As the usual brood size is 10-14, it is thought another duck may have laid its eggs in her nest. Manager Zul Bhatia said: "Normally, the female would reject any ducklings that weren't her own, but this one has seemingly decided to raise all 27."
He added: "This is no small task by any means. To see 27 ducklings was a bit surprising."
However, it seems that the duck has already lost a few ducklings to predators, as at the last count she only had 24. Lochwinnoch nature reserve is one of the last remaining wetlands in the west of Scotland.
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Ducks will sometimes chase off the mothers of other ducklings in the same pond. Ducklings feed themselves, so there's no extra care needed. The mother only guards them and leads them to feeding areas. The reason for commandeering other ducklings is thought to be a 'safety in numbers' strategy. If one of the many ducklings is taken by a predator it's less likely to be one of her own.
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