26 eggs...and 2 sitting Pekins

[Sara Ranch]

I have 2 female Pekins sitting on the same nest which is holding 26 eggs. That number has been consistent for the last week or so.

Both girls sit on the nest, taking turns.

Both girls are protective of the nest.

All of the eggs are completely covered by duck and/or sand/feathers. It's very rare to see an egg outside of the duck/nest. It's usually moved back under the duckie on nest duty within an hour.

I saw one HUGE egg in there - usually would be a double yoker. I left it in there and went to take it out the next day and the girls had rearranged the eggs so it was no longer obvious.

There are two eggs that have a darker spots on them, but are clean. Almost like there was poop or mud on them and the girls cleaned them off. ALL of the eggs look really clean.

Think 26 eggs is too many for the both girls to co-mother?

Has anyone had a success hatch with that many eggs in the nest? Or a gigantic egg hatch?

 

[Lil Drake40]

That’s a lot of eggs, I’d get the girls out side so you can candle the eggs that way the ones not growing can be removed and give them a better number to deal with plus you don’t want any to explode and spew bacteria all over the ones that are living

 

[Lil Drake40]

As for the one you suspect is double it may live for a while but they usually die before hatching

 

[Sara Ranch]

Time to build that candle flashlight!

The whole crew (mommy's and daddy's) come out of the duck house in the evening for swim time. I'll do it tomorrow night.

 

[chickenE]

First, what if your goal? How many more ducklings do you want or need?

Can you put some of the eggs in an incubator?

 

[Sara Ranch]

My goal is for the ducks to hatch out and raise their own duckies. If I needed to, I could bring some in (after they hatch) to raise.

I don't have a set number of ducklings in mind. I will be happy with the healthy one(s) running around here.

I don't have a consistent source of electricity, so incubating eggs myself is not an option.

I do have a wonderful friend who would incubate some eggs for me next month.

A bit tough to save fertilized eggs if they aren't laying. BUT in a month, either there will be duckling or there should be fresh eggs.

*****

In the time that I posted my first post and now, I went out and let the duckies out. The girls had moved their nest away from the corner and a little more to the right. As thought they needed a little more elbow room.

One egg broke and spilled yoke on two other eggs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just wipe it off with a dry paper towel.