15 Apr 2020 20:27]


Callis, Callis, where are you?
1
Fellow nature lovers- a question for you on 20:46 - Apr 15 with 728 viewsWeWereZombies

I have no expertise here but I think this is one of those instances where you have to let nature take its course - as far as the pheasant and the ducks go. Any nosey cats and dogs, or kids or immature adults are fair game (OK, not the best phrase in the circumstances) for chasing off.

Poll: Luton or Dubai ?

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