Hidden Eggs

[karbear]

I am learning how much Wilma likes to hide her eggs. The last couple of days I have found her eggs in her nest all covered up. I found two the other day and I had thought she just didn't lay the day before. Todays was buried even more. I don't think she wants me to have them.

 

[duckyfromoz]

karbear - I love your Avartar. So cute !! Some of mine will bury them in the hay - I have just taken the nesting boxes out a week ago for a good clean- and I need to put them back. Walking in the shed today I stood on one of those buried eggs.

Are you hoping for her to go broody?

 

[Alex Kwong]

try not to take all of them at once. leave 1 or 2 pcs eggs at the same place, then they should back to the same place to lay again. after they used to lay at the same place you can try take all of the eggs.

 

[dumb_cluck]

Are you hoping for her to hatch them? Or do you want to collect and eat them?

Reason I ask is that some ducks don't get broody often and will lay a clutch of eggs and one by one they spoil and die.
My mallards laid a clutch of about 12 eggs, not all at once and the eggs were kicked around like they didn't know what to do with them.

A while later, one went broody and became one big cramp! Real grouchy! She started setting on her clutch, but, kicked them one by one out of the nest around the 20th day. So.....just watch and learn.

 

[Wifezilla]

My ducks were turning every morning in to an easter egg hunt. I finally decided to try the fake egg trick and see if I could get them to lay in one spot so I could stop hunting. I used stone decorator eggs and put one in the little dog house and one in the large. They have all decided they like the small dog house and have all laid their eggs in that pile of hay

 

[FenDruadin]

The fake egg thing really works. I would take them all out and replace them all with four or five golf balls. Golf balls are perfect--easy and cheap to obtain, and they really do work. Good luck!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Perfectly normal behavior. two reasons 1 stops preditors (and owners) from finding them. 2 tends to keep the egg at the proper temperature and humidity for later hatching.

 

[Alex Kwong]

yes some ducks don't like empty nest. so I usually leave one in it for moscovies. indian runners are okay to take them all.
I will try golf balls for next time moscovies start lay eggs. I thought golf balls are too small.

In my option for hatching, I pick and store the eggs upside down (air pocket at below). In this way keep the eggs away from dirty.
When the time one or two went to broody. I put them back to the nest. usually not more than 12 eggs in one nest. Some people said not more than 9 days old eggs. in my case 11-12 days eggs usually still hatched. that is for my moscovies. cause I still un-success to hatch moscovies eggs with incubator. But the hen can done very well. a week ago one was hatch 11 out of 11 eggs and the other 10 out of 11 eggs. total 21 duckling.
When before I not collect them, some of the earlier eggs usually become dirty before broody. most of them will kicked out from the nest before the final day. because they are developed bad smell. the rate are around 50%

 

[1duckychick]

It's funny, I have 1 who hides and buries hers all the time and the other 1 will just kinda "drop" hers where ever she happens to be standing at the time!

 

[karbear]

I had just figured Wilma was not laying all the time since she is new at it. I went out and found two hidden and realised I needed to check things out more closely everyday. She still does not lay everyday but has had quite a few double yolkers. I don't think she will go broody since she is so young. And not sure good idea anyways since the only male I have is her brother.