Relaxed Farming - our farm in your classroom

Pear now appears to be competing for the 'mum-to-be of the year' award. Since yesterday she has really been sitting, taking just one or two short breaks a day from her eggs and each time they have been left beautifully covered in her down and bits of straw and so not at all visible. In the wild this would be essential to avoid them being spotted by predators. Duck eggs make a tasty dish to a wide variety of animals including foxes, rats and badgers. When Pear came off at corn time today (around 6pm) we took the opportunity for another check and when we gently moved aside some of the down we were somewhat surprised to find rather a lot more eggs in the nest than the original 16. There were in fact TWENTY-ONE! Three more were duck eggs (we assume hers) and there were also two chicken eggs in there. Presumably the chickens snuck in whilst she was away: she definitely did NOT lay those ones!! We are officially having today as the first day of her properly sitting and starting to incubate. Due to a 35 day incubation period (MUCH longer than chickens, they are only 21), it is going to be a long wait!
And continuing the theme of broody poultry who seem determined to 'do it their way' and ignore all the rules... we have given up trying to get our bantam to take her chicks back to their house in the top paddock each night. For a fortnight we have been collecting them all from the barn (where she dutifully heads every evening) and popping them in the aforementioned chicken house. Tonight we gave up! She had laid, sat on and hatched her eggs in the barn and the barn is obviously where she wants to spend her nights. We accept defeat! She wins!!
And finally to Katherine who continues to be the model mum except for also 'acquiring' more eggs!! Our mid-afternoon check found her, with four duck eggs under her tucked in amongst the turkey ones. They were from a clutch in a nestbox behind her.
And finally, finally still no news of Onion!!!