Ok for duck to sit on infertile eggs?

[Susanjoans]

I assume they're infertile, as we had to rehome our drake 2 months ago when he became overly aggressive with us.
She started laying eggs 10 days ago, I didn't remove the first one as she was protective and didn't realize she was laying daily - there are now about 9 eggs in her nest and she's spending lots of time on them. She does go out and free range a lot too though, and while she's up one of my chickens lays Her egg in the duck nest! My duck turns them and is very nurturing ..
What to do? I was thinking of letting her do her thing, then maybe after the incubation time ill slip in a few ducklings?
Thoughts?

 

[thegoldengirls]

Not likely they are fertile, but may make you feel better to candle them. Even if they're not, candling is a lot of fun.
Personally, I wouldn't leave them long enough to turn "rotten". I had a duck who found a really good hiding place for her eggs. By the time I found them, they were turning black from the inside. Thank goodness I didn't break one. Eww.
You could try trading them a couple at a time for plastic eggs, or maybe golf balls.

I also have a hen who does the same thing. I do feel bad for taking them because she is very protective and would love to hatch them, but she gets over it quickly.

 

[MMURKIN]

I have two ducks and they are both female and the big one actaully humps the little one, really strange, but they started laying eggs and i was torn on what to do as well. I thought exactly the same thoughts as Susan, but after 12 days of her laying on both of the girls eggs i decided i was tired of her spending so much time on the eggs. I could get her out to play for about 45 minutes when i came to see her, but it wasn't the same she would head right back to the eggs and sit. Actually she would sneak back to the eggs and sit, really cute. I decided to pick them up and Wow, not good. She ran back and forth from her nest to the mini pool i have and back screaming and yelling and she just stood in the nest for about 10-20 minutes looking around. She did eventually come out and hang with the other ducky, but things have not been the same inside the pen where i keep them and her nest lies. She will not let me pick her up anymore inside of the pen, but she will still hop on my boot when i head out of the pen and sit down. I can most of the time grab her then if i want too, but i am having a hard time breaking the trust and grabbing her. She is fine and seems to like to be pet and loved, but i lost the trust inside of the pen where i could alwasy pick her up. It has only been about 10 days since i did this and i hope that she forgets at some point, but she is really smart and remembers everything unlike the other one who forgets everything within 2 minutes, hahahhahahahaha! I am very sad as she was my favorite, she is just under 2 lbs full grown so cute. Just thought i would give you my expericence, plus i needed to talk about it. Maybe someone has a suggestion on how to get her trust back inside the pen? MM

 

[Susanjoans]

We wound up getting 6 fertile eggs and replacing the infertile ones.
5 of the 6 have now hatched, and she's pleased as punch. But still wants to set! Today we found her sitting on a chicken egg lol.
She's veeeeeerrrrryyyyyy maternal

 

[Miss Lydia]

We wound up getting 6 fertile eggs and replacing the infertile ones.
5 of the 6 have now hatched, and she's pleased as punch. But still wants to set! Today we found her sitting on a chicken egg lol.
She's veeeeeerrrrryyyyyy maternal

Congrats!! Best to keep all eggs away till she has weaned her ducklings, I have some like that too, I think they'd sit on snake eggs if given the chance.