muscovy won't go broody?

[DStewart PDX]

Hi, all - I have three muscovy ducks all a year old and all laying for a few weeks now. The drake is a pretty good guy and easy to get along with. Plenty of eggs are accumulating on the nest they all share, but no one is going broody! How long should I wait before I give up and throw them in the incubator? Thanks!

 

[ChickenRaiser95]

The fertility in the eggs can last about 2-3 weeks without dying, so if they don't go broody by then, it probably isn't their season yet. They can build up a nest of 10-30 eggs. Some might do it the next breeding season. There is no guarantee the hens will go broody, but I wish you luck. Do you supply more than one nest for the girls? They might need personal nests, and divide the eggs between them so they can feel safer in their own area. For Muscovys you need 1 nest for every 2-4 hens, but maybe more in this case. Let me know how things go.

 

[DStewart PDX]

Thanks. I guess I assumed they would go broody after several weeks of laying. I will relax, put some of these in a friend's incubator, and see what they do.

 

[ChickenRaiser95]

Sounds great. So far, I think Muscovys are a great duck breed. I will have to get myself some more. I'm raising a flock of Pekins right now. A month old and already outweighing my rooster by a few pounds.

 

[DStewart PDX]

Finally today one of the muscovies began setting on the nest! Fingers crossed!

 

[Going Quackers]

Good luck! usually it's completely the opposite trying to get them to stop! mine drive me bonkers and i don't have nest boxes never found that necessary, they nest exactly where they please.