13 Muscovy duck eggs, days from hatching suddenly disappear & Momma Duck is devastated.

[MuscovyMomAllie]

One of my Momma ducks has been brooding 28 days. This evening, she was wondering around after another Momma duck & her 7 - 2 week old ducklings.

This morning, she was sitting on her eggs. At 5 pm, All of her 13 eggs are gone. No babies, no shells, no eggs, no sign of a fight or scuffle (no feathers). There's a little bit of disturbed dirt but not much.
My gate is locked, privacy fenced back yard, but with a 'dick access'. She was hidden behind a large covered grill by my back door under the eave of my home.

I've had a raccoon attack another brooding mom before. There were feathers everywhere.

This time, there's nothing & I'm worried about the Momma. She's eating very little, wanders around back yard clucking for her babies every so often.
She is not going back to her brooding spot, but roaming around the area. She was only off her eggs 30-45 min a day. Never out of the back yard

Does anyone have an idea of what might have happened?

What can I do for Momma?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Allie

 

[casportpony]

Bummer! Do do have crows?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am so sorry for your losses.
It isn't a good idea to let them brood and hatch outside where they are vulnerable to predators. Rats, snakes, crows etc can make their way to a nest and eat or carry off eggs.
No way of knowing unless you have a camera set up. I'd sure be watching the mama with her 2 week olds.
As for the mama who lost her eggs, it will take time for the broody hormones to settle down but they will. Maybe the mama with her group will let her follow along with hers.
What breed?

 

[Canadian Wind]

I had a broody muscovy get attacked last year, and I had to bring her inside to care for her injuries. She was so lethargic and unhappy. She had been sharing her nest with another, so the eggs were fine (all of them turned out to be infertile, though) but she wasn't doing well emotionally.

I just happened to get some duckling a couple of days later, and even though they were older, she adopted them immediately as her own and became a really good mom! She healed up fast after that.

 

[A little Daffy]

One of my Momma ducks has been brooding 28 days. This evening, she was wondering around after another Momma duck & her 7 - 2 week old ducklings.

This morning, she was sitting on her eggs. At 5 pm, All of her 13 eggs are gone. No babies, no shells, no eggs, no sign of a fight or scuffle (no feathers). There's a little bit of disturbed dirt but not much.
My gate is locked, privacy fenced back yard, but with a 'dick access'. She was hidden behind a large covered grill by my back door under the eave of my home.

I've had a raccoon attack another brooding mom before. There were feathers everywhere.

This time, there's nothing & I'm worried about the Momma. She's eating very little, wanders around back yard clucking for her babies every so often.
She is not going back to her brooding spot, but roaming around the area. She was only off her eggs 30-45 min a day. Never out of the back yard

Does anyone have an idea of what might have happened?

What can I do for Momma?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Allie

That's so sad. I'm sorry this happened to you and the mamma duck!
I have a momma on a nest now with 16 eggs behind my fountain in the front yard. This is the 3rd time a female has used this site. Must be a good one because nothing has ever happened....yet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is such a sweet picture

 

[A little Daffy]

Thank you, Miss Lydia!

 

[Canadian Wind]

That is such a sweet picture

It's hilarious! I love how her head is just poking out like that!

 

[A little Daffy]

It's hilarious! I love how her head is just poking out like that!

Thanks, Chris!

 

[Luv Ducks]

I would have thought it was a coon but since it happened during the daytime that is unusual. Being this time of the year another animal more than likely might have wanted to feed its young and took the eggs. With no egg shells around it is hard to say what got them. I did not think crows could fly carrying eggs as Muscovy eggs are usually pretty large. I hope that you figured it out. If she every decides to lay eggs in that spot again I would fine a way to put protection around her. Whatever it was would more than likely return the next time too. I hope she is feeling better. I just got this post as for some reason I get mine late at times. Do you have minks or weasels where you live? Maybe something like that could have done it also.