Muscovy abandoned nest

[arr36]

After my poor Muscovy had her nest raided last weekend and all but one egg taken by crows, yesterday her remaining egg was "helpfully" collected by my mother in law who didn't realise she was broody. We were out and only found out around 3-4 hours later. I stuck the egg straight in the incubator and it's still viable on candling (2.5 weeks in, embryo bopping around!!), but sadly the duck has left the nest now there are no eggs. She's been hanging out with the other ducks today and shown no signs of broodiness anymore.

I'll keep the egg incubating but I have no one else with the same hatch date so it'll be a lonely duckling; and I really wanted it raised by its mother. How likely is it that she'll go broody again in the next 2.5 weeks so I can pop this one under her and remove any other eggs as she lays them? I guess it's a remote hope.

 

[sourland]

Very unlikely. She will rest a bit, lay another clutch, and then go broody. Probably a matter of a couple of months rather than weeks.