UPDATE - HATCHING :) Swapping eggs & nests?????

[evansacres]

So I have had a broody rouen duck... for almost 28 days now. My pekin duck has become broody too - about a week ago now...they seem to have "divided" the eggs between them at this point. They both come off the nest for just a few minutes a.m./pm and go right back. They have me soo confused as tonight I came home and they had switched nests

I'm really not sure when the eggs will hatch as I believe that it is between 28 and 33 days, longest being the muscovies. Is this normal behaviour (this is their first time) or do I just have a bunch of strange ducks

I guess I'll learn soon enough

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Ha ha ha !!!

I had a similar problem also ...in one barrel in the waterfowl coop I had two muscovy's and an Embden goose laying on scovy eggs and geese eggs ..at first the goose was laying eggs in front of the barrel but my muscovy hens kept on snatching the eggs to lay on . So the goose started laying on eggs in the barrel also . It was too funny ..everyday someone was sitting on someone elses eggs....I knew the muscovy eggs were not fertile as my drake had dissappeared but they did manage to hatch out 5 geese .....I just let mother nature take its course because it was my first time and there first time ...I did candle the eggs once in awhile to see what was happening and slowly removed the muscovy eggs that were getting rottener each day ...I have a drake now so My muscovy hens are now sitting on 10 or more eggs each. I put a couple more nest boxes in the coop ...but ones nesting in the pigs house and the other one's in the barrel ...good luck ...let us know if something hatch's out !

 

[evansacres]

Thanks 2468Chickensrgr8

I looked this morning and one little one is almost out of the egg!! He/She's chirping away

Everyone seems content with the situation so I'm just going to let things go. I have shut my one female pekin and my drake outside of the coop/run for free run and the broody girls are dutifully sitting on their nests (they switched back by the way!!

I'm at work right now but will be going home at lunch to see how the progress is coming.

My other pekin duck and the drake won't venture too far without the dominant female pekin. I'm so excited and anxious...I'm hoping these little one's make it. My two daughter's are soo excited, but I keep telling them we have to be patient 'cause things can still happen. Will post pics once things are a little more advanced

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Great! Its egg citing at any age !!!

 

[evansacres]

Well I have four little ones this morning...

not sure if anymore are going to hatch but I will leave them for a while longer and see what happens. Since this is the first time around, I don't know when/if the moms will leave the nest after a while themselves or if I should move the extra eggs... My pekin duck only went broody about a week or two ago so I don't know if she will still stay on the nest

The ducklings move from one mom to the other

From what I can tell, it seems as only the Rouen eggs have hatched. I was waiting to see what I would get from the Rouen drake and Pekin duck but may not get a chance too. Oh well the little ones are adorable no matter what.

Will get pictures as soon as I can but momma rouen is VERY PROTECTIVE !!

Oh 2468Chickensrgr8 - I'm from Ontario too

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Hey a fellow canuck !
I live close to Guelph
Wish I could help you more but this is my first year at broody waterfowl...Yes I would just leave them ...have you ever candled eggs before ? because you can always check them at night and see whats a dud or whats moving inside ...whats close to coming out of the shell etc... ...thats what I ended up doing and slowly took the dud eggs away ...and then the scovies started laying more ...hopefully since I brought in the drake ... Good Luck ! and How exciting to have those cutie patoootie pooper s eh ?.....