A not so broody hen

[Ssager]

Hi
So I have 1 duck hen and 2 drakes. I used to have 2 more hens i tried and failed at introducing to the flock but they have since disappeared ( I think flown away)
So I’m left with my original 3.
She has started laying eggs 1 every morning. She is housed with the 2 drakes whom she usually mates with the same 1. The other doesn’t seem to interested.
She has made a little spot for herself and every morning she’s laying on her nest.
I usually collect them every couple of days and give them to friends etc. but I was thinking of letting her hatch some. But whenever I open the pen door she’s happy to leave for the day with the 2 drakes and never seems to want to return to the nest.
Should i leave her locked in for the days? Seems cruel she would get lonely and the boys would just wait but the pen all day as well.

 

[Stacyoung13]

Just because you lock her in doesn’t mean she will sit on the eggs. You can’t force broodiness.

 

[chickens really]

What breed? Ducks hens will lay a clutch of eggs and then she will begin to set them. A true Broody Duck Hen will pluck downy feathers from her belly and line the nest. Not all Hens go Broody.

 

[Jbently28]

If she has started laying in a designated spot, then leave her eggs. She will collect them over the course of time before she actually starts sitting on them. I thought my Welsh Harlequin duck would never go broody. I let her eggs collect over the course of about 3 weeks before I finally collected them. She was laying them in a doghouse whereas she normally would just lay them in random spots all over the yard. After I collected the eggs, I didn't find anymore for about 2 weeks. She started disappearing during the day until I finally saw her going under our shop. I finally was able to find her nest with 8 eggs in it that were about a week into development. They will go broody when they are ready even if they show the signs it may take a while. Our duck had become very quiet and extremely docile prior to going broody. I knew something was up the day I went to pet her and she started quacking like crazy, wagging her tail, and her feathers were all puffed up. My first instinct was to assume that she had a nest close by and I was correct.

 

[Ssager]

I picked 4 this morning and I am going to give incubating them a go. But I will let her lay them and leave them after your advise! I didn’t realise they had to lay several before they decided to sit on them. Thanks