Hen/Drake Offspring Questions

[LexiLou27]

So I have a few questions:

1. How long after a duck is bred will she produce fertilized eggs?

2. If a duck is bred by drake 1, but then bred by drake 2 a couple of times in the following days/week, will drake 2 take over as far as the offspring will be his and not drake 1? (If that makes sense)

3. Can a hen, if bred by both drake 1 and drake 2, have some ducklings from drake one and some ducklings from drake 2 in the same clutch?

I’m looking to hatch some ducklings out in a month or so & would like to keep them pure as much as possible. I do have separate pens they go in during the day, but occasionally a drake will fly out and get with the other hens but they also share a coop at night.

Also, what incubators do you recommend for hatching duck eggs and how do you feel about the misting & cooling method?

 

[Jenbirdee]

i THINK
a - a couple months
b- no
c- yes
but don’t quote me. those are “somewhat educated guesses”
i could be wrong.
@cheezenkwackers may know

 

[KathiQuacks]

Anyone correct me if I’m wrong, this is just what I’ve been taught / observed

1. How long after a duck is bred will she produce fertilized eggs?

Assuming she’s already laying, I’d believe after a day or two, they’ll be fertile. And even with just the one mating, she’ll be able to continue producing fertile eggs for the next 2 - 3 weeks.

2. If a duck is bred by drake 1, but then bred by drake 2 a couple of times in the following days/week, will drake 2 take over as far as the offspring will be his and not drake 1? (If that makes sense)

Not necessarily. Hens can reject sperm from drakes they don’t like. Essentially, the hen’s vagina has “dead ends” where, if it’s an unwanted mating, the penis of the drake will likely get stuck in one of the dead ends and won’t fertilize the eggs properly. With a wanted mating, the hen will relax and the drake will be able to avoid the dead ends easier. Which drake has your hen picked as her mate, and is it the drake you want her mating with?

3. Can a hen, if bred by both drake 1 and drake 2, have some ducklings from drake one and some ducklings from drake 2 in the same clutch?

Yes. One of my first hens was bred by two different drakes. Her first few ducklings were from Drake 1. 2 weeks later, they were from Drake 2. Just a few days after that, it was back to Drake 1. She eventually switched over to Drake 2 permanently and only produced his offspring for the rest of her eggs. In total, she had 4 ducklings with Drake 1, and 28 ducklings with Drake 2. Drake 2 was her chosen mate, so I’m not surprised she produced more offspring with him.

Also, what incubators do you recommend for hatching duck eggs and how do you feel about the misting & cooling method?

I have two Nuture Right 360s that’ve been great for me, although they’re rather pricy. The thermometer and hygrometer readings have been fairly accurate, only slightly low in certain spots. It has an auto turner, a day counter, water reservoirs can be filled from outside the ‘bator. It holds 22 eggs per ‘bator, so if you plan on hatching many eggs and have the money, I’d recommend it, otherwise I’d get a smaller ‘bator lol.

I’ve never tried the misting & cooling method, although it makes sense, as it’s essentially mimicking what happens with broody hens.

 

[LexiLou27]

How do I know if she’s accepted or rejected the breeding? The drake I want paired with her is one she was raised with her entire life & they get along.

And thank you for all of the insight! I’ll have to look more into that incubator and the method.

 

[KathiQuacks]

Well, if it’s not her mate, then I’d assume it’s unwanted and potentially rejected.

You’ll know who’s her mate, as she’ll spend a lot of time with him, and you may see her do this silly “sideways head bob” away from her mate, all while making a gravelly “reh-eh-eh-eh” sound Or, she’ll do a head bob dance with her mate in the water before mating.

I don’t think you can know for sure whether or not it’s rejected, but you could separate her and the drake for a few weeks to a month, which’ll guarantee all the sperm from the other drake is gone.

 

[LexiLou27]

Okay, I figured the head bob was her approving & they both do it so I would assume she’s not rejecting him. Thanks!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Most of the questions were well answered, but I'll put in my thoughts on incubators and incubating practices.

I just received a MeeF incubator that I'd heard good things about. By just, I mean today. Eggs are going in tonight. Depending on your egg sizes, it can hold up to 30, but with ducks I'd think probably less. It wasn't very expensive, under $100.

I also *just* ordered (ie, today again!) a Maticoopx incubator after hearing many positive things about them from fellow members. This one cost me about twice what the MeeF did.

As for cooling and misting, I do that religiously with duck eggs, less so with chicken eggs. You need to remember that in nature, Momma Duck will get up to eat and drink and wash, and she returns to the nest damp, thus transferring that moisture to the eggs. And both duck and chicken leave the nest long enough to give them a small cooling period.

I know some people put them in the incubator and seal it tight and won't even touch it for the duration, but I hand-turned all last year so have no issues with it.

 

[LexiLou27]

I have a Maticoopx too and they are very simple and easy to use, I just wanted more insight as to what everyone else uses, but if you recommend the cooling and misting I may just do that and purchase an incubator that doesn’t have automatic turners and do the cooling and misting while I turn the eggs to be more cost efficient. I’m also not sure how well the eggs will fit in the trays so we’ll have to see about that too, I might not be able to use them and just do the maticoopx without trays. Thank you!