Moving Rouen duck's nest

[Dsullys]

These are the first ducks I've ever had. I built a caravan house for them with a pen, for their safety. But they prefer to free range. Over a month ago I found "Esmerelda" had made a nest under one of my palm trees (I live in South Florida). There were 3 eggs. I checked the next day and another was added.then the following day, there was only 1 egg. There are couple of stray cats that wander into the yard. Anyway, I took the egg and put it into the caravan and started locking them up during the night. She continued to lay eggs and then after a few days I gave them their freedom. She returns every night to lay an egg. I have removed some eggs for our own consumption, but have always left at least 6 for her. Since she continues to lay eggs, I decided to stop taking any for myself to see if she would sit on them. She has 17 eggs in the nest, but shows no inclination to sit on them. To date she has laid a total of 32 eggs.

I thought 12 was an average for a clutch. It seems a shame to waste all those eggs, if she's not going to sit on them. But every morning I go out and she and Quasimodo are enjoying a swim in the pond.

 

[Miss Lydia]

These are the first ducks I've ever had. I built a caravan house for them with a pen, for their safety. But they prefer to free range. Over a month ago I found "Esmerelda" had made a nest under one of my palm trees (I live in South Florida). There were 3 eggs. I checked the next day and another was added.then the following day, there was only 1 egg. There are couple of stray cats that wander into the yard. Anyway, I took the egg and put it into the caravan and started locking them up during the night. She continued to lay eggs and then after a few days I gave them their freedom. She returns every night to lay an egg. I have removed some eggs for our own consumption, but have always left at least 6 for her. Since she continues to lay eggs, I decided to stop taking any for myself to see if she would sit on them. She has 17 eggs in the nest, but shows no inclination to sit on them. To date she has laid a total of 32 eggs.

I thought 12 was an average for a clutch. It seems a shame to waste all those eggs, if she's not going to sit on them. But every morning I go out and she and Quasimodo are enjoying a swim in the pond.

Welcome to BYC... . Some domestic ducks just don't go broody it's been bred out of them, they are bred to lay eggs mainly but even in those breeds that are super egg layers once in a while one will go broody and hatch some ducklings.
If your duck has laid that many eggs you may not get a broody at least not this year. So take out the freshest and eat them, continue to leave a few in her house just to keep her laying in there so if she was to go broody she would be safe. That house is adorable you did a great job and your ducks are lovely.

 

[Dsullys]

Update. Wow!! It is day 40 and Esmerelda is still laying an egg a day. I never expected so many, especially since this is her first time (she's 7 months old now). I was under the impression that Rouens were average layers, but I guess she didn't get that memo.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Update. Wow!! It is day 40 and Esmerelda is still laying an egg a day. I never expected so many, especially since this is her first time (she's 7 months old now). I was under the impression that Rouens were average layers, but I guess she didn't get that memo.

Congrats, she'll lay out soon and take a break maybe for the winter months so enjoy while you can..

Welcome too BYC

 

[Dsullys]

What's an average number of eggs laid by a Rouen duck? Esmerelda is up to 53 on her first clutch - that's 1 a day since she started in October with only one day missed a couple of weeks ago.

 

[buff goose guy]

my count was about 24 and they all hatched last time that my rouens had ducklings.

 

[MisfitMiniFarm]

So.. we've got 1 male Rouen and 3 females, we got them last late spring/early summer (2014). They just started to lay eggs a little over a week ago. We collected the first few then decided to let the clutch build in hopes of babies this spring. I started to mark on the eggs so we'd leave most but take one or two freshest eggs as they came. Yesterday I came home from work and the nest was empty! I was so upset. But there was not trace of them. No tracks, no sign of struggle, no broken eggs or shell bits. I started looking in the water (because I've found at least 4 eggs in the water near nest sight) but nothing. Figured we had to start over. Then this morning I went out and 4 eggs! yay! I proceeded to mark them to build up the clutch again. 3 new... and wait... what...? this one has old date on it! Are the ducks hiding them from me? I was so sure a racoon or predator took each egg out, but now I find one of the older eggs! WHATS HAPPENING?!?! I feel like the ducks are pranking me! I searched every inch around our natural pond, under the deck, in the water! I cant find the others... but seriously, what's going on?? Can they they carry the eggs some how? Their nest is about a foot above the pond level, right at the base of a huge douglas fir that's surrounded by ferns, between the tree and the water with a little walking ramp up from water into the brush, as well as a back way in through the ferns. I just can't imagine the duck rolling her big egg back up into this nest, any ideas????

 

[buff goose guy]

the mother might be noticeing you watching her nest and such, it doesnt matter how much your ducks love you they tend to take instinct over much emotion,
yes she might let you touch the eggs, hold them ,even get under her and shes fine with it, but if she thinks anything is wrong she might move her nest , or in another case there is another nest from another female you dont know about and they are stealing each others eggs.

 

[MisfitMiniFarm]

How is it that they are moving the eggs?.. if this is what's happening. I'm trying to get my hands on a camera.. if I do catch any video, of anything, I'd love to post it

 

[buff goose guy]

they use there beaks to roll eggs , i dont know how they do it, but it doesn't seem harm the eggs