Why are my ducks doing this???? IS IT NORMAL??

[xfilesnumber1fan]

I have 4 adult females who have always laid eggs in the same spot..I have up until now took the eggs out..About a week or 2 ago I didnt get them and now I have all 4 females sitting on the same nest..Sometimes it is just 1 or 2..Just came in and their right now are 3 sitting..They are were raised together so get alone great,2 are mother and daughter,the other is a crested,and a pekin..The pekin and 2 mallards are sitting right now,this morning it was the crested..I have no idea how many eggs they are sitting on or if they are fertile as I gave my drake to a friend maybe 2 weeks ago..I have 3 others boys but they are only 11 weeks..Why are they all wanting to sit..This is the first time they have ever showed an interest in the eggs?????
Here is a pic of the 4 girls there is also 2 boys in the pic also

 

[Quack Shack]

You know, ducks are curious creatures. When they aren't hiding eggs around the yard, they are sitting on each others and mine have been known to also sit a stray chicken egg. I know you can candle duck eggs so maybe just let them keep it going. I've read mixed thoughts on whether a duck will actually stay long enough to hatch her eggs but I truly think you'll know if you have a committed duck. Maybe you just have a whole village there raising ducklings. Good luck to you! Cute crests!

 

[Ducklove334]

Obviously all the ducks sitting have the instinct to brood...otherwise, they wouldn't be sitting! LOL

it must be the time of year or something, I feed blue seal breeder pellets, and it's doing it's job LOL, my two runners have been "broody" longer then they've ever been.


right now, I've got three co-broodies, my two runners, and my muscovy are all trying to sit in the same nest box, right now, on 2 blue swedish eggs due to hatch in about a week and a 1/2 LOL.

leave the eggs for about a week or so, and then candle, chances are they're still producing fertile eggs, maybe they'll hatch!

 

[Goat_Walker]

When my buff is broody, she usually has ... welll as many as can fit in the rabbit hutch with her. Some times there will be three of her kids in there, some times all eight try to fit in there! lol

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Holderread discusses how one broody hen can promote others to go broody. He suggests taking that hen away from the other hens, and putting her in an area with little shade and nothing that works for a nest for a few days to break her broodiness. His advice is aimed toward people who are trying to increase egg laying production. It makes sense to me, it's one of those hormone things like when women who live together tend to have their periods at the same time.

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Quote:
Why would I want to do that? I dont want them not to sit..Just wanted to know if it is normal to share a nest..Im happy this is the first time my ducks act like they know what eggs are for!

 

[LuvDux]

What kind of duck is the uncrested white one? It's pretty

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Quote:
When I got her I was told it was a Pekin..She was yellow orange beck and feet as she got older she got a speck of black on her beck and it just kept spreading until the whole turned black her feet are orange when she molted she out gray feathers..I was wondering if she is related to the crested one as when I got her the guy said she would be a blue color as you as NO blue gray feathers also..He was a chicken breeder so I dont think he paid too much attention to what the ducks were up too...LOL
I love her crest is big and she weighs 12lbs..No matter how hard she flaps her wings her little feet never leave the ground it is funny...

PS You have a hedgehog? I was wanting to get one..What can you tell me about them?

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Quote:
Why would I want to do that? I dont want them not to sit..Just wanted to know if it is normal to share a nest..Im happy this is the first time my ducks act like they know what eggs are for!

Wait - I didn't mean YOU should do that!

I was just referencing what Holderread says because in his explaination he points out that ducks can make each other go broody. Your question was "Why are my ducks doing this?"
I loved having my duck go broody too!!

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Quote:
Why would I want to do that? I dont want them not to sit..Just wanted to know if it is normal to share a nest..Im happy this is the first time my ducks act like they know what eggs are for!

Wait - I didn't mean YOU should do that!

I was just referencing what Holderread says because in his explaination he points out that ducks can make each other go broody. Your question was "Why are my ducks doing this?"
I loved having my duck go broody too!!

Oh..Ok..I see what you are saying...If that is the case why dont they each make a nest..What has caused them to sit on the same one and what happens when the babies come?? Who is the mother..Its all their eggs are all of them planning on mothering them? Will they fight about it??Thanks