BROOD

My mom used to say it doesn't matter how many kids you have... because one kid'll take up 100% of your time so more kids can't possibly take up more than 100% of your time.  ~Karen Brown

My husband and I spent the night in the nearby town of South Haven, Michigan to celebrate our anniversary.  When we woke up, we ate a crappy breakfast at the hotel we stayed at, stopped for some delicious coffee at the South Bend Chocolate Company, and then went for a walk on the pier.  As I peered over the edge, I spotted a mother mallard duck and her brood.  (I used to think mallard ducks were only males...but Google has taught me this is not so!  A male mallard duck is called a drake.)

This mother duck had essentially the same thing that I have: two adorable little creatures following me around.


Female mallard ducks, once they have chosen a mate, not only select their breeding site but actually take it upon themselves to be solely responsible for construction of the nest.


She lays her eggs one per day, usually not more than nine, and after the last egg is laid, incubation begins.  If the nest should become destroyed, she may re-nest up to three or four times, but each time she has to do so she would lay less eggs due to lack of energy.  (Imagine that!)  


The incubation period lasts between 22 and 28 days, during which she sheds feathers from her belly to keep the eggs warm and protect them from predators.  


When the eggs hatch, she will wait until they are dry and immediately lead them to the nearest water source.  Ducklings are one of the creatures in nature that practice imprinting, in which the first moving object they see is looked at as their parent, and they will mimic it's behavior.  Mother ducks stop frequently to count her young and if they become threatened by a predator, she will pretend to be injured by flapping and squawking, which will successfully distract the predator from her young.


Once they have reached the water, she will lead them to feeding sources where they will catch their own food.  After two short months of life her ducklings will be ready for flight.

I wondered how a mother duck with nine in her brood manages to keep them all safe, fed, clean, and happy.  This mother duck had it easy!  She only had two!  

I sometimes wonder how I'll manage once my new addition arrives in November, mostly only when people tell me how crazy I am for having three children age three and under.  And then I remember, I had no idea how I was going to manage one baby.  And then I had no idea how I was going to manage his younger brother.  And I'm sure everything will be okay, because I was designed to do this.  Life can't possibly get any more hectic, bizarre, and sticky than it already is.  

But it can still get better.

 




Duck info from www.northwestwildlife.com