The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[smonkeySK]

Probably not worth disturbing her at this point imo

 

[Onlyducks]

I really don't want her sitting on the eggs. I have no where to go with ducklings. So I will try lifting her up and having my hubby snatch the egg while I hold the duck.

 

[NoisyCricket]

No duckling for me this year. Of the six eggs, 1 was a dud, and the other 5 quit or ended up with blood rings. I am sad, but wasn't expecting her to go broody and wasn't planning on hatching this year, so it is ok. Hopefully next year she will hatch a few .

 

[kountryboy4life]

5 days to go ! And my first Muscovy mama should have 11 ducklings(if all goes well) I cant wait to see what colors they are .

 

[lbrykowski2011]

5 days to go ! And my first Muscovy mama should have 11 ducklings(if all goes well) I cant wait to see what colors they are .

Congratulations and good luck.

 

[HooliganChicks]

I hear peeping!

And see one pipped egg so far! Go, Jack, Go!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hear peeping!

And see one pipped egg so far! Go, Jack, Go!

 

[zook]

I have 11 eggs due to hatch in the next day or so. Heard peeping this afternoon in a few eggs and quite a few pecking but no external pips yet. This is my first large clutch, last year only had one hatch of 4 late season. Another hen has 13 eggs but not ready to set yet. getting anxious to see some eggs thathave pipped. maybe in the morning.

 

[LydiaB]

I have 3 broody ducks. I have not disturbed them to count eggs or anything. I would guess at least 20 eggs between the 3 of them, maybe more. They should be "due" around June 26.

 

[ringaring]

In the last 2 hatches, it seems the Moms continued to sit after the 1st few hatched, but then I would find the rest of the eggs - usually broken or quite dead, outside the nest, 1 every 2-3 days until they were all gone and just the ducklings were left. It seems the moms have a sense when an egg is not viable and boot it out. That being said, the last duck who hatched 4 ducklings 3 days ago booted an egg out but when I candled it the was very rhythmic movement, like a heartbeat but much slower than I would have thought, about 100 beats per minute. Does anyone know what the average heart rate of a duckling is? Most little things like babies & puppies & kittens have very fast heartbeats.