Lemonart

Lemon: Who is that Perfect Pekin?

Laura: It's you Lemon!

Lemon: Am I really that cute?

Laura: Of course you are! Marissa created this portrait of you to show everyone.

Lemon: She's talented. Thanks Marissa!

Cuteness Alert!

Lemon: Awwwww!

Laura: We went to check on the incubators at school today and look who decided to hatch a day early! Lemon loves to listen to the little chick sounds. They're already starting to peck and explore their world.

Lemon: Why do they keep pecking at the freckles on my bill???

Laura: They're hoping it will be something yummy.

Lemon: Well, that's ok then...

Eggs, Eggs, and More Eggs!

Lemon: Who put all of these eggs in my basket... was it you???? Pretty soon there won't be enough room in here for me! Besides, some of these aren't even mine!



Laura: Calm down Lem, remember, we're doing this to send your body the message that it's time to stop laying eggs. OK everyone, this is not a silly duck joke. Let me explain...

Lemon has been laying for about a month now and it's time to to put the brakes on! It takes a lot out of her to lay all of these eggs.

Instead of taking the eggs away from her each day, I hard boil them and put them back in her basket (remember, they're not fertilized and will not hatch into babies).
When they get all dented and crumbly, I replace them with wooden eggs (less messy). You can see in the picture some are real and some are wooden.

Here's the scenario I'm shooting for:

Once Lemon has a full clutch (10-15 eggs) she'll stop laying and become broody (want to sit and protect her eggs).
So far, she just keeps laying (she can be a very stubborn little girl).
But, I did see a good sign today. While she was in her Lemobile she was preening and pulling out some of her breast feathers.
Maybe for a nest, Lem?

Lemon: Maybe...

EGGSCELLENT!!!

LEMON:

Look at the adorable little egg I laid this morning. Isn’t it the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? It was as easy as pie to lay this little egg! This year, I started laying eggs on Easter Morning. Why Easter? Well, the Easter Bunny shouldn’t have all of the fun!

LAURA:

The amount of light affects egg production in ducks. When the days get longer they start laying. In the past Lemon was having too many laying cycles throughout the year. Pekin ducks have been bred to lay and lay and lay. One of my ducky expert friends told me about the light affecting egg production. Lemon lives in the house with me. The lights go on when it gets dark. Could it be that the house lights were confusing her about how long the day was?

This past winter we did a little experiment. In the fall, as they days got shorter, I put her to bed when it became dark rather than keeping her up with me until I went to bed. I put her to bed every night by 6PM (no exceptions) and made sure the room was completely dark. No light was allowed! Even the hall light had to be off before I entered the room so she wouldn’t see even a sliver of light shining into the room. I missed cuddling with her at night and I did a whole lot of bumping into things as I felt my way around in the dark---but, it was soooo worth it because she didn’t lay at all this winter! One laying cycle a year is plenty for Lemon.

QUESTION: Will Lemon’s eggs hatch?

ANSWER: No, Lemon’s eggs are not fertilized so they’re just like the eggs you buy at the grocery store. People can eat duck eggs (they're great for baking with) but what I do with Lemon’s eggs is hard boil them. Some I put back in her basket and some I feed to her. It helps replace things like calcium and protein that she used to make the egg. She loves to eat them. By the time she’s finished we’re both covered in eggy mush! This duck definitely needs a bib!

Happy Feet!

Lemon: Look at these delicate little webbed feet. They are perfect for paddling through the water, walking in my "Lemobile", or getting a foot massage!

Laura:

Q:Why do ducks have webbed feet?

A:Like a pair of flippers on a scuba diver, webbed feet help ducks paddle through the water. Each foot has three claw-like toes and in between each is a stretch of web which is flexible. A duck waddles instead of walking because of its webbed feet.

Lemon the Duck

My very first book has been published. Lemon the Duck is a story-----about yours truly. If you would like to learn more about my book, please click here!