Advice on duck eggs

[Emdy]

A few months ago I had a hawk or owl attack wipe out half my flock, so I have been putting them up at night and haven't lost anymore. I found their first eggs the day before tragedy struck. They have since been laying in there coop and I let them out in the morning. They WILL NOT go in the coop on their own. I would like to expand my flock in the future, so that's where my question comes in. If I let them out in the morning and they won't go back in the coop till I put them there how long can the eggs go without being sat on and still hatch them? I have 3 hens and 2 drakes, welsh harlequins. I was thinking about waiting till my chickens started laying and let them hatch my ducks. Should I not let one or more of the ducks out just to sit on the eggs? Will they be ok to go all day without being kept warm, I was doubting that option. Thanks for any advice. Also one drake seems to be picking on the other. He has some feathers kinda wearing out around his eyes and I have seen him pick as well. Anything I can do to stop it?

 

[TLWR]

You can't force a duck (or chicken) to sit on eggs. If she doesn't want to, she isn't going to, so even if you keep one locked up all day, they still aren't going to sit on the eggs if they don't want to.

If you want to hatch the eggs, your best option is to incubate them yourself or wait until you have a broody chicken and stick some under her.

 

[Emdy]

Thanks for your reply. I wasn't going to try and force them to sit. They may want to but they refuse and always have refused to go into the coop. Even before i started locking them up at night they would sleep on the other end of the run. I guess they feel safer there. I may incubate some but I'll hope to wait until I get a broody chicken.