Help with my Mallard

[rossifamily]

I have 4 Mallards, 3 male and 1 female. They are all 9 months old. Delilah, my female has started laying eggs. Yesterday we counted 19 eggs, and I think there is another one there today. My question is when is she going to lay on them? I am concerened with how long they have been there without her on them. I know she lays on them at night but why not during the day? These are the first ducks we've had so I don't have a lot of experience. Any help you can give could be greatly appreciatedThis is her nest with 17 eggs

and today with we think 20.

.

 

[buff goose guy]

in my personal experience and my judgement i think that that is too many eggs for a mallard to lay on and have a successful hatch rate. I would take some of the eggs and leave her with about 7 to 5 eggs. As for her leaving, is it warm there? sometimes females will get off the eggs when it is hot so they they won't overheat.

 

[rossifamily]

Our temp has been in the upper 60s -70s. But I suppose our coop get warmer than that. How long can they stay there before they just won't hatch? I was afraid to touch them too much in case she wouldn't go back to them.

 

[buff goose guy]

if you're lucky some can last a week without any sitting but her sitting on them at night is normal for some females as they will get on the nest only at night for the first week or two and should stay on the nest the whole time a bit later.

 

[rossifamily]

Thank you so much for your help. I will take some of the eggs away. Any suggestions on what to do with them? I know some use them for baking, or do I just toss them.

 

[buff goose guy]

just toss them some of them might have begun to rot and its better to be safe than sorry.

Also mark the eggs lightly with a pencil for the ones you want her to keep so that if she lays too many again you can leave those and take the new ones.

 

[Kroelies]

That is a lot of eggs! I thought mallards would lay around 12 eggs and then sit on them. Do you have a picture of your female?

Not sure if you can spot a rotting egg with candling.. But you could candle them anyways

 

[rossifamily]

 

[rossifamily]

I tried candling 1 of them about a week ago but I couldn't see anything. I didn't really know what I was looking for or if I was doing it right. I've read up on it some so I will try again tonight!

 

[buff goose guy]

When u candle be in complete darkness then get a flashlight that's a bit smaller the than round side of the egg then place the egg at the light source and you should see red veins and movement