3 Crazy Muscovy Girls in the same nest?!

[MysticalMom]

I knew as of yesterday that 3 of my muscovy girls were laying in the same nest box. I figured it out when I had 3 eggs one day and 6 the next.

So I go out a few minutes ago to let the ducks out and all 3 of these crazy girls are squished inside said nest box together. I've never had this happen before.. they all had their own favorite boxes... so what do I do now?

Edit: And I guess I should add that there's 9 eggs in there this morning.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

It sounds like they may be wanting to go broody all at the same time...try splitting out the eggs in 2 or 3 different boxes and see if they will seperate....(well do you have a drake to fertilize the eggs? otherwise them poor girls are wasting their time - lol). Are these three hatchmates? I've heard of hatchmates going broody at the same time before, but 3 wanting to cram together is a bit odd.

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
Oh yes. My big drake has been VERY busy and I've seen him breed with all of his girls this season. 2 of these girls are hatchmates.. the older one isn't, but all 3 do hang around together all the time. Odd is right. You think they'll still set if I start moving the eggs around? They're all good Mommas.. but this is a totally new situation for me.

Ducks.. gotta love 'em.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Muscovies are the silkies of the duck world and i can move silkie eggs around and the broody hens still sit, especially if I bunch down a nest for her with the eggs in it then plunk her down on top of the eggs, they don't seem to care....

I say give it a try, at worst they won't, but I'd suggest if possible seperating the three if you can so as to avoid them piling up on each other. They are liable to break eggs under them with them hassling over the same nest spot and it will definately get too hot for the eggs to incubate as well.

Good luck - lol.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

I agree with ScaredOfShadows on separating the eggs into different nest boxes. Once they SEE that there are eggs in other boxes they may start laying in them. If possible, you do not want the hens to brood together. It has worked once for me but generally does not. They get to hasseling with eachother over the eggs & then fight over the ducklings also which means a squished baby & tusseling moms before, during and sometimes after the hatch.

Even the co-brooding/parenting clutch that did work out would have been better if the 2 hens would have had their own clutches..... which they did later in the season & it DID work out much better.

 

[Captain Cluck]

I know this is about ducks, but I have to tell you about when we had chickens.

One summer my roosters were exceptionally busy. My entire flock of hens took turns setting on a huge nest of eggs on the dirt floor of the garage.

I don't know how or if they knew whose eggs were whose and I don't think they really cared.

One hen would get up, another would sit down in her place. Whoever was setting on the eggs when they hatched got the chicks. And they all hatched.

As the chicks hatched, each hen would get off the nest with about 6 or more chicks each. Just one big happy family.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Captain Cluck, love that story. I don't think it would work for ducks, but who knows.

I had two that hatched together, no matter where they put the nest. My girls moved their nests each hatch. It could be yours all want that area for a nest, not necessarily that they want to nest together. If you can move all the nests, that is what I would do. Then separate the eggs into the three different nests. Though I wouldn't want 3 nesting at one time, again.

keeperofthehearth is right. My 2 rolled those eggs to each other nests untill they finally settled on one big trough of eggs. When the 3 were sitting at the same time, the biggest duck stole chicks and ended up killing one and was after another. Would not let that duck or her ducklings eat. Ok, for the duck(she could leave to eat and drink) but not the babies. Needless to say I just have 2 of those ducks left now. All were brood mates but unknown if they were hatch mates, don't think so.

Good luck, with stuburn Scovies, your going to need it.

 

[goosedragon]

I don't think it can hurt to seperate the eggs into three nice nests,t it might not do any good. If nothing else it will be educational to watch the ducks move their eggs back to where they want them. another effect might be where you start a rash of egg stealing since muscovies will ofter steal other's eggs to build their own clutch bigger. If one duck goes broody be prepared to isolate her nest from the rest of the flock for the reason above plus the drakes have been known to destroy a nest to get the broody duck back in his mating flock. Good Luck!

 

[MysticalMom]

I'm going to try to separate the eggs into the individual boxes they usually use and plop them in them and see what happens. The nest they've decided to all squish in is the older girls usual nest and honestly, as temperamental as she can be, I'm shocked she's letting this happen. I'll put 3 in each and see what they do. I'll let y'all know how it works out. This oughta be interesting to say the least. And I'll just be happy if ONE of them hatches some for me.

Thanks everyone. I love BYC!

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

They have not gone broody or you would not be getting eggs....they might start soon though.