Mandarin Duck Fertility help

[FeatheredFriends2018]

So I don't know if I'm posting in the right place but I'm hoping someone can help me.
I have mandarin ducks, I've had them 3 years now. Last year I thought I'd give incubating their eggs a try and managed to hatch 7 ducklings however 80% of the eggs were infertile.
This year I've put 14 eggs in to incubater and they're also infertile.
I don't know alot about them, they belonged to my ex who now doesn't love with me but thought I'd try for fun as we have the space but it's baffled me as to why they're the eggs are empty.
Please could you guys help

 

[Sgt_P]

You wrote "...doesn't love with me..."

I think you meant doesn't "live" with me.

But the first statement might apply to your Mandarins.

Males and Female Mandarins pair bond for quite some time (if not a life time). And to get wild ducks (migrating ducks) to mate and nest, they must be happy and paired.

Obviously they have reproduced in the past. Is anything different for them? How many Mandarins do you have? Did you collect (and start incubating) the eggs within the 7-ish day viability window?

And where are you? The US? What part? Maybe temperature is a factor?

BTW, I'm also where my ex "doesn't love with me" anymore too...

 

[FeatheredFriends2018]

Honestly damn auto correct.
Was definitely meant to say he doesn't live with me anymore. Although either goes I guess.
Anyway, I'm in the UK.
I have 10 in there, absolutely nothing has changed, I've not added or lost any since last year.
I didn't incubate until the end of the second week.
Last year I didn't get any ducklings until right before they stopped laying. All eggs before then were empty

 

[Sgt_P]

Maybe they didn't mate? Or the Male didn't perform well... Wait, you said 10 (... add a "s" to Male... seems unlikely).

They do have courtship (both the male and female entice each other).

They live about 12 years, so it doesn't seem like age is playing a role.

Some people put matching leg tags to identify pairs. Wood Ducks and Mandarins will also egg dump. Do you have multiple Wood Duck nest boxes? Hen's like to be picky.

Lastly, food... calcium can be an issue with the females, but maybe the males need something different to prepare for mating (I'm not sure about that aspect...)

 

[FeatheredFriends2018]

There's 5 females and 5 males, they all seem paired but maybe they're not.
I'm not worried about breeding them. Was just doing it for a bit of fun and interest for the children but then it made me wonder if there was a reason behind it.
They do have nesting boxes but some eggs I find just on the floor by the pond.
I wonder if they aren't happy with their nexting boxes

 

[Sgt_P]

Nesting boxes are specific. They should be up off the ground, and have a 3"tall x 4" wide oval opening, and the box should be deep enough the hen can't be seen through the hole. The bedding should be fresh each year (or hatch). Just like the brooder, pine/wood shavings or hay (all non-toxic, etc). And there should be multiple boxes.

Not sure how big your aviary is, but with the potential of 5 pairs, I'd have at least 5 boxes.

Lastly, ducks are ok with a bit of in-breeding, but eventually you'll need new blood. Try to find a local to trade eggs or juveniles to keep the diversity up...

In my experience, eggs that are just laying around are probably not fertile. The hen's should get broody. Which means picking out and preparing a nest. Then she'll lay 8-10 eggs over the course of about a week, in that nest. Then she should start setting, and that's when the clock starts on the approximate 28 days.

Please take all this with a grain of salt. There are many others with far greater knowledge than me.

 

[FeatheredFriends2018]

Ah no that's fantastic, I'll have a good sort out and move things, I'll make them some new nesting boxes (keep me and the children busy) while we can't go out.
Thank you

 

[Sgt_P]

There are lots of Wood Duck Nest Boxes plans online. But the height can vary, although if the birds can fly, they prefer them high up in your aviary.

They like that size hole and depth for safety from predators.

And the ducklings can climb like crazy to get out when it's time. But most builders put some screen or score the wood to give the tikes a bit of a ladder!

 

[Sgt_P]

Here's a really cool round one...

 

[FeatheredFriends2018]

Aw, that's lovely, I wonder whether my skills will go as far as to make the rounded one x